31.5.10

Rachel Corrie: Gaza bound Cambodian-flag




Rachel Corrie
IMO 6715281 LINDA XUJW8 General Cargo Ship 1205 1967 Cambodia




The mv Linda, which was detained by an order of the High Court last year, will be auctioned at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Dundalk at 12 noon tomorrow (Tuesday 30th March).

The structurally sound 1,800 tonne Linda was built in Germany in 1968.

It was the first vessel acquired by Guinness for bulk exports to the British market before being converted for use as a freighter.

The last owner of the Cambodian registered vessel was Forestry Shipping in Riga, Latvia, which has gone out of business.

In July last year, the vessel and its largely Ukranian crew were abandoned by the owners at Dundalk port.

The crew had only one days food and were left with arrears in their pay totalling €42,000. With the assistance of the International Transport Federation (ITF), an affiliate of SIPTU, they were repatriated to their home countries in November.

ITF inspector, Ken Fleming, successfully applied to the High Court for the seizure of the vessel. The proceeds of tomorrow’s auction will go towards the payment of arrears owed to the crew.

In recent weeks, equipment valued at €15,000 to €20,000 was stolen from the empty vessel at Dundalk and has yet to be recovered.

“I am hopeful that we can raise enough money at the auction to pay the crew the arrears that they are owed,” Ken Fleming said.
The rechristened MV Rachel Corrie sails today from Dundalk, Ireland, to join the Freedom Flotilla intent on running the blockade of Gaza. Israel is already warning Cyprus against allowing the humanitarian convoy to shelter in its ports, rehearsing plans to intercept, and Turkish supporters are rebuffing Israeli threats to bomb relief ships which attempt to reach Palestine. In other news, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development has accepted Israel’s membership, cementing First World culpability for Israeli growth from conquest. Critics had urged Israel’s disqualification because its capitalization has been owed to the occupation and illegal appropriation of Palestinian resources, but could the OECD ultimately disown the US-European joint colonial venture?

What a coincidence that today’s date in 1949 marked the end of the siege of Berlin, when an international effort was mounted by world governments to fly relief convoys of supplies to the besieged population of Berlin. Today western governments won’t abide the expressed will of their citizens and so the people themselves are having to save the Palestinians abandoned in Gaza.

The MV Rachel Corrie has been repainted with a giant Irish flag on its side, and the words “FREE GAZA” along its top. The cargo ship retains its original IMO 6715281 for communications and tracking. Bloggers and journalists will be charting the flotilla’s progress online.

Among the participants on the Free Gaza project are Ken Fleming, Nobel Peace Prize winner; Mairead Maguire, Nobel Peace Prize winner; Denis Halliday, UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Iraq; Matthias Chang, Perdana Global Peace Organizer; Aengus.O’Snodaigh, Sinn Fein; Chris Andrews; Free Gaza Movement co-founder Greta Berlin, Caoimhe Butterly, Ewa Jasiewicz, Fintan Lane, and Niamh Moloughney.
more

30.5.10

Arctic Sea: in re Viktor Matveev




Is Viktor Matveev alive? Most likely he is well and living in Switzerland. here

You might ask Igor Shumik, merely because he is available -in the sense that pirates have got him and he will be released. here

Let's review in simplest terms. The bad guys in the Russian military and regional entrepreneurs exported AA missiles to Iran in the Arctic Sea. That's the common story. The good guys in the Moscow establishment got them back or at least stopped the shipment. One would think that Viktor was hired by the bad guys, but maybe the good guys, or maybe he is a simple ex-Navy man who came into some money.

