DEALING WITH PIRACY DIARY THROUGH THE GULF OF ADEN

Transcription

1 DEALING WITH PIRACY DIARY THROUGH THE GULF OF ADEN

2 DIARY THROUGH THE GULF OF ADEN Diary through the Gulf of Aden by Captain Miro Alibasic Captain Miro Alibasic is a Senior Tanker Master with wide experience in command (oil tankers, chemical tankers and gas carriers), in ship operations and ship management, marine surveying and marine safety systems. Here we present his diary of a voyage through the Gulf of Aden which gives an insight into the daily lives of our seafarers who are leading the way and making a difference with their professionalism, committment and courage day in day out. In the first quarter of 2011, the oil tanker Zirku, controlled by Arab Maritime Petroleum Transport Company (AMPTC), came under vicious attack by Somali pirates with heavy machine guns. The ship performed evasive manoeuvres under sustained attack for 90 minutes. Pirates finally managed to board despite rolls of razor wire and the ship and her crew spent 75 days under pirate control. We are told that the courage and wisdom of the Master won the admiration of his crew but also of the pirates. He commented: We needed courage. The Somali pirates have no feelings and very little intelligence, so have no fear. They are not boys but brutes. Passing through these waters is a man-trap for the uninitiated, for it is an area of extreme danger. It s Hell on Earth where innocent mariners get brutalised and tortured. Captain Miro Alibasic has since gone back to sea, taking the gas carrier Ocean Gas through the Gulf of Aden several times. 12:00 Changeover of command. Master in Command Captain Miro Alibasic (pictured second from left). 15:00 MAST Security Team (three security guards) embarked. Now underway in Gulf of Suez. Double sea watch is kept. I m on the bridge at all times. MAST watchman is on watch. Risk assessment made with Dryad Maritime Intelligence. ETA Muscat Roads : LT :00 General alarm sounded - crew mustered for piracy 5.11 Departing Sunday to Port Said to take over Ocean Gas. A beautiful lady. I will take her over at the end of week, passing Port Said, Southbound. I'm Senior Fleet Captain, Commodore, so I go into action, as long as it s needed, no limits, no questions asked! attack drill. All crew collected and accounted for in fully equipped citadel (steering gear). Crew briefed and debriefed, Marlink emergency communications tested. I will be extremely busy, in harm s way and danger, but I'll report regularly to you within my best ability and availability :01 Signed on transiting Port Said, Suez Canal Southbound. 06:36 Anchored Great Bitter Lake. Will continue transit this afternoon.

3 DIARY THROUGH THE GULF OF ADEN Contrary winds, full moon, piracy risk high. Security Level raised to Two, Code Yellow. Night scopes in use by MAST and my officers. Full action preparedness in place. 17:30 Arrived RV point for Japan navy escort. Start to line up for IRTC N / E 18:45 Convoy depart course 072 deg / 12 knots. Convoy line up radar & ECDIS. Double watch with night scopes. Master on bridge at all times. Vessel is currently protected as per BMP4, barbed wire, razor wires (abt 2,000 ft) posted all around vessel. Dummies posted and all doors locked with chains. Security team very helpful with crew training, drills, briefing, watches, look-out, monitoring, training. Security team is presently unarmed. I ll be stopping to embark arms and ammo on rendezvous point off Yizan, (17 deg North). Crews are with good cheer and attitude. No fear. They follow well. I play and joke with them. Remember it's not $$, it s comradeship. I'll stay with them no matter what and they know it. Tonight 23:00 armament embarkation. This afternoon completing preparation for Bab El Mandeb transit. Testing of fire systems and foam monitors. Joining Japanese Navy Convoy 11/11/11 15: :30 Drifting off Eritrea to RV with Japanese Navy. 13:30-16:30 Piracy danger, piracy attack drill - crew mustered to citadel. Briefing and de-briefing. Training. Loaded arms and equipment. Firearms positively tested and ready on hand. Vessel is ready in all respects :30 Left IRTC convoy escort with Japanese Navy. 20:00 Full speed through critical area. All vessel lights darkened. Intelligence analysed and strategy developed. AIS shut down due to suspicious activity in area. 21:30 Suspicious vessel reported by Navy vessel in vicinity. Intelligence analysed. Crew alerted. Proceeding to Point A of IRTC to meet Japanese Navy convoy. Entry confirmed by Japanese Government. Adjusting ETA in order to limit exposure during transit Bab El Mandeb and approach to convoy (danger times) :00 Entered Abu Ali Island TSS»

