The information below was transferred from the OCC Website prior to migration to a new website in May 2017

Piracy in the Somali Basin/Western Indian Ocean

What this page is about

This page aims to provide up-to-date and accurate information, obtained from official sources, on the latest situation on piracy in the western Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden (the High Risk Area). It will also point to helpful official websites which are increasingly carrying information specifically targeted at cruisers. Finally, we carry information on a yacht shipping service which can carry your yachts through these dangerous waters.

THREAT IN THE SOMALI BASIN CONTINUES:

The combined threat assessment of International Naval Counter Piracy Forces is and remains that:

All sailing yachts under their own passage should remain out of the High Risk Area (HRA) or face the risk of being hijacked and held hostage for ransom.

See http://www.mschoa.org/docs/public-documents/yachting-piracy-bulletin-final-version.pdf?sfvrsn=2

EU NAVFOR ATALANTA
EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Somalia - Operation Atalanta is part of the EU 's comprehensive approach to tackle symptoms and root causes of piracy off the coast of Somalia and the EU Strategic Framework for the Horn of Africa adopted in November 2011.

EU NAVFOR conducts anti-piracy operations off the coast of Somalia and the Indian Ocean and is responsible for the protection of World Food Programme (WFP) shipping carrying humanitarian aid to the people of Somalia and Horn of Africa as well as the logistic shippings supporting the African Union troops conducting Peace Support Operations in Somalia (AMISOM). Additionally, Operation Atalanta contributes to the monitoring of fishing activity off the coast of Somalia.

For more information, please visit their website www.eunavfor.eu.

ELSEWHERE:

The advice from the RYA for the rest of the world is to look at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office official site https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice and to heed their recommendations.

In January 2017, there have been a number of reports of piracy off Honduras

See news items in the Caribbean Safety and Security Net

Warning for those in Malaysia’s Sabah state, Philippine and Indonesian Waters

An incident of piracy was reported off the Sulu province on 7th November 2016.

Other kidnappings are taking place in this area.

The Indonesia’s government has urged Indonesian crewmen in Sabah to avoid sailing in the risky waters until security has improved. The kidnappings in this area have continued despite the military offensives against Abu Sayyaf, mainly in Sulu and the nearby island province of Basilan.

IMPORTANT ALERT ISSUED 2ND JAN 2016

Piracy against sailing yachts reported in the closing days of 2015 in the Caribbean north of Trinidad. The Commodore issued an alert and took action to combat this new threat. See Press Release issued by the OCC 2 January 2016.

Piracy reported north of Trinidad

The OCC has taken a proactive stance and is working with the government of Trinidad and Tobago to mitigate the situation. A report was issued by the Yacht Services Association of Trinidad and Tobago (9th Jan 2016).

07 November 2015

The threat in the Somali Basin remains high.

The most recent Advisory Notice from the Authorities - 18th October 2013

Click the link below to see the latest Advisory Notice issued by the International Naval Counter Piracy Forces engaged in anti-piracy operations in the High Risk Area:

http://www.mschoa.org/docs/public-documents/yachting-piracy-bulletin-final-version.pdf?sfvrsn=2

The OCC position remains that, while noting that the levels of pirate activity in the High Risk Area have declined sharply in the past nine months, and while respecting that it must be for each skipper to decide his/her route, Members should take careful note of the latest Notice, above.

On a personal note, when Pam and I sailed through these waters in spring 2007 the risk from pirates was of being boarded and robbed. Since 2008, when the pirates started to hijack yachts and hold the crew for ransom, the consequences of being taken have become immensely more serious.

If we were considering sailing those waters in 2013 we would not go there.

Dick Moore 18th October 2013


Background

In March 2009 the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) formed a Working Party from representatives of the UK’s main yachting organisations and sought a briefing from the military authorities charged with tackling piracy in these waters. Those organisations are: The ISAF; the Royal Yacht Squadron; the Royal Cruising Club; the Royal Yachting Association; the Cruising Association, the world Cruising Club and the OCC. My name is Dick Moore and I represent the OCC, mostly because my wife Pam and I sailed our HR36 ALIESHA through the area in March 2007. The RYS is represented by our Vice Commodore, George Curtis, so the OCC may be said to have two seats at the table.

The military authorities consist of MSCHOA, EUNAVFOR, Combined Maritime Forces, NATO Shipping Centre, UKMTO and MARLO. To learn more about all of these, click the links to visit their websites.