If you really, really want to know, ask the Federal Prosecution Investigation Committee. here


29.5.10

Iceberg 1: McFaul releases deck prisoners




The deck passenger prisoners were removed from the McFaul on May 27 and were being transported back to Somalia, Navy officials said. the alleged pirates, who were captured April 5 in the Arabian Sea by the McFaul, a U.S. guided missile destroyer. The McFaul apprehended the pirates after they had hijacked an Indian cargo ship and taken nine crew members hostage, Navy officials said. here more more more

28.5.10

North Spirit: hijacked and crew kidnapped












Two Russian sailors abducted from their ship off Cameroon are in good health and may have been taken by their captors to neighboring Nigeria
North Spirit
Ship Type: Cargo
Year Built: 1989
Length x Breadth: 132 m X 20 m
Dead Weight: 7148 t
Speed recorded (Max / Average): 14.6 / 12.3 knots
Flag: St Vincent Grenadines [VC]
Call Sign: J8B3630
IMO: 8502042, MMSI: 375777000
Unidentified gunmen raided the Greek-owned cargo ship North Spirit on May 16 while it was at anchor off the port of Douala, taking the captain and chief engineer in an attack that analysts say marks an expansion in the range of West African piracy.

The pirates also attacked a nearby Lithuanian vessel, Argo, seizing that ship's captain and robbing its safe.

The captain of the North Spirit "was allowed to make a call last night and said he and his crew mate were alive and in good health," said Vadim Ivanov, spokesman for the Seafarers' Union of Russia. "He said they had been taken by sea to Nigeria."

The captain, Boris Tersintsev, is from Vladivostok. The other kidnapped Russian, Igor Shumik, was aboard the Arctic Sea ship that mysteriously disappeared in a purported pirate attack last summer.

The North Spirit raid is the latest in a string of pirate attacks in the Gulf of Guinea, a region stretching from the Guineas in the northwest to Angola in the south, that is an increasingly important source of oil to Western markets.

Negotiators hired by the insurance company of the Greek ship owner, Balthellas Chartering, Swedish p i club, are trying to make contact with the pirates to secure the sailors' release.

"They are trying to start [negotiations], but the pirates haven't contacted them yet," said Panayotis Nikoletos, Balthellas' operations manager.

He said he believed that the Lithuanian captain was with the two Russians and added that the company was trying to confirm reports that the three were in Nigeria.

A spokesman for Limarko Shipping Company AB , owner of the Argo, IMO 8506737, declined to comment.

A Russian sailor aboard the Arctic Sea ship that mysteriously disappeared in a purported pirate attack last summer has been abducted in Cameroon, a sailors union said.

A group of about 20 gunmen boarded the Greek-owned North Spirit vessel as it anchored in the port of Douala late Sunday and seized the sailor, Igor Shumik, and the ship's Russian captain, Boris Tersintsev, the Russian Professional Sailors Union said.

"The pirates disabled all radio and navigation equipment, took valuables, money and personal effects from the crew members' cabins and made captain Boris Tersintsev, a resident of Vladivostok, and senior mechanic Igor Shumik get into their boat at gunpoint," the union said in a statement.

"The men's whereabouts is still unknown," it said.

The ship, which had a Russian-Ukrainian crew, was flying the flag of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and was managed by the Greek company Balthellas Chartering S.A., it said.

Shumik, born in 1963, was among the 15 sailors aboard the Arctic Sea, which disappeared for nearly a month last summer while carrying a $2 million shipment of timber from Finland to Algeria. Russian authorities say the ship was hijacked near Sweden by pirates seeking a ransom and have denied speculation that it was carrying a secret cargo of weapons.


