The Pirate Report
Reporting the age of modern piracy

14.04.2009: 0200 LT: Posn: 12:51N – 048:11E: Gulf of Aden.   Pirates in a skiff armed with automatic weapons chased a bulk carrier and opened fire on it. Pirates boarded and hijacked it with the 21 crew members as hostage and are now proceeding to an undisclosed location in Somalia. Read More

11.04.2009: 1240 UTC: Posn: 00:18.2N - 051:44.3E, About 285 nm east of Mogadishu, Somalia.   Eight pirates armed with guns and RPG in two skiffs, launched by a pirate mother vessel, attacked a container ship underway. Master increased speed to 22.8 knots and the skiffs followed at 23.5 knots. They approach very close and fired upon the ship. Master made evasive manoeuvers and prevented the boarding. Read More

07.04.2009: 1140 UTC: Posn: 02:25N – 051:40E: Off Somalia.   Pirates in skiffs, armed with automatic weapons chased and fired upon a container ship underway. Pirates eventually managed to board and hijacked her. Read More

06.04.2009: 0620 UTC: Posn 12:33N - 049:02E, Gulf of Aden.   A bulk carrier was attacked and hijacked by Somali pirates whilst underway. The ship is proceeding towards Somali coast. Read More

06.04.2009: 0300 LT:Posn: 01:51S – 055:25E, About 630 nm SE of Mogadishu, Somalia.   Armed pirates chased, boarded and hijacked a fishing trawler underway. Information available indicates that the fishing vessel was then used to try to hijack other fishing vessels in the vicinity. Pirates later directed the vessel towards the Somali coast. Read More

04.04.2009: Posn: 09:36N - 058:35E: Somalia.   Pirates armed with guns hijacked a yacht with it’s five crew members. They sailed the yacht to an undisclosed location and demanded a ransom for the safe release of the crew and yacht. Fearing pirates may take the crew and hold them hostage on land the authorities launched a rescue operation in which four crew members including a child were rescued. However, the skipper was killed in the incident. Two pirates were killed and three others detained by the authorities. On Saturday, 4 April, a French cruising yacht was hi-jacked around 640 km off Ras Hafun in Northeast Somalia. The yacht… Read More

Seychellois troops have been sent to islands in the Aldabra area after a boat that had been carrying tourists was hijacked by pirates, it was announced yesterday. The Seychelles-flagged "Indian Ocean Explorer" with seven Seychellois crew on board, was on her way from Assumption to Mahe when she was seized, Minister for Environment, Natural Resources and Transport Joel Morgan said. The S/Y INDIAN OCEAN EXPLORER, a high-end cruiser designed for oceanographic research with a state-of-the-art technical suite for underwater photography and diving equipment, is kitted out to hold 12 passengers. Ten tourists had already disembarked on Asssumption before… Read More