In 2009 the ISAF Working Party produced a set of Guidance Notes for cruisers contemplating passage up or down the Red Sea. We also compiled a list of Port Captains, Marina Managers and Ship’s Agents in all the ports between Turkey and Darwin where cruising yachts tend to gather. A one page “Flyer” summarising the guidance was emailed to them all and other publicity was obtained.

Further notices were produced in 2010, 2011 and 2012. The tone has changed markedly. The 2011 version was called a “Warning Notice”. It says quite starkly “Do not sail through these waters, they are too dangerous”.

This was re-issued in March 2012 as part of an Advisory Notice aimed directly at cruising yacht skippers. There was a further Advisory in early 2013 and now this latest Notice. The advice remains the same. If you take a sailing yacht through these waters you run a real risk of being high-jacked and held for ransom. You can expect to be badly treated while negotiations for your release drag on. Your ransom will be several hundred thousand dollars for each member of your crew.



The situation at mid-October 2013

On 19th November the ISAF Working Party met at Northwood with representatives of EUNAVFOR (the Command Operation for EU naval operations in the Somali Basin), of MSCHOA, of NATO and of the US-led Coalition Forces whose principal objective is the mission in Afghanistan. This was the 5th such meeting since March 2009.

The meeting had been requested because it was clear that the level of pirate activity was very much reduced since the start of the year and so some cruising skippers had started to think it might now be reasonably safe to transit these waters.

The military were very keen to tell us (and show us pictures to reinforce their case) that, while attacks were indeed down, the pirates remained ready, willing and able to go to sea in search of targets. As merchant ships have become harder to capture softer targets such as dhows are more often attacked. Yachts are a very easy target.

As before, the reduction in pirate activity was put down to a combination of:

Continued efforts by naval forces to interdict pirate vessels
The carrying of private armed security teams on up to 50% of merchant ships transiting the area. These have rather more relaxed rules of engagement than the military!
The adoption of “Best Management Practice” by most merchant ships. This is a set of guidelines for merchant ships and their crews to follow while in dangerous waters and reflect the defensive tactics which have been found to work. They are not applicable to cruising yachts.
Some progress in creating a lawful Government in Somalia with the beginnings of a coastal force to police its own waters
We learned that those seamen who have been taken hostage and subsequently released have been subjected to extremely unpleasant treatment.



The ISAF Working Party once again readily accepted that it remains unsafe for cruising yachts to sail these waters. A new Advisory Notice to that effect has been produced and can be viewed at:

http://www.mschoa.org/docs/public-documents/yachting-piracy-bulletin-final-version.pdf?sfvrsn=2



Websites worth consulting

EUNAVFOR (www.euvavfor.eu)

Combined Maritime Forces (http://www.combinedmaritimeforces.com/)

MSCHOA (www.mschoa.org)

NATO Shipping Centre (http://www.shipping.nato.int/)

International Sailing Federation (http://www.sailing.org/cruising)

Noonsite (www.noonsite.com)



Yacht shipping service from Sevenstar Yacht Transport

Sevenstar Yacht Transport are an international shipping company who specialise in carrying yachts. They have provided the following information. The OCC does not have any commercial arrangement with this company but a number of Members have used their service to get their yachts through the High Risk area.



Sevenstar Yacht Transport your reliable partner in transporting all around the world

As a world circumnavigator you like to plan all things in advance but still there are many unforeseen surprises coming up while sailing. One of the well planned things for your circumnavigation is the possible transport of your yacht through the piracy waters.

Since transporting your yacht from Asia to Europe is becoming more and more a part in the cruising schedule of many sailors.

Sevenstar Yacht Transport understands your boat is not a train and cannot be restricted to a tight schedule. That is why we see it as our duty to be as flexible and trustworthy as possible while transporting your precious yacht, saving you loads of fuel and taking special care of it at all times. At the same time we relieve you from any hassle involved like piracy and wear and tear of your yacht.

Our very special “Cruiser Clause”, which is applicable for the Far East to Europe yachts in March, April and May, to get your yacht safely around the world is a very good example of this.

We offer you: A sea of choices… oceans of experience!