Panagiotis Zafet
In 1991, he founded Balthellas Chartering S.A., a ship management and shipbroking company with 2006 revenues of approximately $25 million, where he currently serves as managing director. Under his leadership, Balthellas Chartering expanded its business from the commercial management of vessels into the full-scale management of multipurpose vessels of the highest ice class, container ships, timber carriers and dry cargo ships. The fleet is trading worldwide with a strong presence in ice bound navigational waters such as the Baltic Sea, White Sea and the Sea of Azov. The Company also specializes in feeder container services offering mostly service in places with limited port infrastructures, such as in the East Mediterranean, North and West African ports, the Caribbean, Indian Ocean and the Far East. Mr. Zafet is also a co-owner and managing director of Hellasco Transport Ltd. Mr. Zafet has a law degree from the Aristotelio University of Thessaloniki and is fluent in three languages. He is a member of the Piraeus Marine Club and the Hellenic Shipbrokers Association.
Balthellas Chartering SA (stated hereafter as Balthellas) was established as a private limited company in Liberia on 26 September 1991...
led by Georgios Koutsolioutsos and brothers Panagiotis and Simon Zafet. Led byMaxim Group and advised by Loeb & Loeb, Ellenoff Grossman & Schole and Reeder & Simpson, the new SPAC, called Seanergy Maritime Corp., is seeking to raise $150 million through the sale of 15,000,000 units at $10.00 apiece. Each unit consists of one share and one warrant; a warrant entitles the holder to purchase common stock at a price of $6.50. There is an overallotment option for 2,250,000 additional units while for $100.00 Maxim gets an option to purchase 750,000 units at $12.50 per unit.
Seanergy Directors & Management
Name Age Position
Georgios Koutsolioutsos 37 President and Co-Chairman of the Board of Directors
Panagiotis Zafet 41 Chief Executive Officer and Co-Chairman of the Board of Directors
Simon Zafet 44 Chief Operating Officer and Director

Seanergy Maritime Holdings Corp.

Panagiotis Zafet has been our Chief Executive Officer and Co-Chairman of the Board of Directors since inception.
Seanergy Maritime Holdings Corp., the successor to Seanergy Maritime Corp., is a Marshall Islands corporation with its executive offices in Athens, Greece. The Company is engaged in the transportation of dry bulk cargoes through the ownership and operation of dry bulk carriers.

The Company's initial fleet is comprised of two Panamax, two Supramax and two Handysize dry bulk carriers which Seanergy purchased and took delivery of the ships in the third and fourth quarters of 2008 from companies associated with members of the Restis family. In August 2009, the Company acquired a controlling interest in Bulk Energy Transport (Holdings) Limited ("BET") which owns five drybulk carriers, four Capesize and one Panamax.

As a result, the Company's current controlled fleet includes 11 drybulk carriers (4 Capesize, 3 Panamax, 2 Supramax and 2 handysize vessels) with a total carrying capacity of 1,043, 296 dwt and an average age of 13 years.

The Company's common stock and warrants trade on the NASDAQ Global Market under the symbols SHIP and SHIP.W, respectively. Prior to October 15, 2008, the Company's common stock and warrants traded on the NYSE Amex LLC (formally known as AMEX) under the symbols SRG, SRG.W, respectively.

26.5.10

Nordneptune: pirates escape abeam Tanzania















Nordneptun (Limassol) IMO:9277773
Call sign:P3TK9 Gross tonnage:42432 Flag:Cyprus Built:2004

The French EU NAVFOR warship Nivôse responded immediately to a distress signal from Nordneptune, a tanker, which indicated she was under small arms attack. The skiffs gave up their attack and moved into Tanzanian territorial waters where the Tanzanian Coast Guard was alerted to continue the pursuit.
Reederei "NORD" Klaus E. Oldendorff is a family-owned company, established in 1964 by Mr. Klaus E. Oldendorff.

Reederei Nord Klaus E. Oldendorff Ltd.
Libra Tower, 23 Olympion Street Limassol 3306

The company currently operates a very modern fleet of 36 vessels, totaling just over 2.5 million tdw, forming the biggest fleet tonnage wise under the Cyprus flag.
This comprises of 20 container vessels between 1058 teu and 2500 teu, 7 Panamax bulk carriers between 72,500 and 75,000 tdw and 9 tankers between 75,000 and 319,000 tdw, including 4 Panamax product tankers that were delivered in 2004.
The fleet will be further enlarged by a new building program of 2 container vessels of 2600 teu in 2005/6 and another 4 container vessels of 3500 teu in 2007/08, and one Aframax Tanker in 2007.

