30.1.09

Bahamas-Flag LPG Tanker taken by pirates


SOMALIAN pirates today captured a German-owned LPG tanker participating in a convoy through the Gulf of Aden Maritime Security Patrol Area, diverting Chinese and Indian warships with a decoy raid to enable colleagues to seize a small ship with low freeboard. Bahamas-flag 1990-built, 4,316 dwt Longchamp, operated by Hamburg-based Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement. The Indian warship kept a safe distance, so as not to aggravate the pirates. Then the ship turned hard to starboard and went straight for the Somali coast.

27.1.09

US List of Malta-flag Iranian-owned cargo ships


3. BRIGHTNESS (a.k.a. IRAN BRIGHTNESS) General Cargo 24,065DWT
16,621GRT Malta flag (IRISL); Vessel Registration Identification IMO
9051648 (vessel)[NPWMD].
20. ELEVENTH OCEAN Container Ship 41,962DWT 36,014GRT Malta flag
(IRISL); Vessel Registration Identification IMO 9209324 (vessel)
[NPWMD].
21. FIFTH OCEAN Container Ship 79,030DWT 75,395GRT Malta flag (IRISL);
Vessel Registration Identification IMO 9349667 (vessel) [NPWMD].
41. IRAN BRAVE General Cargo Malta flag (IRISL); Vessel Registration
Identification IMO 9051650 (vessel) [NPWMD].
67. IRAN KERMAN Container Ship 41,978DWT 36,014GRT Malta flag (IRISL);
Vessel Registration Identification IMO 9209350 (vessel) [NPWMD].
89. IRAN TUCHAL Container Ship 66,900DWT 53,453GRT Malta flag (IRISL);
Vessel Registration Identification IMO 9346536 (vessel) [NPWMD].
94. LUCKY LILY (a.k.a. IRAN LUCKY LILY) General Cargo 22,882DWT
15,670GRT Malta flag (IRISL); Vessel Registration Identification IMO
9165827 (vessel) [NPWMD].
95. LUCKY MAN (a.k.a. IRAN LUCKY MAN) General Cargo 22,882DWT 15,670GRT
Malta flag (IRISL); Vessel Registration Identification IMO 9165839
(vessel) [NPWMD].
96. MIR DAMAD Container Ship 5,012DWT 4,276GRT Malta flag (IRISL);
Vessel Registration Identification IMO 9148491 (vessel) [NPWMD].
97. MIR EMAD Container Ship 5,012DWT 4,276GRT Malta flag (IRISL);
Vessel Registration Identification IMO 9148518 (vessel) [NPWMD].
100. NEW STATE (a.k.a. IRAN NEW STATE) Container Ship 41,937DWT
36,014GRT Malta flag (IRISL); Vessel Registration Identification IMO
9209336 (vessel) [NPWMD].
101. NINTH OCEAN General Cargo 22,882DWT 15,670GRT Malta flag (IRISL);
Vessel Registration Identification IMO 9165798 (vessel) [NPWMD].
102. OCEAN CANDLE (a.k.a. IRAN OCEAN CANDLE) General Cargo 23,176DWT
16,694GRT Malta flag (IRISL); Vessel Registration Identification IMO
9167253 (vessel) [NPWMD].
104. PRETTY SEA (a.k.a. IRAN PRETTY SEA (KHUZESTAN)) General Cargo
Malta flag (IRISL); Vessel Registration Identification IMO 9167277
(vessel) [NPWMD].
107. SABALAN (a.k.a. IRAN SABALAN) Container Ship 66,900DWT 53,453GRT
Malta flag (IRISL); Vessel Registration Identification IMO 9346524
(vessel) [NPWMD].
108. SAHAND (a.k.a. IRAN SAHAND) Container Ship 66,900DWT 53,453GRT
Malta flag (IRISL); Vessel Registration Identification IMO 9328900
(vessel) [NPWMD].
110. SEA BLOOM (a.k.a. IRAN SEA BLOOM) General Cargo 23,176DWT
16,694GRT Malta flag (IRISL); Vessel Registration Identification IMO
9167291 (vessel) [NPWMD].
111. SEA FLOWER General Cargo Malta flag (IRISL); Vessel Registration
Identification IMO 9167289 (vessel) [NPWMD].
112. SEA STATE (a.k.a. IRAN SEA STATE) General Cargo 23,176DWT
16,694GRT Malta flag (IRISL); Vessel Registration Identification IMO
9167265 (vessel) [NPWMD].
113. SEVENTH OCEAN General Cargo 22,882DWT 15,670GRT Malta flag
(IRISL); Vessel Registration Identification IMO 9165786 (vessel)
[NPWMD].
116. SIXTH OCEAN Container Ship 79,030DWT 75,395GRT Malta flag (IRISL);
Vessel Registration Identification IMO 9349679 (vessel) [NPWMD].
118. TENTH OCEAN General Cargo 22,882DWT 15,670GRT Malta flag (IRISL);
Vessel Registration Identification IMO 9165815 (vessel) [NPWMD].
119. TWELFTH OCEAN Container Ship 41,971DWT 36,014GRT Malta flag
(IRISL); Vessel Registration Identification IMO 9209348 (vessel)

25.1.09

Russian cargo mv Monchegorsk Cypriot flag


USS San Antonio, an amphibious transport dockship that serves as the command and control centre for the taskforce, boarded the former Russian cargo vessel Monchegorsk, which is registered in Limassol and flying a Cypriot flag.

