Wednesday - November 03, 2010

Put These On Your Speed Dial

3 November Update

The south-west monsoon has now passed and conditions are now conducive for piracy operations off the Somali Coast and into the Somali Basin.The anticipated surge of activity is focussed along the coast predominately in southern areas targeting local and international shipping in the vicinity of Kismayo, Dar es Salaam and Mombasa.

Improved weather conditions should allow for improved visual and radar detection ranges of vessels of this size. Small vessels particularly skiffs, dhows and fishing vessels observed in the open ocean more than 300Nm from the Somali coast should be regarded with suspicion.

Somali Pirates have sailed the MV AL NISR AL SAUDI to act as a mother ship east of Socotra Island threatening ships in the approached to the GOA. She is assessed as being involved in the attack on the MV GO TRADER in position 15°06N 055°58E.

Ships should be vigilant of a possible pirate action group using a mother ship, with two small skiffs in position 07°21N 064°03E.

IF ATTACKED BY PIRATES PLEASE CALL IN ORDER OF PRIORITY, GIVING YOUR SHIP’S NAME, POSITION AND THE NATURE OF ATTACK/SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY:

1. THE UK MARITIME TRADE OPERATION DUBAI (UK MTO): +971 50 552 3215

2. THE MARITIME SECURITY CENTRE HORN OF AFRICA (MSCHOA): +44 (0) 1923 958 547

3. THE NATO SHIPPING CENTRE (NSC):  +44 (0) 1923 956 574

4. THE INTERNATIONAL MARITIME BUREAU (IMB): + 60 3 2078 5763

EARLY ASSESSMENT / DETECTION WILL ALLOW SHIPS TO TAKE EVASIVE MEASURES TO PREVENT BOARDING AND REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE.

ALL ATTACKS AND SUSPICIOUS SIGHTINGS INCLUDING POSSIBLE PIRATE MOTHER VESSEL TOWING SKIFFS SHOULD BE REPORTED TO THE IMB PIRACY REPORTING CENTRE, TEL: +60 3 20310014 (24 HOURS)

In order to encourage vessels to conduct their passage through the IRTC in groups based on passage speed MSC HOA will promulgate via their website, position, time, and speed for vessels to pass through a waypoint at the eastern and western limits of the IRTC. This process will be known as “GOA Group Transits” (GOA GT).

GOA GT timings will be at various intervals through each 24hr period. Each GOA GT will follow a recommended navigation track (NAVTRACK) through the IRTC at a published speed that will avoid high profile piracy danger periods and allow maximum coordination of military assets in support. Transit Group Schedules will cater for the differing range of speeds.

During your transit you should not expect to be permanently in company with a warship. But all warships in the GOA, whether part of NATO, EU NAVFOR or coordinating with MSC HOA, will be aware of the GOA GTs and have the full details of vulnerable shipping.

The implementation of the GOA GT is designed to enhance your security as you transit through the GOA.

The latest score: one hijacking yesterday and one escape. One hijacking today. Yemen puts 8 pirates in jail for 5 years each.

One story that I missed: Back in May, Yemen convicted 6 Somali pirates and sentenced them to death for hijacking an oil tanker. 6 more got 10 years in jail and a $2 million fine.

Looks like Yemen is catching and killing pirates ... yet I don’t see those stories, and I’m out there looking. Maybe it’s a case of data overload; roughly one ship gets hijacked, fought over, rescued, or ransomed every single day.

“All the news that’s fit to ignore” ... the Somali piracy continues, and it isn’t even news anymore. Piracy off the coast of Nigeria and around Indonesia gets even less coverage.

Posted by Drew458     on 11/03/2010 at 09:54 PM   
Filed Under: • Pirates, aarrgh! •  
• Comments (4) • Trackbacks(0)  Permalink •  

DISCLAIMER

THE SERVICES AND MATERIALS ON THIS WEBSITE ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" AND THE HOSTS OF THIS SITE EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF SATISFACTORY QUALITY, MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, WITH RESPECT TO THE SERVICE OR ANY MATERIALS.

Not that very many people ever read this far down, but this blog was the creation of Allan Kelly and his friend Vilmar. Vilmar moved on to his own blog some time ago, and Allan ran this place alone until his sudden and unexpected death partway through 2006. We all miss him. A lot. Even though he is gone this site will always still be more than a little bit his. We who are left to carry on the BMEWS tradition owe him a great debt of gratitude, and we hope to be able to pay that back by following his last advice to us all:

1. Keep a firm grasp of Right and Wrong
2. Stay involved with government on every level and don't let those bastards get away with a thing
3. Use every legal means to defend yourself in the event of real internal trouble, and, most importantly:
4. Keep talking to each other, whether here or elsewhere

It's been a long strange trip without you Skipper, but thanks for pointing us in the right direction and giving us a swift kick in the behind to get us going. Keep lookin' down on us, will ya? Thanks.

THE INFORMATION AND OTHER CONTENTS OF THIS WEBSITE ARE DESIGNED TO COMPLY WITH THE LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. THIS WEBSITE SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND ALL PARTIES IRREVOCABLY SUBMIT TO THE JURISDICTION OF THE AMERICAN COURTS. IF ANYTHING ON THIS WEBSITE IS CONSTRUED AS BEING CONTRARY TO THE LAWS APPLICABLE IN ANY OTHER COUNTRY, THEN THIS WEBSITE IS NOT INTENDED TO BE ACCESSED BY PERSONS FROM THAT COUNTRY AND ANY PERSONS WHO ARE SUBJECT TO SUCH LAWS SHALL NOT BE ENTITLED TO USE OUR SERVICES UNLESS THEY CAN SATISFY US THAT SUCH USE WOULD BE LAWFUL.

Copyright © 2004-2015 Domain Owner