All the ships are operated by multinational sea staff. It is the company's policy to work with a balanced mixture of nationalities onboard and ashore.

The company has always been actively involved in the international shipping scene.
The company is a founding member of the Cyprus Shipping Council and Mr. Oldendorff was President of the Council on several occasions. In addition, Mr. Oldendorff was active in many other international organizations over a large number of years.

25.5.10

Iceberg 1: pirates renamed Sea Express











USS McFaul followed Iceberg 1 for the next 36 hours, until it turned towards the coast of Somalia.the pirates having painted over its name and re-named it Sea Express

"We cannot be sure what the pirates plan was if they had not been interrupted. The vessel may have been on its way to either assist other pirates in distress, or look for another merchant vessel to attack," said Republic of Korea Rear Adm. Beom Rim Lee, [Lee Beom-rim] commanding officer of Combined Task Force 151, the Combined Maritime Forces' counter-piracy task force that operates in the Gulf of Aden and Somali Basin

24.5.10

Iceberg 1: McFaul shadows hijacked ro-ro











May 24, 2010 -- Updated 1522 GMT (2322 HKT)
The destroyer USS McFaul is monitoring a Panamanian-flagged vessel taken over by pirates.


* Destroyer USS McFaul followed Panamanian vessel as it headed toward Somalia
* M/V Iceberg and crew of 24 are held by 50 pirates
* U.S. ship commander putting off rescue attempt out of concern for captives' safety
CNN read more


199 7429102 ICEBERG I 3EBE2 Ro-Ro 3960 1976 Panama

23.5.10

McFaul ddg 74: pirates deck passengers




the Navy says the accused pirates are detained "in a covered area on the exterior" of the McFaul, where they are fed the same food as the sailors. "The one thing that is for certain is that they gain weight while they're with us,"

21.5.10

Moscow University: 60% 'released' at sea





An estimated 60 percent of suspected pirates are released before they reach shore. Voice of America

19.5.10

Eleni P: Sea Horse?






the hijacked Liberian flagged ELENI P has now arrived off the coast of Somalia and is anchored in the vicinity of Garacad.
Reports say that under other names the vessel had been attacked already before (as SEAHORSE on April 09, 2009).
9128025 ELENI P A8SI2 Bulker 72119 1997 Liberia

SEA HORSE 2009-03-30 ex SANIE 2003-12-01 ex IBN SIRAJ 2000-05-12
IMO number : 7315583


Gross tonnage : 4932
Type of ship : General Cargo Ship
Year of build : 1973
Flag : Togo 2009-03-30 ex Panama 2008-04-14 ex St.Kitts /Nevis 2006-03-03 ex Dominica 2004-11-01 ex Cambodia 2003-12-01 ex Algeria 2000-05-12
MAS MARITIMES SA (Marshall Islands)managed by SEALINK SARL, Jdeideh, Lebanon.
here here here



Let's not neglect
mt Eleni P / ore/oil carrier / Liberia / dwt: 161.945

or the broke Elli


or the Greek Destroyer Elli F450

18.5.10

Moscow University: 360 pirates 'released' at sea



In fact, the Russian destroyer wasn't the first to hit upon this solution. Asked last weekend, the commander of the European naval force that coordinates military operations off the Somali coast said there had been "similar instances" involving Dutch and Danish ships but declined to elaborate. He also noted that of 400 pirates captured in the past three months, only 40 have been prosecuted. The rest have been released. Or "released."


Leaving them to float away on a rubber dinghy might not be the best solution, but it's the only one we've got.
By Anne Applebaum
Tuesday, May 18, 2010

17.5.10

NATO (SNMG2) frees Pirates



Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2)
HMS CHATHAM’s Lynx helicopter spotted a larger vessel towing the 2 attack boats, approximately 150 miles off the coast of Tanzania.
After monitoring the vessel through the night, at dawn, in a well planned operation, the pirates were forced to surrender by the overwhelming force posed by HMS CHATHAM, her Lynx helicopter and fast boats containing the Ship’s Royal Marine (RM) detachment. 10 Somalis were left with only enough fuel in the larger vessel to return to Somalia.


