Landing the Big One

Landing the Big One

Friday, April 03, 2009

Latest ONI Worldwide Threat to Shipping Report (to 1 April 09)

The latest Latest ONI Worldwide Threat to Shipping Report (to 1 April 09)is here. Highlights:
16. INDIAN OCEAN: Vessel reported suspicious approach 1 Apr 09 at 1251 UTC while underway in position 09:00N – 059:03E, approximately 340NM southeast of Socotra Island. The captain spotted a speed boat approaching the vessel at a speed of 17kts. The master alerted the crew who prepared with counter-piracy measures. The boat’s closest point of approach was approximately 1NM astern. The boat eventually slowed down and moved away. ONI
Comment: The location of this incident was pproximately 45NM south of where the bulk carrier reported coming under fire described below in H.18 (Operator, IMB, ONI).
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17. INDIAN OCEAN: Vessel reported suspicious approach 1 Apr 09 at 1130 UTC while underway in position 13:50N – 055:15E, approximately 90NM northeast of Socotra Island. A dhow described as having a brown hull and blue superstructure with a length of 30 meters was
sighted at a course of 085 with a speed of over 8kts. According to the master, course and
position of the dhow was suspicious for that area (Operator, IMB).
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18. INDIAN OCEAN: Bulk carrier fired upon 30 Mar 09 at 1615 local time while underway
in position 09:45N – 058:50E, approximately 300NM southeast of Socotra Island. A speed boat
approached the vessel while a mother ship was sighted further back. The men in the speed boat
fired at the vessel with automatic weapons and an RPG. The captain conducted evasive
maneuvers and the speed boat retreated to the mother ship. The boat and mother ship
approached the vessel three more times over the course of two hours, and each time the captain
was successfully able to evade before the two crafts finally abandoned their attempt (Operator,
IMB).
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19. INDIAN OCEAN: Container ship reported suspicious approach 28 Mar 09 at 1555 local
time while underway in position 07:21S – 046:44E, approximately 420NM east of Dar es
Salaam, Tanzania. A high speed boat launched from a mother ship chased the vessel. The vessel
increased speed and conducted evasive maneuvers. The speed boat came as close as three cables
to the ship, but stopped, likely due to engine problems. The vessel continued its passage (IMB).
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20. INDIAN OCEAN: Passenger ship (INDIAN OCEAN EXPLORER) hijacked 27 Mar 09
while underway in position 08:30S – 046:30E, approximately 420NM east of Dar es Salaam,
Tanzania. Owners have confirmed that the vessel has been hijacked. Seven crewmembers are
reportedly onboard with no passengers. No further information to report at this time (AFP,
IMB).
.
21. INDIAN OCEAN: Chemical tanker (BOW ASIR) hijacked 26 Mar 09 at 0745 UTC
while underway in position 02:26S – 048:11E, approximately 315NM southeast of Mogadishu,
Somalia. Armed pirates boarded and hijacked the vessel. There are 23 crew members onboard.
The owners had received a security alert saying the vessel was being pursued by two small boats.
Approximately three hours later, the owners received an email from the vessel confirming that
16 to 18 pirates carrying machine guns had gained control of the vessel. No injuries to the crew
were reported (IMB, AP).
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22. INDIAN OCEAN: Tanker (NIPAYIA) hijacked 25 Mar 09 at 1503 UTC while
underway in position 01:42N – 053:41E, approximately 370NM east/southeast of Hobyo,
Somalia. Armed pirates boarded and hijacked the vessel while underway. Nineteen
crewmember are being held hostage (IMB, AP, MSCHOA).
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23. INDIAN OCEAN: Research vessel reported suspicious approach 25 Mar 09 at 0730
UTC while underway in position 00:24N – 056:01E, approximately 600NM east of Mogadishu,
Somalia. Two speed boats chased the vessel while underway. The boats eventually abandoned
their pursuit and moved away (IMB).
.
24. INDIAN OCEAN: Bulk carrier fired upon 25 Mar 09 at 0506 UTC while underway in
position 07:55S – 046:52E, approximately 440NM east of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. While
underway, vessel was chased and fired upon by two speed boats from either side of the vessel.
The master increased speed and took evasive maneuvers to prevent boarding. The pirates
eventually aborted the attempt due to effective anti-piracy measures (IMB).
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25. INDIAN OCEAN: Catamaran (SERENITY) hijacked Mar 09 based on 25 Mar 09
reporting while en route Madagascar from Seychelles. The vessel was transiting to Madagascar
on 28 Feb 09 but had not reported its whereabouts since its departure. One of the hostages
reportedly called his family on 24 Mar 09, claiming he was being held by pirates. The vessel is
currently being held at anchor near Garacad, Somalia (Reuters, IMB, yachtpals.com).
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26. INDIAN OCEAN: Cargo vessel fired upon 23 Mar 09 at 1740 local time while
underway in position 02:28N – 050:49E, approximately 215NM off the coast of Somalia. Vessel
sighted a mother ship vessel ahead launching two skiffs with lengths about 6-7m. The men
onboard were armed with automatic weapons. The skiffs chased the vessel and opened fire at it.
The captain increased speed, activated fire hoses, fired rocket flares, and made evasive
maneuvers which prevented the pirates from boarding. The vessel sustained minor damages but
was able to continue its passage. The crew and vessel are safe (IMB).
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27. INDIAN OCEAN: Vehicle carrier fired upon 22 Mar 09 at 1307 UTC while underway
in position 02:46S – 052:11E, approximately 500NM southeast of Mogadishu, Somalia. Two
speed boats with pirates armed with automatic weapons and RPGs chased and opened fire on the
vessel. The vessel sustained minor damages. The captain increased speed and conducted
evasive maneuvers to prevent the boarding (IMB).
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28. INDIAN OCEAN: Bulk carrier fired upon 22 Mar 09 at 0940 UTC while underway in
