Vessel Hunter · Daily maritime briefing

Friday, 9 October 2026

Tanker hit off Qatar, Muuga ferry race and an Arctic loop

Attacks reach deeper into the Gulf, a second operator for the Estonia-Finland freight link and a containership returns from the Arctic via Suez

10 stories4 sections5 min readVessel Hunter newsroom

Conflict and security

5 stories

A crude oil tanker under way, seen from above

**The MR2 tanker Acers was hit by multiple projectiles 51 nautical miles north of Madinat ash Shamal, Qatar, on 7 October.** Casualties were reported and the crew put out a fire. It is the first strike inside the Gulf away from Hormuz since 9 September. On the same day a small craft fired shots at the containership CUL Klang in the southern Red Sea.

Tanker Acers hit by projectiles off Qatar as Gulf attacks spread beyond HormuzFull story · Incident

Malaysia's transport minister says the country cannot enforce beyond its port limits

as about 9 million barrels of Iranian crude moved ship to ship off Malaysia in September and the remaining stock falls to about 10 million barrels.

Malaysia says it cannot police shadow fleet transfers as Iranian oil offshore runs lowFull story · Dark fleet

A general cargo ship alongside a quay, seen from above

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called the drone strikes on two ships in Bulgaria's economic zone unacceptable

All ten crew of Alfa Watan were lost, and Bulgaria's Maritime Administration said the second ship, Able, was still on fire and likely to sink. More than 200 attacks on ships have been reported in the Black Sea this year.

Alfa Watan sinks off Bulgaria a day after Royad Mammadov is lost off RomaniaFull story · Incident

Russia has taken 86 shadow fleet ships onto its national register since the start of July,

the fastest pace since it began bringing sanctioned ships under its flag in late 2025. Most came from Cameroon, Sierra Leone and Equatorial Guinea.

The US military struck a suspected drug boat in the Caribbean on 4 October, killing four people

US forces have carried out 70 such strikes since September 2025, with at least 235 people killed.

Markets, deals and fleets

13 stories

Volare Shipping, set up by Trafigura, raised about $500m in a private placement at NOK154 a share

before listing on Euronext Growth Oslo on 5 October. The proceeds will help fund eight ammonia-ready 319,000 dwt VLCCs at Hantong in China, due between May 2027 and October 2028 at about $114m each. Volare already operates six VLCCs. Euronext listing notice

The Dallas-based energy trader PIF Energy plans to spend $2bn on up to 15 crude tankers,

with purchases already under way, to secure shipping capacity through the Strait of Hormuz.

Cetus Maritime has agreed to buy Seacon subsidiaries holding ten Handysize and Ultramax bulkers for $133.6m,

30% in cash and 70% in new Cetus shares. Completion depends on Cetus listing on Euronext Growth Oslo.

Pan Ocean has chartered a VLCC to Trafigura for three years from 1 December 2026,

with an option to extend by up to 39 months. Pan Ocean is also buying ten VLCCs from SK Shipping for nearly $700m.

Great Eastern Shipping has bought a 157,000 dwt Suezmax newbuilding resale

for delivery between October 2028 and March 2029, its first newbuilding under the current renewal programme. The price was not disclosed.

Precious Shipping has ordered four 64,500 dwt Ultramax bulkers at Taizhou Sanfu for about $141.8m

Precious Shipping orders four Ultramaxes

Precious Shipping orders four 64,500 dwt Ultramax bulkers at Taizhou Sanfu for $141.8mFull story · Industry

Top Ships is adding four more 50,000 dwt MR tankers at Guangzhou Shipyard International,

taking its MR newbuilding pipeline to 14 ships.

Tamba Shipping and Fairfield Maritime Japan have formed a 50:50 joint venture, FT Ebisu Maritime,

to provide chemical, product and gas tanker tonnage from Tokyo.

Cido Shipping founder Hyuk Kwon has pledged five overseas ships as collateral

to settle KRW393.8bn ($277m) in personal tax arrears in South Korea.

CMB.TECH shareholders approved a distribution of $0.64 a share,

of which $0.21 is an intermediary dividend and $0.43 a payment from share premium, payable on 22 October.

Germany has blocked COSCO Shipping's planned purchase of 80% of the Hamburg freight forwarder Konrad Zippel

on national security grounds, overriding an earlier competition clearance.