HMS Chatham is the last of four Type 22, Batch 3 frigates and was built on the Tyne by Swan Hunters Shipbuilders Ltd. She was launched in January 1988 by Lady Roni Oswald and commissioned into service in the Royal Navy in 1990.
Class and type: Type 22 frigate
Displacement: 5,300 tons
Length: 148.1 m (486 ft 9 in)
Beam: 14.8 m (48 ft 6 in)
Draught: 6.4 m (21 ft)
Propulsion: 2 × Rolls-Royce Spey gas turbines (high speed)
2 × Rolls Royce Tyne gas turbines (cruising)
2 shafts driving variable pitch propellers with COGAG (Combined gas and gas) gearbox, allowing all four engines to provide power to the drive train.
Speed: 18 knots (33 km/h) cruise
30 knots (56 km/h) maximum
Complement: 250 (max. 301)
Armament:

[2]

* 2 x Sea Wolf anti air system (Total of 72 Sea Wolf missiles)
* 2 × Quad Harpoon missile launchers (total of 8 Harpoons)
* 2 x triple Magazine launched anti-submarine torpedo tubes (total of 36 torpedoes)
* 1 x 4.5 inch (114 mm) Mk.8 gun
* 2 × 20 mm GAM-BO1 guns
* 2 x Goalkeeper CIWS
* NATO Seagnat Decoy Launchers

Aircraft carried:

2 x Lynx Mk.8 helicopters (but only 1 Lynx in peace time). Armed with

* 4 x Sea Skua anti-ships missiles
* 2 x Sting Ray anti-submarine torpedoes
* 2 x Mk 11 depth charges
* 2 x Machine guns

14.5.10

Moscow University: Somalia protests drowning.



"We want an explanation from Russia on the death of our citizens," Abdirasak Aden, Permanent Secretary of the Information Ministry. a senior political adviser to President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed. "They are gangs and there is no dispute on that, but they have to get a fair trial. Dumping them in international waters was not the only choice," he said.

St James Park: chemtanker ransom dropped
























On the morning of 13 May a ransom drop was made to the pirate group holding the St James Park at anchorage at Garacaad. more

The St James Park had been on route to Thailand when she was hijacked by pirates on 28 December 2009.
9072836 ST JAMES PARK
ZODIAC MARITIME AGENCIES LTD.
13th Floor, Sea Containers House
20 Upper Ground
London, SE1 9PD
Philbox Ltd Partnership
PHILBOX (UK) LIMITED
Registered No. 04331640
12TH, FLOOR SEA CONTAINERS HOUSE 20 UP, LONDON, SE1 9PD

With effect from 22nd January 2010, a Winding Up Order has been made in respect of Sea Containers Limited in the Supreme Court of Bermuda (Commercial Court) Companies (Winding Up) No 315 of 2006 . Elizabeth Bingham of Ernst & Young LLP and John McKenna of Finance & Risk Services Ltd. are appointed as Joint Provisional Liquidators.

Sea Containers Ltd is a Bermuda registered company with regional offices in London, Rio de Janeiro and Sydney.

Zodiac Maritime Agencies Ltd., a ship management company, specializes in the management of bulk carriers, chemical tankers, LPG tankers, container ships, and pure car carriers in the United Kingdom and internationally. It offers management services, such as building and purchase of a vessel, crewing, operating, maintenance, repair, insurance, legal, and supply. The company also assists the owners in finding employment for their vessels. In addition, it offers cadet training programs. Zodiac Maritime Agencies Ltd. was founded in 1954 and is based in London, the United Kingdom.

