The Pirate Report
Reporting the age of modern piracy

05.05.2009: 0430 UTC: Posn: 13:08N - 049:09E: Gulf of Aden.[wp_geo_map]   Pirates armed with automatic weapons chased a tanker underway. Vessel contacted coalition warship for assistance and made evasive manoeuvres to delay / prevent boarding. A helicopter arrived on scene and prevented the pirates from boarding the vessel. Read More

05.05.2009: 0530 UTC: Posn: 02:38S – 053:49E, About 560 nm SE Mogadishu, Somalia. [wp_geo_map]   Eight pirates in two boats attempted to board a vehicles carrier underway. Pirates closed to 10 meters and attempted to board several times. Master increased speed and carried out evasive manoeuvres and prevented the boarding. Read More

07.05.2009: 0020 UTC: Dar es Salaam anchorage, Tanzania.[wp_geo_map]   Two robbers armed with knives boarded a container ship at anchor using hooks attached to a long pole. Alert crew saw the robbers and raised alarm. Upon hearing the alarm, the robbers jumped overboard and escaped with eight accomplices waiting in their boat. Read More

03.05.2009: 0400 LT: Karamunting palm oil terminal, Sandakan port, Malaysia.[wp_geo_map]   Four robbers in a fishing boat approached a chemical tanker at berth. While crewmembers were busy at the manifold, the robbers boarded the tanker using hook attached to a rope. Several crewmembers saw unidentified persons on forecastle deck and they approached them. The robbers escaped in their boat upon seeing the crew alertness. Nothing stolen. Read More

03.05.2009: 0001 LT: Sandakan anchorage, Malaysia.[wp_geo_map]   A fisherman offering fresh fish approached on the stbd side of a container ship at anchor. While four robbers in a speedboat approached from the port side of the vessel and attempted to board. Alert crew saw the robbers and raised alarm. Robbers aborted the attempt due to crew alertness. 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

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