The Pirate Report
Reporting the age of modern piracy

A Greek-owned ship has been hijacked by Somali pirates south-west of the Seychelles, a seafarers group says.

The Ukrainian crew were believed unharmed in the night-time attack, about 250 nautical miles (463km) from the Indian Ocean islands... Source: BBC News Read More

02.05.2009: 0530 LT: Posn: 06:07S - 050:12E, About 560 nm SE Mogadishu, Somalia. [wp_geo_map]   A pirate mother vessel and two high speedboats were observed at a distance of six nm from a tanker underway. Master altered course and the boats started chasing the tanker. Master raised alarm, sent distress message, increased speed and took evasive manoeuvres. The boats came very close to the tanker and suddenly the 2nd boat stopped chasing the tanker, probably engine problem. The 1st boat fired upon the tanker with RPG and aborted the attack as the distance from the mother vessel increased to 20 nm. No damages and injuries to crew. Read More

02.05.2009: 0230 UTC: Posn: 07:19S – 052:11E, About 670 nm SE Mogadishu, Somalia. [wp_geo_map]   Armed pirates attacked and hijacked a bulk carrier underway. Additional information awaited Read More

01.05.2009: 0540 UTC: Posn: 04:44S - 060:04E, About 960 nm ESE, Mogadishu Somalia. [wp_geo_map]   Pirates in two small boats armed with automatic guns attacked a bulk carrier underway. D/O raised alarm and crew locked all access. 1st boat attempted to board the ship using ladder and the 2nd boat fired upon the ship at bridge and accommodation. Pirates aborted the attempt at 0620 UTC due to the evasive manoeuvres and the freeboard of the ship. No injuries to crew. Ship sustained some damages. Read More

01.05.2009: 0500 UTC: Posn: 03:05S - 053:19E, About 560 nm, SE Mogadishu Somalia.[wp_geo_map]   A pirate mother vessel and two speedboats were observed by a tanker underway at a distance of 8nm. The speedboats doing 22 knots came close to the ship and fired upon at the bridge with automatic guns and RPG. The pirates tried to board the ship five times using hand ladder. Due to the ship's freeboard and the evasive manoeuvres taken by the ship has prevented the boarding. No injuries to crew. Ship sustained some damages. Read More

30.04.2009: 1224 UTC: Posn: 04:01.3S - 059:33.7E, About 900 nm ESE Mogadishu, Somalia. [wp_geo_map]   Eight pirates in two speedboats armed with guns and RPG chased a container ship underway. Ship raised alarm, increased speed and took evasive manoeuvres. The pirates fired upon the ship with automatic guns and later aborted the attack. No injuries to crew. Ship sustained some damages. There was one pirate mother vessel, 10 - 15 meter length observed at 3 nm from the ship. Read More

30.04.2009: 0224 UTC: Posn: 07:46S - 051:32E: Alphouse island off southern Somalia. [wp_geo_map]   Two speed boats, the first, white hull and black stripes with 6-7 pirates and the second boat with white hull and 3-4 pirates chased a container ship and fired automatic weapons and RPG. The vessel sustained damages to it’s stbd side accommodation. One RPG shell fell onboard but did not explode. Read More

04.2009:0350 UTC: Posn: 00:36N - 050:08E: 255nm ESE of Mogadishu: off Somalia. [wp_geo_map]   Pirates armed with automatic weapons in a skiff chased a RoRo vessel and opened fire with automatic weapons. Vessel made evasive manoeuvres and escaped the boarding. Read More

28.04.2009: 0704 UTC: Posn: 13:49N-056:30E: Gulf of Aden. [wp_geo_map]   Pirates in two skiffs launched from a mother vessel approached a general cargo ship and opened fire at it with guns and RPG. Vessel activated water hydrant and released timber baulks into the sea. Pirates aborted the attacked. Read More

28.04.2009: 0630 UTC: Posn: 12:31N-046:07E: Gulf of Aden.   One blue coloured speed boat with six pirates armed with guns approached a general cargo ship underway and opened fire at it. Vessel took evasive manoeuvres and contacted warships for assistance. Vessel fired rocket flares and operated smoke signal to prevent boarding. Later the speed boats aborted the attempt. Read More