13.5.10

Shen Neng 1: ATSB cites bridge practices






















At 1700 the first mate, Xuegang Wang, took the ship's position coordinates from the GPS to plot its position. It was at this stage that he took out chart Aus 820 from the chart drawer. At this time he realized that the ship was past the amended alteration point and was very close to Douglas Shoal.

He attempted to alter course at the last minute but this action was too late and shortly thereafter the ship grounded at a speed of about 12 knots.


The Australian Transport Safety Bureau Police The Australian

12.5.10

Panega: Navibulgar scrapped chemtanker














SOMALI pirates have hijacked Panega.
Ironically, Bulgarian chemtanker Panega was on its way to be broken up, which means that the vessel has little worth to its owner beyond its scrap value.

874 8511586 PANEGA LZFX Tanker 5848 1986 Bulgaria
Navigation Maritime Bulgare Ltd (NAVIBULGAR), Bulgaria.
The company fleet consists of 45 own and managed vessels, most of them Bulk, Handy and Handymax carriers. All vessels meet SOLAS standards for safety at sea, possess a valid ISPS and ISM – ISO 9001 Quality Certificates.

Eleni P: Pittas bulker hijacked





















The Liberian-flagged MV Eleni P was headed to India when pirates seized it 250 nautical miles off the coast of Oman Wednesday morning May 12.
1339 9128025 ELENI P A8SI2 Bulker 72119 1997 Liberia

Registered Owner 1 : ELENI SHIPPING LIMITED

Management Company 1 : EUROBULK LTD.
Euroseas' operations are managed by Eurobulk Ltd., an ISO 9001:2000 certified affiliated ship management company


Ship owning interests of the Pittas family of Athens, Greece, which has been in the shipping business over the past 135 years.



Aristides Pittas, Chairman and CEO of Euroseas- in foto with professor Harilaos Psaraftis- commented: We are happy to pay a dividend of $0.29 per share which is $0.05 per share or 21% above our target minimum dividend of $0.24.

Euroseas Ltd. (NASDAQ: ESEA), an owner and operator of drybulk and container carrier vessels and a provider of seaborne transportation for drybulk and containerized cargoes, announced today that it has declared a dividend of $0.29 per common share for the third quarter of 2007. The dividend is payable on November 28, 2007 to all shareholders of record as of November 5, 2007. This dividend marks an increase of 16% from the prior quarter's dividend of $0.25 per share.

Aristides Pittas, Chairman and CEO of Euroseas commented: We are happy to pay a dividend of $0.29 per share which is $0.05 per share or 21% above our target minimum dividend of $0.24. This dividend continues our policy of paying significant dividends out of earnings and reflects the further strengthening of the dry markets, the prime driver of our growth. Our focus remains to continue investing on accretive acquisitions to further enhance our returns.

About Euroseas Ltd.

Euroseas Ltd. was formed on May 5, 2005 under the laws of the Republic of the Marshall Islands to consolidate the ship owning interests of the Pittas family of Athens, Greece, which has been in the shipping business over the past 135 years. Euroseas trades on the NASDAQ Global Market under the ticker ESEA since January 31, 2007.

Euroseas operates in the dry cargo, drybulk and container shipping markets. Euroseas' operations are managed by Eurobulk Ltd., an ISO 9001:2000 certified affiliated ship management company, which is responsible for the day-to-day commercial and technical management and operations of the vessels. Euroseas employs its vessels on spot and period charters and through pool arrangements.

After the delivery to its fleet of the recently acquired panamax drybulk carrier, M/V Trust Jakarta (to be renamed M/V Ioanna P), the Company will have a fleet of 15 vessels, including 3 Panamax drybulk carriers, 2 Handysize drybulk carriers, 2 Intermediate container ship, 5 Handysize container ships, 2 Feeder container ships and a multipurpose dry cargo vessel.

