UPDATE 18 July: Leonhardt & Blumberg spokesperson Cor Radings notes in a phone call that two salvage companies have been contracted, Five Oceans and SMIT Salvage, to begin work on saving the MV Hansa Brandenburg and her cargo. Overflights from Mauritius have confirmed that the fire has affected the superstructure of the vessel, but a current status of the vessel is … [Read more...]
Keep a Sharp Lookout for the Thejan Putha, and its Crew of Murderous Pirates
On 15 October, the fishing vessel Thejan Putha was hijacked approximately 50 nm off the Hambantota Coast of Sri Lanka. Ten armed asylum seekers-turned pirates boarded the fishing vessel from a fiberglass dinghy reportedly with permission from the captain. Armed with swords, the pirates then tied the hands of four crewmembers behind their backs and threw them overboard, but not … [Read more...]
ONI Issues Maritime Warning for the Indian Ocean
Via the US Office of Naval Intelligence: The following is a maritime warning for mariners operating in the Gulf of Oman, North Arabian Sea, Gulf of Aden, and the Bab el Mandeb regions. Be advised, elevated regional tensions have increased the risk of potential maritime attacks being conducted by extremists. Vessels at anchor, operating in restricted maneuvering environments, … [Read more...]
US May Give Up Diego Garcia
In shocking news from Washington, the United States, Britain and Mauritius have begun talks that may lead to America losing its strategic Indian Ocean supply hub at Diego Garcia. This news comes four years before America's lease to use this small island in the Indian ocean expires in 2016 but also at a time when the Pentagon has declared the Pacific as the military's top … [Read more...]
WARNING LETTER: “Killing hostages is now part of the rules”
This Warning Notice, published by the International Sailing Federation (ISAF), is intended for Yacht Skippers considering a passage through the Gulf of Aden, its approaches and the Indian Ocean north of 12 degrees south and west of 78 degrees east. It is the third such notice to be published on this subject and reflects the latest situation as at June 2011. It has been … [Read more...]