The ship docked at an Egyptian Red Sea port for a detailed search during which, according to unconfirmed reports, weapons were found.
# MONCHEGORSK
# MMSI: 210558000
# IMO: 8013039
# Call sign: P3NL5
# Flag: Cyprus
# Vesseltype: cargo ship
# Width: 24 m
# Length: 173 m

NB Maritime Management Cyprus Ltd

We supply professional Russian crew


NB SHIPPING LIMITED
99089
Address : 284, Arch.Makarios III Avenue,P.O.Box 132, Limassol, Cyprus
Phone : +357 (25) 585440 Fax : +357 (25) 585409 Email : nbmm@nbmm.com.cy
Number of Ships : 5

Key to the List of Shipowners
...
MONCHEGORSK 810758 CY P3NL5 18627 23128 1983

10.1.09

Sirius Star: Five pirates drowned with their share


Five of the Somali pirates who released a hijacked, oil-laden Saudi supertanker drowned with their share of a reported $3m (£1.96m) ransom after their small boat capsized, local sources said today. The boat with eight people on board overturned in a storm after dozens of pirates left the Sirius Star, following a two-month standoff in the Gulf of Aden, that ended yesterday. He said five people died and three people reached the shore after swimming for several hours.

9.1.09

Sirius Star: Combined Maritime Forces photos


Sirius Star sees pirate big fishes


The pirate big fishes left Harardhere on Thursday afternoon to the Sirius Star ship to get the ransom money and to set free the ship. The money had been paid in Kenya and reached the Somali pirates on a boat from Mombassa, Kenya.

Sirius Star Released, $US3m Paid to Pirates


The professional negotiators, acting on behalf of the ship owners, get about $100,000 for their services and the lawyers receive a fee of about $300,000 for ensuring that the shipping companies are not putting themselves in any dubious positions.
Regarding what goes on behind closed doors, be it the negotiations and the legal and insurance matters as a result of these hijackings, it would be fair to say that most of it happens in London.

5.1.09

pirates take Blue Star, St. Kitts and Nevis-flag


MV BLUE STAR is flying the flag of Saint Kitts and Nevis. The 28 crew were all Egyptian. It was heading east from Mandab Strait, which connects the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, but then it went towards the Somalian Coast. About 15 pirates, some of them heavily-armed, It was currently en route to an unknown destination on the coast of Somalia.

7706770 BLUE STAR
call sign V4DT
General Cargo Ship
7923 1977
Saint Kitts-Nevis

4.1.09

First Greek-flag vessel attaked by pirates


The "Kriti Episkopi", a single-skin tanker with 29 crew, was en route to Greece from Iran when it issued a distress signal as pirates attempted to board the vessel.

There were two failed attempts to board and the pirates fled after the crisis response group was activated with a fighter aircraft, a helicopter and a frigate sent to the area.

The ship, scheduled for conversion to an ore carrier, owned by Greece's Vardinoyiannis shipping family, is the first Greek-flagged vessel to be attacked in the region, although Greek-owned ships registered elsewhere have been targeted.

KRITI EPISKOPI
Vessel's Details:
Ship Type: Tanker
Year Built: 1992
Length x Breadth: 274m X 44m
DeadWeight: 145242 MT
Speed recorded (Max / Average): 12.3 / 11.3 knots
Flag: Greece [GR]
Call Sign: SYLJ

2.1.09

Zhenhua 4: Once more, without Germans











Nine pirates boarded the Zhenhua 4 on Dec. 31, 2008, but were forced off the ship by Capt Peng Weiyuan and his crew after they mounted an unexpected fightback.
"We had a lot of beer bottles and we made a lot of cocktail [petrol] bombs," said Capt Peng. "We were well prepared. We threw them at them.

"After the first attack they retreated but somehow they got very good weapons - anti-tank weapons - which they fired at us, and succeeded in coming up to our living quarters.

"They came to the first platform which is very close to our living quarters.

"We were locked inside and the door was very thick. They were shouting 'open the door'. So we climbed further up and we used everything to threaten them, bottles, petrol.

"Eventually we used high-pressure water cannon to shoot at them. They were also shooting at us and one bullet passed me about 10in (25cm) away.

"Eventually they retreated, they couldn't fight any more. There was smoke, there was fire."
The captain described how the defeated pirates made some unexpected requests as they prepared to leave the Zhenhua 4.

"The head of the pirates said 'stop, stop, we can't go on fighting any more. Let us go'. And I said: 'We will let you go. Leave our ship'."
Photo released by China's Xinhua news agency, which says it shows pirates aiming weapons at the deck of the Chinese ship Zhenhua on 17/12/08
The pirates were well-armed, the ship's captain said

Mr Peng said that the pirates then asked for shoes because they were barefoot and the deck was covered in broken glass.

Pairs of leather shoes were thrown to them and the pirates retreated - only to return a few minutes later asking for fuel for their speedboats.

Capt Peng added that while the fighting was going on [German]helicopters appeared overhead and started firing at the pirates.

"They helped us succeed," he said.