11.5.10

Talca: De Nadai Reefer ransomed












Pirates left the 11,000-tonne refrigerated cargo vessel MV Talca IMO 8616324 after a ransom was paid.
Its UK-based operator, London Ship Managers, had no comment to make on the matter at present. Its beneficial owner is unknown but its nominal owner is Arabian Reefers of the British Virgin Islands. In 1999 Safmarine sold most of its reefer fleet and it's shares in LSM to its partner, the De Nadai Group. So today London Ship Managers Limited is a wholly owned company of the De Nadai Group of Padua in Italy.

De Nadai International Group, founded by Guido De Nadai, an Italian entrepreneur who created one of the world’s largest fruit production networks
Global Fruits Pte Ltd
Since 1998 and based in Singapore, Global Fruits is a major fresh fruits importer. The company is wholly owned by Chiquita De Nadai Asia BV, a joint venture between Chiquita Brands International, Inc and the De Nadai Group. Chiquita Brands Int., Global Fruits has a strong distribution network in the Middle East, the Indian Subcontinent and Asia.

Moscow University: pirates all killed - Voitenko











A suspicion the pirates have all been killed Voitenko









An unnamed high-level Russian Defense Ministry official says the pirates who boarded the tanker Moscow University never made it to shore and were likely dead.

The official said the suspects were stripped of their weapons and navigation equipment and, about 300 nautical miles (550 kilometers) from shore, were put into one of the speed boats they used in the hijacking.

Pirate Gets 5 Years in Arctic Sea Case
10 May 2010 An Estonian-born man was convicted of piracy and handed a five-year sentence by the Moscow City Court over the purported highjacking of the Russian-crewed Arctic Sea freighter last summer.

MOSCOW, May 5 (Itar-Tass) - The Investigation Committee under the Prosecutor General's Office (SKP) opened a criminal case over piracy on Wednesday, after pirates captured the "Moscow University" tanker with a Russian crew off the Gulf of Aden.

The SKP's main department opened a criminal case over "piracy committed with use of violence and weapons by an organized group. The penalty for this offense envisions up to 15 years in jail," SKP spokesman Vladimir Markin told Itar-Tass.

It is the second time Russia opens criminal proceedings over piracy. The first such probe was conducted over the capture of the Arctic Sea vessel. The probe is nearing completion at present.

The Arctic Sea bulk carrier with a crew of 15 sailors from the Russian town of Arkhangelsk, was captured on July 24, 2009. It had a load of timber, and headed for Algeria from Finland. The vessel was captured in Sweden's territorial waters.

On August 17, the Ladny coastguard vessel of the Russian Black Sea Fleet freed the crew off Cape Verde Islands. Eight captors - citizens of Russia, Estonia and Latvia - were arrested and charged with piracy. They are in custody awaiting trial.

May 6, The pirates seized by a Russian warship off the coast of Somalia have been released because of ''imperfections'' in international law, the Defense Ministry said Friday, it was unclear how the seizure of the tanker might be legally different from last year's alleged hijacking of the Russian-crewed freighter Arctic Sea. That vessel allegedly was seized by pirates in the Baltic Sea off Sweden and went missing for several days before a Russian warship tracked it down off West Africa. The eight alleged pirates were flown to Moscow to face eventual trial. . The Arctic Sea, was suspected last year of transporting Russian missiles destined for Iran. Moscow has said it plans to fulfill a contract to supply the S-300 AA missile to Iran.

A Defense Ministry source told RIA Novosti that they were sent off in a small inflatable boat, having been disarmed and stripped of navigational equipment.

May 7 “A decision was made to let them go on a small vessel they used for attacking the tanker,” he RF Defence Ministry’s press service told Itar-Tass on Friday.
... The life of an inmate in a Russian prison camp is more comfortable than life in Somalia, in addition to which they are eligible for parole,

8.5.10

MARIDA MARGUERITE: Economou tanker






George Economou , beneficial owner, Chemical tanker MARIDA MARGUERITE, was hijacked 120 miles south of Salalah (Oman). The Marshall Island-flag ship was approached by a pirate skiff firing automatic weapons and rocket propelled grenades and the crew reported that they saw the pirates climbing onboard.