position 02:14S – 050:13E, approximately 385NM southeast of Mogadishu, Somalia. Two
speed boats chased the vessel and opened fire with AK47s and RPGs. The captain increased
speed and conducted evasive maneuvers. The boats eventually abandoned their pursuit and
moved away (IMB).
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29. INDIAN OCEAN: Container ship fired upon 22 Mar 09 at 0840 UTC while underway
in position 02:26S – 051:11E, approximately 395NM southeast of Mogadishu, Somalia. Seven
men in two white colored speed boats chased the vessel armed with AK47s and RPGs. They
opened fire on the vessel for approximately 30-45 minutes with the AK47s and shot two rounds
from the RPG, causing damage. The captain took evasive maneuvers and escaped. The entire
incident lasted approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes (IMB).
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30. INDIAN OCEAN: Dhow (AL RAFIQUEI) boarded, robbed 21 Mar 09 at 0600 local
time while underway in position 04:11N – 050:25E, approximately 130NM east of Hobyo,
Somalia. Men in speed boats chased the dhow and then boarded it. They stole ship’s stores and
crew personal belongings before releasing the vessel. The crew and dhow are safe and
proceeding to a port in Somalia (IMB, Xinhua).
.
31. INDIAN OCEAN: Vessel reported suspicious approach 20 Mar 09 at 1002 local time
while underway in position 07:51S – 045:04E, approximately 330NM east of Dar es Salaam,
Tanzania. Five armed men in a boat chased the vessel while underway. The captain raised the
alarm and took evasive maneuvers. The gunmen gave up the pursuit after chasing the vessel for
30 minutes (IMB).
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32. INDIAN OCEAN: Iranian dhow reported hijacked on 16 Mar 09 while underway near
the northern Puntland region of Somalia. According to sources, Somali villagers seized the
dhow for reportedly fishing illegally without the permission of the Puntland Administration.
Further information is pending (PRESS TV).
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33. INDIAN OCEAN: Vessel reported suspicious approach 13 Mar 09 at 0713 UTC while
underway in position 07:11N – 058:50E. The vessel reported being chased by one speed boat
with six men onboard armed with AK-47s. The master conducted evasive maneuvers and the
men in the skiff eventually abandoned their pursuit (Operator, IMB).
.
34. INDIAN OCEAN: Vessel fired upon 11 March 09 at 2240 UTC while underway in
position 04:02S - 046:33E, approximately 410 NM east of Mombasa, Kenya. One white skiff
with an unknown number of assailants came within 100 meters of the vessel and fired machine
guns and rocket propelled grenade. A second larger boat was observed in the vicinity. The alert
mariners took appropriate anti-piracy measures and escaped but sustained minor damage to the
vessel and one crewmember was injured (IMB).
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35. INDIAN OCEAN: Bulk carrier fired upon 10 Mar 09 at 0500 UTC while underway in
position 08:06N – 059:11E. Four men in a light blue boat approached the vessel armed with
automatic rifles and began firing shots toward the starboard superstructure. The vessel
conducted evasive maneuvers and managed to escape. The captain sustained minor gunshot
wounds. The incident was reported to UKMTO (Operator, IMB).
.
36. INDIAN OCEAN: Bulk carrier (SHANGHAI VENTURE) fired upon 9 Mar 09 at 1751
UTC while underway in position 08:01N – 058:43E. The duty officer onboard noticed one speed
boat approaching from 1.5NM away at a speed of approximately 17kts. The captain alerted the
crew who mustered at the bridge and engine room. All watertight doors were closed from the
inside. Water pumps were used to refill the ballast tanks at the same time to cause the water to
overflow from both sides of the main deck. The vessel increased to maximum speed. The armed
pirates started shooting from the port quarter and attempted to board. All lights on the vessel
were turned off and evasive maneuvers were conducted. The pirates then attempted to board a
second time by shooting at the bridge with machine guns. The vessel conducted evasive
maneuvers again and were able to prevent the pirates from boarding. The pirate skiff then stayed
back in the stern wave and stopped chasing the vessel, but the crew remained alert during this
time. Approximately one hour later, they were aware of the speed boat chasing them again, at
3.5NM away with a speed of 17kts. The pirates attempted to board the vessel for a third time,
but the vessel conducted evasive maneuvers as before and managed to escape. The speed boat
eventually stopped its pursuit. The speed boat was identified as grey colored and 5-7 meters in
length. No crewmembers were injured during the attack, but the bridge window was broken and
91 bullet marks were found, with some bullets passing through the plate. ONI Comment:
Attacks during the night are rare, but the moon phase was in a waxing gibbous at a near 100%
illumination with minimal cloud cover, making night time operations more favorable (Operator,
IMB, LL).
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37. INDIAN OCEAN: Vessel fired upon 6 March 09 at 0658 UTC while underway in
position 03:51S - 044:10E, approximately 265 NM east of Mombasa, Kenya. One skiff with six
men came within 100 meters of the vessel and fired what was believed to be a rocket propelled
grenade. A second larger boat was observed in the vicinity but could only achieve 8 knots. The
alert mariners took appropriate anti-piracy measures and escaped with no damage to the vessel,
crew or cargo (UKMTO).
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38. INDIAN OCEAN: Bulk carrier reported suspicious approach 5 Mar 09 at 0345 local
time while underway in position 07:56N – 065:28E. The officer on watch onboard the vessel
noticed an unidentified and unlit target on the radar about 9NM away on the starboard bow. The
target did not transmit an AIS signal and did not respond to calls on VHF radio. About 45
minutes later, the target increased speed and had turned around to a course heading towards the
vessel. The captain conducted evasive maneuvers and prevented the suspicious craft from
getting any closer than 2 NM. The suspicious craft eventually abandoned its pursuit and moved
away (Operator, IMB).