URL: http://www.sevenstar-yacht-transport.com/sevenstar-news/entryid/41/new-sevenstar-yacht-transport-cruiser-clause.aspx

For further information please contact:

Jan Maarten Boissevain

Phone: +31 204488595

Mobile: +31 621534824

Email: j.m.boissevain@sevenstar.nl

The following report was published on the Noonsite website
http://www.noonsite.com/Countries/India/northern-red-sea-passage-security-and-other-concerns-march-2017
Northern Red Sea Passage: Security and Other Concerns March 2017

By Karin Stubbs — last modified Jul 20, 2017 10:13 AM

One small, lightly crewed yacht's experience of a passage from India to the Red Sea.

Published: 2017-07-19 00:00:00

The latest Cruising Bulletin from the Royal Yachting Association has a link to the ICC Commercial Crime Service. This includes a link to the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre. There is a live piracy map and a reporting system for maritime crime. The informatoin is aimed a commercial shipping but it gives informtion on parts of the world where the risk of piracy may be higher.
edited by George.Curtis on 2/9/2018

See Nonsite for advice from Wade Alarie – Administrator for the Facebook Group “Red Sea Passage” – providing an update on yachts that have transited to date in 2019, the security outlook plus routing and other advice. Update for Red Sea Passage and Cochin India (October 2019)

Johan Gyllensward writes:

Hello,
I’m engaged in the Swedish ocean sailing association (www.osk.org) and working with our magazine. We recently had an article about a couple that were robbed and assaulted twice in Panama. Im going to follow up this article with some reflections how to improve security onboard.

What are the risks/probabilities to be robbed (or theft for that matter), reading from the Caribbean Safety and Security Net, it seems that it´s quite low (thanks god) at least in decent places.

How could one prepare the boat and the crew?

Is it advisable to bring weapon on board.

I would be interesting to understand OCC´s view on this and any discussion ongoing in your organization. I browsed the forum category for safety, but didn’t find anything. Maybe there is a discussion ongoing elsewhere.

I would appreciate if you could put me in contact with a relevant person.

Thanks in advance,
Johan Gyllensward

Simon

Posted on behalf of Guy Chester

Dear Johan,

I have been in numerous 'pirate' areas, SE Asia and Caribbean etc.

Firstly, World Sailing has some very good policy/docs re piracy.

In 2014, in asia, I had folk aboard in the night taking fuel drums and attempting to remove the outboard. Loud noise and bright spot light scared them away. Holding spotlight to one side rather than in front of your body is sensible in case it gets shot at.

In 2015 was on passage Trinidad to Grenada during the time some Venezuelan guys in a pirogue approached a yacht. It's in CSSN.

I suggest at night all hatches are locked, companionway shut in risky anchorages. We had security screens/bars on some hatches to allow ventilation.

Outboard should be locked onto dinghy. Dinghy pulled out of water and locked to boat.

I do not suggest having a gun aboard. It is a very difficult thing in many countries if declared often kept in bond until you leave. Then leaving from a different port to arrival causes issues getting it returned. Keeping a gun aboard without declaring risks jail and loss of boat in many jurisdictions.

The Peter Blake story should be used as a case on NOT carrying a gun. The issue clearly is you must shoot first and to maim or worse ... I am certainly not prepared to do that.

Discussion of how to deescalate the situation if boarded is good... having $1000 in cash readily offered...

Regarding AIS, folk should heed local officials advice. For example, on the Grenada to Trinidad crossing, Trinidad Coastguard wants AIS on, and radio reporting... they will track your progress and need to be able to match your AIS with your radar signature to then pick up any other radar signatures which could be "unfriendlies" .

Hope this helps,

Guy Chester
OCC Roving Rear Commodore
OCC Indo-Pacific Coordinator








Cheers

Guy Chester

Owner
Oceans Tribute

+x

 

Simon Currin - 11 Oct 2023

Johan Gyllensward writes:

Hello,
I’m engaged in the Swedish ocean sailing association (www.osk.org) and working with our magazine. We recently had an article about a couple that were robbed and assaulted twice in Panama. Im going to follow up this article with some reflections how to improve security onboard.

What are the risks/probabilities to be robbed (or theft for that matter), reading from the Caribbean Safety and Security Net, it seems that it´s quite low (thanks god) at least in decent places.

How could one prepare the boat and the crew?

Is it advisable to bring weapon on board.

I would be interesting to understand OCC´s view on this and any discussion ongoing in your organization. I browsed the forum category for safety, but didn’t find anything. Maybe there is a discussion ongoing elsewhere.

I would appreciate if you could put me in contact with a relevant person.

Thanks in advance,
Johan Gyllensward

Simon