4 DIARY THROUGH THE GULF OF ADEN Going to gym for one hour. It s a nice gym with table tennis, rowing machine, weights, mirrors, separate hot shower and bath. It s for Juniors, Seniors. All. 18:50 Fantastic night here, calm and smooth. Moon is gorgeous and gives sea silver plated appearance. I just read Walt Whitman poetry to the officers and SEALS team leader. They liked it. Contrary winds, full moon, piracy risk high, Security Level Two, Code Yellow. Night scopes in use by MAST and my officers. Full action preparedness in place. Proceeding towards Muscat, Ras Al Hadd at full sea speed of 20 knots. 21:42 Dryad alerted to suspicious vessel off Salalah. Length 25 metres, wooden hull, without lights, manoeuvring erratically towards us at approx speed 6.5 knots, course 250 deg. Took evasive action and put MAST Team and crew on full alert. The world below the brine, Forests at the bottom of the sea, he branches and leaves, O Captain! My Captain! Tomorrow morning Ras Al Haad Oman. I lower security and alert level. SEALS are disembarking from Muscat. ETA Fujairah 16th Noon. I do not leave anything to chance. I control safety, security and well-being of ship and crew :08 MSCHOA reports attempted attack by one skiff in position N E. This is exactly where we were on :00 Muscat Port - signed off security team. Great guys! Like brothers. Made comrades in such circumstances, under fire and at sea with blue moon and silver seas. Now approaching Fujairah for crew changes and provisions :00 Anchored Fujairah, seven shackles in water. Vessel awaits loading instructions Calm and promising day, but we are on alert at all times. Last night s full action preparedness was not without reason. I took immediate and decisive action putting all team and crew on alert. All think it was the right decision and we had our action recommended by Intelligence and UKMTO. Next voyage, tentatively Qatar to Japan. Different story but same procedures. I'll be taking route near Indian coast, but still will working closely with Intelligence Services, MTO, MAST etc. Days of free sailing are gone. That s the same as leaving the doors of Citibank in Tampa, Fla, unattended without security. It seems to me just strange that we sailed before without security.

5 DIARY THROUGH THE GULF OF ADEN It s a peculiar situation, $ million vessel plus cargo and people and families, sent potentially in harm's way without much protection? bridge 24/24 hrs. Exercise on deck every evening so all feel better. Studying Manley Hopkins Windhover tonight. Boys are on shore leave, my wife sent me a nice mail so I'm laughing with the OOW. Life is good. My heart is big - I have achieved a safe voyage with masterful execution :00 We sailed from Ras Laffan fully loaded with LPG for Suez Canal and on to discharge port NW Europe. Tonight embarked SEAL Team off Muscat, Oman. Will be joining Korean Navy Convoy at 10 am Have departed Muscat to RV point with Korean Navy. Feelings are mixed this time. Changed crew and new Pakistanis are real novices, but there will be training and drilling. I am sleeping on the bridge, I'm not moving an inch. Naval Commander called on phone and asked about the situation on board. Company CSO called and asked for state of readiness. Don't worry, we will keep our nerve, I say. New arrivals, Pakistanis, are from different kind of trade all together, some of them first time on board a ship, let alone a gas carrier All in order. Tomorrow pm passing Bab El Mandeb. Abandon ship drill / security drill. Performed successfully :00 Republic of Korea naval escort completed. Now close to Bab El Mandeb. A chemical tanker passed near our convoy and we all saw waves with something jumping from behind her stern. We all got concerned, calling her to say she was under attack and to watch her stern, and start zig-zag manoeuvres. Her OOW replied, No problems, no problems, we are towing a couple of old ropes behind stern... thank you. Well OK, good luck, mate! In the Red Sea now. Already a different air. My young Pakistanis? They are listening, but poorly trained and... scared... The Mate has his hands full with training Approaching Salalah. Very critical area tonight. Will do two drills this afternoon. State of Readiness is Security Level Two, Code Yellow. One feels tension in the air but the Captain sleeps on his :21 Security guards signed off at 17 N. Their cutter M5 met me at the rendezvous point :14 Anchored Suez Bay STS area this morning and will triple-bank STS. Egypt is without gas - now we are important so hurry, hurry, hurry!

6 SAVE OUR SEAFARERS UPDATE Save Our Seafarers update The SOS SaveOurSeafarers campaign has during its first 12 months developed a very strong and distinctive brand. It has managed to secure broad mainstream media coverage of Somali piracy in magazines and newspapers, on news wires and on TV channels; coverage that a year ago we were only dreaming of - such as Sunday Times, Wall Street Journal, Reuters, Time Magazine and the BBC. This has ensured that this crucial issue is much better and far more widely understood now than it was a year ago. SOS has also helped achieve political recognition of Somali piracy as a real economic and humanitarian threat, with the result that there appears to be more political commitment to prosecuting pirates who have been caught as well as to deterring pirate mother ships. There is still more work to be done in these areas, with the additional task now of encouraging governments to focus on the consequences of their ambition to discourage, and ultimately to stop, the payment of ransoms. The naval forces, with whom we have been working on a regular basis, are anxious for industry to keep up the political pressure, emphasising that the policing of the seas and the protection of the freedom of the seas is a governmental responsibility. Achieving this political recognition and encouraging governments to show more political will has been one of the campaign s aims from the start and will continue to be for the forseeable future. The naval forces, with whom we have been working on a regular basis, are anxious for industry to keep up the political pressure, emphasising that the policing of the seas and the protection of the freedom of the seas is a governmental responsibility. Key strategies for the short term will be maintaining current activity on the SOS website and also in the social media, and working towards motivating high-profile industry figures to approach top-level politicians to put over directly and in person the campaign's aims and ambitions in key focus countries. US Coast Guard

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