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3. GULF OF ADEN: Chemical tanker reported attempted boarding 29 Mar 09 at 2123 local
time while underway in position 11:50N – 044:53E. Men in a speed boat approached and
attempted to board the vessel by using metal hooks and ropes. A crew member on watch heard a
metal knock from the starboard side and saw a metal hook being thrown by one of the men in an
attempt to attach to the vessel, but fell off. The watchman informed the bridge and the general
alarm was sounded. The vessel conducted evasive maneuvering while fire pumps were
activated. Nearby warships were contacted and informed of the incident. A warship proceeded
to the vessel’s direction to provide assistance. A security team boarded the vessel and conducted
a search, but no discretions were found (Operator, IMB).
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4. GULF OF ADEN: German navy tanker (FGS SPESSART) fired upon 29 Mar 09 at 1204
UTC while underway in position 12:57N – 049:31E. Seven pirates in a skiff opened fire on the
naval ship, mistaking it for a merchant vessel. Men on the ship returned fire, forcing the skiff to
flee. The German ship then pursued the skiff along with Spanish and Greek frigates. The skiff
was halted and boarded by the Greek frigate, who seized the pirates along with their weapons.
The pirates were then transferred to a German frigate to be detained (AFP, AP, Operator).
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5. GULF OF ADEN: Vessel fired upon 28 Mar 09 at 1400 UTC while underway in position
12:25N – 046:25E. The vessel was approached by one skiff with seven men onboard armed with
AK-47s. The men in the skiff fired shots in the air upon their approach. Coalition helicopters
were dispatched to provide assistance (Operator).
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6. GULF OF ADEN: Vessel reported suspicious approach 20 Mar 09 at 0600 local time
while underway in position 13:07N – 049:12E. A suspicious craft was sighted by a nearby
tanker and approached her port bow heading towards the stern. The tanker contacted coalition
warships and reported a suspicious craft with about six persons onboard heavily armed. The
craft aborted the approach and then proceeded to the vessel which was located behind the tanker.
When the craft was at a distance of about 3NM from the port bow, the duty officer reported the
position to coalition forces. The craft then crossed their port bow to the starboard side and
reduced speed to 2kts. The master conducted evasive maneuvers, stationed additional lookouts,
and established bridge to bridge contact with coalition warships nearby. A helicopter was
deployed from a warship and arrived in the vicinity to patrol the surrounding areas. The
suspicious craft then aborted the pursuit and moved away towards an undisclosed direction
(Operator, IMB).
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7. GULF OF ADEN: Bulk carrier (TITAN) hijacked 19 Mar 09 at 1430 UTC while
underway in position 12:35N – 047:21E. Six men in a speed boat armed with AK47s and pistols
boarded and hijacked the vessel. The pirates are in control of the vessel and sailing her to
Somali coastal waters (IMB).