MARIDA MARGUERITE IMO: 9445655


GEORGE Economou has set himself up for a slice of Morgan Stanley’s involvement with renowned tanker pool player Heidmar Inc, through the acquisition of a 49% stake in the Per Heidenreich-founded group. here
Heidmar, W-O Shipping Joint Tanker Venture
Heidmar Inc. and W-O Shipping Group B.V. have agreed on terms for the formation of a joint venture, WOMAR Holdings LLC, to commercially manage small and intermediate size IMO II/Chemical and other tankers less than 30,000 DWT.

Heidmar's Marida Tanker pool and W-O Shipping's Yamuna and Ganges pools will become part of the joint venture and will be managed by WOMAR from offices in Singapore and London. The intent of the joint venture is to provide tanker owners in this market segment with worldwide market coverage and it will initially have a combined fleet of over thirty tankers ranging in size from 3,750DWT to 16,700DWT.

Morgan Stanley Capital Group Inc. Signs Definitive Agreement to Acquire the Heidmar Group
Morgan Stanley Capital Group Inc. ("MSCGI"), the commodities division of Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS), announced that it has reached a definitive agreement to acquire the Heidmar Group of companies, including Texas-based Houston Marine Services, Inc. ("Heidmar"). Both MSCGI and Heidmar view the transaction as an opportunity to build on what is already a premier franchise in international shipping. The acquisition is expected to close during MSCGI's fiscal fourth quarter, subject to the customary closing conditions, such as regulatory and antitrust reviews. Financial terms were not disclosed.

John Shapiro, President of MSCGI, said, "We are pleased to have reached a definitive agreement to acquire Heidmar and we look forward to working with its excellent management team to continue to expand its business. Heidmar has been built over the years with intense focus on customer-service and transparency. We aim to continue that tradition."

Per Heidenreich, Chairman & CEO said, "We are thrilled to be associated with the Morgan Stanley organization. We are confident that with their support Heidmar will continue to grow as a global logistics provider."

Heidmar Inc. ("Heidmar") announced today that Shipping Pool Investors Inc ("SPII") has entered into a definitive agreement to purchase a 49% stake in the company. In a related transaction, senior members of Heidmar's management will purchase a 2% equity stake in the company. Morgan Stanley, through its subsidiary Morgan Stanley Capital Group Inc. ("MSCGI"), will retain a 49% ownership stake in the company. It is anticipated that, subject to the receipt of necessary regulatory approvals, both purchase transactions will close within 30 days.

SPII is a company affiliated with the Cardiff Group ("Cardiff") whose founder is Mr. George Economou. Cardiff has extensive interests in the dry and wet freight shipping industry. Ten of Cardiff's vessels currently participate in two of the Heidmar shipping pools.

7.5.10

Moscow University: Pirates not released? Really?








The pirates who hijacked The oil tanker Moscow University:
In a release at 20:22 07/05/2010 the latest news at this writing,
The Russian Prosecutor-General's Office has opened a criminal case under article 227 of the Criminal Code, which deals with piracy. The hapless "gentlemen of fortune" will be put on trial in Moscow.

This incident highlights the problem of legal support for anti-piracy operations and makes it possible to assess the effectiveness of the fight against pirates.

Under article 227 of the Russian Criminal Code, pirates may face up to 15 years in prison. The life of an inmate in a Russian prison camp is more comfortable than life in Somalia, in addition to which they are eligible for parole.

Moscow University: pirates released in own boat





The Defense Ministry announced on Friday, telling Itar-Tass that it had proven impossible to establish the pirates’ citizenship or establish legal grounds for prosecuting.

“A decision was made to let them go on a small vessel they used for attacking the tanker,” the RF Defence Ministry’s press service told Itar-Tass on Friday, 350 miles off the coast of Yemen.
“It is much easier to catch pirates than to decide what to do with them,” said Gen. Nikolai Y. Makarov, the chief of Russia’s general staff. here