Tug VB MARTE Detained in Crete After Inspection

The tug VB MARTE was detained at the port of Heraklion, Crete, following a Port State Control inspection conducted on 02 Feb 2026, according to a Paris MoU detention report. Inspectors recorded a total of 12 deficiencies aboard the vessel, all of which were classified as detainable, prompting authorities to hold the ship pending corrective action. The VB MARTE, flagged in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (VC) and registered at 389 gross tonnage, is classified as a tug. The inspection was carried out under the Paris Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control, which oversees compliance checks on foreign-flagged vessels calling at ports across Europe and the North Atlantic. Detentions under the Paris MoU framework are typically imposed when deficiencies are deemed serious enough to pose a risk to the safety of the ship, its crew, or the environment. The high number of detainable deficiencies identified on the VB MARTE indicates multiple areas of non-compliance requiring remediation before the vessel will be permitted to resume operations. Further details regarding the specific nature of the deficiencies and the timeline for the vessel's release have not been disclosed.