G. WEST AFRICA:
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1. NIGERIA: Chemical tanker reported attempted boarding 26 Mar 09 at 2220 local time
while at Lagos anchorage. The vessel’s crew noticed a boat with several persons armed with
machine guns, RPGs, and machetes attempting to climb onboard with the use of a rope. All crew
was alerted and the alarm raised. Upon seeing the alert crew, the robbers aborted the attempt and
escaped (IMB).
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2. NIGERIA: Oil station attacked 16 Mar 09 at Nembe in Bayelsa State. Suspected armed
militants in five gunboats attacked an oil flow station, operated by Royal Dutch Shell, according
to a military spokesman. There was no damage to the oil station, and no injuries reported
(Reuters).
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3. NIGERIA: Passenger boats attacked, women abducted 14 Mar 09 while underway from
Bonny Island to Part Harcourt. According to a Nigerian military spokesman, gunmen attacked
two passenger boats, forcing the men to jump overboard. They then abducted at least five
women and brutally raped and tortured them. The women were later rescued by the Nigerian
military after receiving a distress call (BBC, LM: Afriquejet).
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4. NIGERIA: Tanker boarded 11 Mar 09 at 0252 UTC while anchored in position 06:19N –
003:25E, Lagos anchorage. Men armed with guns, knives, and iron rods boarded the vessel and
assaulted the crew. The captain and another crew member were seriously injured. The captain
received medical treatment onboard while the other injured crew member was sent ashore for
medical treatment. The vessel weighed anchor and proceeded away from port. A full report and
more details are awaited from the owners (IMB).
From NATO Shipping Centre, their latest Daily Report as of 3 Apr 09:


UPDATE: Added wind charts from here. Winds off Seychelles about 5 knots, good for pirates in small boats. From top to bottom: Off east coast Somalia, Seychelles, and Gulf of Aden.

How to interpret wind charts:





As always, click on pictures to enlarge.

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