Evgenia Daskalopoulou, founder and president of the Athens dry bulk company Almi Marine Management, has died

She founded the company in 1992.

BIMCO expects container fleet capacity to grow 4.6% in 2026 and 9% in 2027,

with an orderbook above 14m TEU, about 42% of the fleet. Only eight containerships of 18,000 TEU in total have been sold for recycling this year.

Ports, routes and ferries

8 stories

VIKING XPRS, ro-ro or passenger ship (IMO 9375654) — Photo: Pjotr Mahhonin · CC BY-SA 4.0

TT-Line will become the second operator between Muuga and Vuosaari in early 2027,

in a joint operation with Viking Line.

TT-Line and Viking Line to add a second ferry on the Muuga-Vuosaari freight linkFull story · Port activity

A ferry under way through fog, seen from above

Estonia has removed nearly €10m a year in passenger shipping aid from its 2027-2030 budget,

and Tallink says reflagging is now more likely.

Estonia drops €10m-a-year ferry aid as Tallink warns ships may leave the flagFull story · Industry

A container ship at sea, seen from directly above

Sea Legend's Dubai Tower transited the Suez Canal southbound on 5 October

after reaching Europe through the Arctic.

Dubai Tower sails home via Suez after Sea Legend's first Arctic run of 2026Full story · Port activity

Holland America Line has reviewed the steam systems across its fleet

after the fatal accident on board Nieuw Amsterdam in March 2024, in which two crew members died. The systems on two ships have since been modified.

Bunge and Associated British Ports have handled more than one million tonnes of grain and oilseeds at Immingham

since their agribulk partnership began in 2022.

Singapore's mandatory rules for methanol bunker tankers remain Version 1.0 of 14 March 2025

Three five-year methanol supply licences run from 2026 to 2030.

Ocean Network Express has renewed its commitment to the East Coast South America Express 1 (SX1) service.

The two freight ships being built at Guangzhou Shipyard International for the Northern Isles will be named Hascosay and Hakon

and are due in 2029.

Shipbuilding, offshore and naval

11 stories

Tugs working alongside a large ship in port

Van Wijngaarden Marine Services christened the EuroCarrier 2712 Maasstroom on 6 October

Maasstroom christened

Van Wijngaarden christens EuroCarrier Maasstroom, a 35-tonne bollard pull DP1 workboatFull story · Industry

A shipping port in South Korea seen from a height

IOB of Busan has taken over four Arc4 LNG carriers built for MOL,

now in a structure linked to Novatek.

Busan manager IOB takes over four Arc4 LNG carriers once built for MOLFull story · Sanctions

FAIRPLAY Towage has ordered six tugs from Sanmar in Türkiye

four RAmparts 2400SX harbour tugs of 80 tonnes bollard pull and two offshore tugs of 90 and 125 tonnes, delivering from mid-2027 to the first half of 2028.

Integrated Wind Solutions has ordered four Skywalker-class CSOVs at about $74m each,

with options for four more, for delivery in 2029 and 2030.

CSL and Offshore Wind Logistics have launched Rock Star,

the first of two rock installation ships, with 17,500 tonnes of rock capacity and a 100-metre working depth.

Valaris has added about $220m of backlog,

including a Petronas contract for the drillship Valaris DS-18 off Suriname, and Floatel International has a four-month job off Brazil for Floatel Triumph.

Rockhopper Exploration is putting $44m into a 35% stake in the OSX-1 FPSO

for the Sea Lion development off the Falklands.

About 511,619 barrels a day of US Gulf of Mexico oil output, 25.08% of the total, was shut in

ahead of Hurricane Isaias.

Germany has ordered four more MEKO A-200 frigates from TKMS for €5.6bn,

and Naval Group cut steel on 1 October for FDI Luleå, the first of four frigates for the Royal Swedish Navy.

**Ferus Smit has delivered Thun Response,** the third ship of a series, and Meyer Werft has laid the keel for the cruise ship Disney Believe.

ACERS, oil or chemical tanker (IMO 9301902) — Photo: Alf van Beem · CC0

This story is part of the Maritime Briefing of 9 October 2026.

Tanker hit off Qatar, Muuga ferry race and an Arctic loopFull story · Industry

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