On January 2, the 45 meter long, 299 gt ro-ro passenger ferry Spiekeroog IV (IMO: 7824871) ran aground in the North Sea while at the port of Neuharlingersiel, Germany. The ferry got stuck in port as had proceeded to far up the concrete ramp. The ferry remained aground until the rising tide allowed the Spiekeroog IV to free itself later that night. There were no reports of injuries, damage or pollution released.
On the early morning of January 4, the fishing vessel Quynh Dam Ngu 08888 went aground in the South China Sea at Thuyet Diem 1, Ban Tuong Commune, Quang Ngai Province, Vietnam. The Quynh Dam Ngu 08888 was first spotted the evening of January 3 adrift some 11 nautical miles off the coast by the Vietnamese fisheries vessel 309. The fisheries vessel was able to board the Quynh Dam Ngu 08888 and found all the doors closed and the lights were all off. A search of the vessel found there was no sign of any of the crew of the fishing vessel.
A towline was attached and the vessels proceeded, but conditions were quite difficult due to bad weather. Strong winds and heavy seas made it difficult to tow the Quynh Dam Ngu 08888. During the night the towline between the vessels broke . Unable to establish another line to the Quynh Dam Ngu 08888, the fishing vessel eventually went ashore.
Authorities report they are planning to refloat and tow the fishing vessel to a safe harbor. An investigation has been launched into the incident. There were no reports of the status of the crew and circumstances to why the crew had abandoned the fishing vessel.
On the morning of January 4, the 249 meter long, 115338 dwt tanker Qendil (IMO: 9310525) ran aground in the Aegean Sea off Bozcaada Island, Çanakkale, Turkey. The crude oil tanker was headed to Yalova from Aliağa in ballast when it proceeded to the anchorage off Bozcaada. The Çanakkale Strait Ship Traffic Services Directorate had alerted vessels in the area that strong southerly winds had impacted the strait. Authorities suspended all traffic and closed the strait to all vessels.
While waiting for conditions to improve to allow traffic to transit the strait, the Qendil was blown ashore off Polente feneri on Bozcaada Island. The tanker contacted Turkish authorities who dispatched the KEGM tugboats Kurtarma-10 (IMO: 9598593) and Kurtarma-16 (IMO: 9915052) to the area. Reports state that salvage efforts will depend on weather condition and hull integrity of the Qendil. There were no reports of injuries to the 26 crew on board the tanker. Authorities continue to monitor the vessel for potential release of pollution.
The Qendil has some added concern to Turkish authorities. The tanker has been reported as part of the Russian shadow fleet. The tanker had been attacked in December 2025 by Ukrainian forces while off Libya. Authorities have not stated the exact cause of the grounding, but there has been some speculation from various sources. Some reports have stated the Qendil was already damaged by the Ukraine attack and the grounding was intentional. However, this theory of the incident has not been confirmed by authorities. An investigation into the incident is expected.
