To avoid piracy
Yacht Trans Line suggest to ship your yacht
Highest Risk Areas for Piracy Attack in 2008 Include:
1.
Nigeria
2. Somalia
3. India
4. Indonesia
5. Tanzania
6. Peru
7. Singapore Straits
8. Malacca Strait
9. Eritrea
10. Papua New Guinea
11. Venezuela
Mariners are
warned by the IMB to be extra cautious and to take necessary
precautionary measures when transiting the following areas:
-- S E Asia and the Indian Sub Continent --
•
Bangladesh
: Sixty two incidents have been reported since January 2006.
Pirates are targeting ships preparing to anchor.
Most attacks reported at Chittagong anchorages and approaches. Although
the number of attacks has fallen recently, the
area is still listed as very high risk.
•
Indonesia
:
Balongan, Balikpapan, Belawan. Generally be vigilant in other
areas. Many attacks may have gone unreported.
•
Malacca straits
: Although the number of attacks has dropped due to the increase
and constant patrols by the littoral
states relevant Authorities since July 2005, ships are advised to
continue maintaining a strict anti piracy watch when
transiting the straits.
•
Philippines
: Manila - Pirates target ships at anchor.
•
Singapore Straits
: Pirates seen attacking ships while at anchor but in the past
several ships were attacked while underway.
--
Africa and Red Sea --
•
Lagos (Nigeria)
: Pirates are violent and have attacked and robbed
vessels/kidnapped crews along the coast and river, at
anchorages and ports. A total of 42 incidents have been reported in
Nigeria since 08.01.2007. Twenty five attacks alone
for Lagos and seven for Bonny River. Generally be vigilant in other areas
in Nigeria.
•
Dar
es Salaam (Tanzania)
: Twenty incidents have been reported since 05.06.2006. Pirates
are targeting ships in port and
anchorages.
•
Mombasa (Kenya)
•
Gulf of Aden / Red Sea : Numerous pirate attacks have been
reported by ships and yachts in the Gulf of Aden/Red sea. In
the past, some of the vessels were fired upon.
•
Nigeria
:
Violent attack, on anti piracy watch keeping crew, reported by
vessel at anchor. Masters advised to brief their
crews on the risks associated with patrolling the decks at night and
impress upon the crew the need to be vigilant and
report anything suspicious. Keeping in mind hours of rest Masters should
consider increasing the number of watch
keepers to the maximum available, thus enabling them to work in pairs.
•
Somalian waters
: The IMB Piracy Reporting Centre has received 31 actual and
attempted attacks in 2007. Many more
attacks may have gone unreported. Some pirates are dangerous and would
fire their automatic weapons at ships to stop
them. Occasionally, they would use their RPG (Rocket Propelled Grenade)
launchers at ships. Pirates are believed to be
using “mother vessels” to launch attacks at very far distance from coast.
These “mother vessel” is able to proceed to very
far out to sea to launch smaller boats to attack and hijack passing
ships. Eastern and Northeastern coasts are high risk
areas for attacks and hijackings. Vessels not making scheduled calls to
ports in Somalia should keep as far away as
possible from the Somali coast, ideally more than 200 nautical miles.
Mariners are also advised to report any suspicious
boats to the Centre. Masters advised to exercise caution while proceeding
to render assistance to dhows / fishing boats
while approaching / transiting the Somalia coast. Reports received have
indicated vessels as far as 390 nm from the
Somali coast are called up by drifting dhows / fishing boats requesting
assistance. The current report from Somalia, after
a ship was released last night, is that there are at least six vessels
and their crews (totaling about 100 people) currently
held by the warlords of the country. After agriculture, piracy may now be
the largest single industry contributing to
Somalia's economy, and certainly the fastest growing.
--
Arabian Sea --
•
Arabian Sea
: Sightings and calls from suspicious small boats. In some
cases, boats pursued the ships with unknown
intent.
--
South and Central America and the Caribbean waters --
•
Brazil
: Though the number of attacks has dropped in Santos, ships are
advised to continue to be vigilant.
•
Peru
:
Callao
-- Europe --
•
Corsica, France
- A
luxury yacht was attacked by pirates on Sunday near Porto-Vecchio
(Corse-du-Sud), off the French
island of Corsica, according to the gendarmerie. The Tiara mega-yacht,
which flies the flag of the Cayman Islands, had
just sailed from Sardinia, and had only been anchored in the Bay of Santa
Giulia, near Porto-Vecchio for a few hours
when four masked men, armed with rifles and revolvers, approached the 55
meter sailboat using a high speed zodiac
boat.
The armed pirates quickly boarded the yacht shortly before
midnight on Sunday, subduing the 10 crew members
and 9
passengers of Tiara. After threatening the crew, the gunmen were
shown the boat's safe, forcing the occupants of
the vessel to
open it, and taking the values contained therein, including
138,000 euros in cash. The pirates then left on
board their
zodiac, which has yet to be found.
