The Genoa Coast Guard has ordered the administrative detention of the motorship Carthage, owned by the Cotunav company and flying the Tunisian flag, as part of the control activities of navigation safety requirements provided for by Port State Control. This is the eleventh detention measure since the beginning of the year.
The ship, used for years on the Genoa-Tunis line route, was carrying approximately 150 passengers and an equal number of rolling vehicles at the time of the inspection. Built in 1998, with a gross tonnage of 31,000 tonnes, the unit underwent an “extended” inspection provided for by Legislative Decree 37/2020, the regulation governing periodic inspections of ro-ro passenger ships, in order to verify its compliance with European safety standards.
The inspection, conducted by a specialized team from the Coast Guard, covered all on-board areas: from the command bridge to the engine room, including the crew accommodations and external decks. During the checks, a fire drill was also carried out, useful for assessing the level of crew preparedness.
At the end of the checks, numerous deficiencies emerged, some of which were classified as serious, leading to the immediate detention of the ship. In particular, the critical issues concerned the maintenance and proper functioning of devices intended to avoid the possibility of flooding, the fire safety systems, and the monitoring and control systems of the equipment in the engine room.
The Carthage will be able to resume navigation only after correcting all the anomalies found and passing a new release inspection by the PSC team, and only following an additional audit on the Company’s management system, requested by the Flag Administration.
Admiral Antonio Ranieri, the Port Commander of Genoa and Maritime Director of Liguria, commented on the episode, emphasizing the importance of inspection controls on board ships sailing the Genoese waters: “Inspection activities, like the one carried out in recent days, are conducted by highly qualified personnel, trained through a national and international path of great commitment. This specialization guarantees professionalism and rigor in the application of rules to ensure safe maritime transport, environmental protection, and decent living conditions on board.”
