Red Sea Pilot – Reports of Piracy and Suspected Piracy
 
Update 09 April 2003

 
UPDATES: WE REQUEST REPORTS OF ALL INCIDENTS AGAINST YACHTS IN THE RED SEA AND GULF OF ADEN EVEN IF YOU WERE NOT PERSONALLY AFFECTED. PLEASE EMAIL TO Morgdav@aol.com cc Imrays, ilnw@imray.com

From 1998 to date there have been a total of eighteen recorded incidents in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. Ten are confirmed cases of piracy or robbery or attempted piracy or robbery. Two occurred within 70 miles of the Somali coast, waters yachts are strongly advised to avoid. Three occurred in Yemeni waters and five about half way across the Gulf of Aden.
    Of the remainder, seven have been confirmed as having nothing to do with robbery or piracy. Four or five of these were contact with pushy Yemeni military patrols. One or two involved contact with fishermen mistaken for robbers. One appears to be a case of a crime committed aboard.
 
Against ten confirmed incidents in this 5 season period, hundreds of yachts have passed trouble-free north- or southbound through the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. NATO naval patrols in the area are currently greatly improving security. However, we have had recent reports of increased incidence of theft from yachts anchored in the port of Djibouti. This is NOT piracy but a problem to be aware of.
For the following information we should like to thank and offer sympathy to the victims on Lisestrambord, Ocean Swan, Shady Lady, Blodeuwedd, and near victims on Penyllan and Daisy Duck.

Definitions
Piracy: any illegal act of violence, detention or any act of depredation committed for private ends by the crew of a private vessel against another vessel on the high seas (i.e. in international waters).
Robbery: the crime of theft of goods or chattels within a given jurisdiction.
International waters usually begin a minimum of 3M and a maximum of 12M from a state's territorial baseline. Hence 4, 8 and 15 below were robbery, 2, 3, 12, 17 & 18 were piracy, and 1 & 5 attempted piracy.
 
Details of incidents (most recent first):

1. 09/03/03 Australian yachts Penyllan, Sea Dove, Gypsy Days and Narena in close company with American yacht Imani were harassed at 0900LMT by gun fire from a distance of about 0·5M when in 13°11'N 48°40'E, approximately 80 miles off the Yemen coast and 90M from Somalia. The approaching boats were described as "possibly old ship's lifeboats... probably made of wood or GRP... visible on radar within 1·5 miles... and inboard powered. They were covered with bright blue and orange plastic sheeting possibly to conceal their identity or the identity of their cargo..." They were similar to those described in the incident involving Bambola (see below) and also carrying passengers but the report from Penyllan estimates them to be smaller, about 12m long. The yachts shook off pursuit by maintaining a speed of 6–7knots. A Panamanian registered freighter the ROYAL PESCADORES, visible on the southern horizon, answered one of many VHF mayday calls and closed their position. Then a US warship called and said he would be in their position in 3 hours. A report was also made to the German navy in Djibouti via other yachts at anchor there. At 0912 an Orion 4-engined navy aircraft flew over the yachts, made contact and searched without success for the open boats. During the evening a US frigate also checked the group of yachts and told them they planned to patrol the problem area "for several days" and would welcome calls from yachts on channel 16. The near victims think that sailing in a convoy of five may have helped deter their assailants. Undoubted piracy attempt.
2. circa 02/03/03 British yacht Bambola Quatre, in company with yacht Josephine, in 13°31'N 48°24'E, about 35M off the Yemen coast, S of Bir Ali, was approached at first light by 3 boats described as fast ships' lifeboats, about 20m long, covered with blue and orange sheeting. Shots were fired, Bambola was boarded and radios, money, etc. were stolen. Both Bambola and Josephine were damaged. The lifeboats carried numerous passengers huddled under awnings, probably illegal immigrants being smuggled from Somalia to Yemen. Undoubted piracy.
3. 14/04/02 French owned and registered catamaran, Blodeuwedd, attacked at 1330LMT in 12°37'N 48°28'·3E, 80M from both the Yemeni and the Somali coasts. There was a ship passing close by. A small boat with about 7 men aboard approached and fired warning shots when 50m away. Essential equipment was wisely and effectively hidden. The yacht put out a distress call on VHF and further shots were fired, some of which damaged hull and mainsail. The ship did nothing. The armed attackers crashed alongside causing damage. They then boarded the yacht and ordered the crew to the foredeck. They were evidently extremely tense. They demanded cash and proceeded to ransack down below and on deck. Owner and crew offered no resistance. The robbers took all three of the boat's outboard engines, solar panels and other high value equipment and left about 1½ hours later in the direction of Somalia. The word Somali was used repeatedly by them during the attack. The ship had meanwhile sailed on without offering any assistance. An intermediary in France was then contacted by satphone (hidden during the attack). He raised the French navy in Djibouti and reported the incident. The yacht headed for Mukalla to try to find an engine. The navy put the yacht in contact with the French embassy in the Yemen. Undoubted piracy.
4. 23/02/01 Ocean Swan, Shady Lady and Mi Marra were in approx 13°47'N, 48°12'E, 6–10M off the Yemen coast near Balihaf. Around dawn (0645LMT) they saw three boats fishing inshore of them. The boats released their gear and rapidly closed on Ocean Swan which had Shady Lady in tow. Shots which damaged rigging were fired by one boat when it was some 200m away. The main attacker rammed Ocean Swan. A second craft arrived on the other side but was then told to stand off by the chief robber. The attacking craft were wood-built, inboard diesel powered, local fishing boats with timber uprights protruding above the gunwhale. The boat attacking Ocean Swan had five crew, one armed with a Kalashnikov and two with knives. Any identifying marks had been disguised by draping a tarpaulin round the hull. The other craft each had 5 or 6 crew. While the first was robbing Ocean Swan, one of the others robbed Shady Lady. The third, standing off Ocean Swan, may have been intended to attack Mi Marra but, given Mi Marra was nearly a mile away, may have thought it too risky. The craft attacking Ocean Swan spent 45mins–1hr ransacking. There was extensive loss of easily moveable equipment but, thanks to good stowage and on-board security, much was missed. One of the owners was threatened with a knife and asked for money. She told the intruder to ask her husband who gave him the US$50 in his pocket. On Shady Lady the thieves ripped out the VHF and stole money. During the incident Mi Marra stood by but was helpless to intervene once arms had been ruthlessly used. No help was forthcoming on any international emergency channel on MF/HF and contact was made with us on Fiddler's Green II purely by chance. The authorities in Salalah were then alerted via help from Harmonie II and, subsequently, an Inmarsat alert was broadcast. Contact was later made with the harbourmaster in Mukalla who took all details by radio. No help ever reached the victims. After the incident the thieves seemed to have carried on fishing!
      All three yachts proceeded to Aden and reported to the authorities. The latter were sympathetic but apparently unable to enforce the law in an area of the Yemen, which seems to be beyond central government control. Undoubted robbery.
5. 12/04/01 Italian owned, British registered, Daisy Duck, attacked at 0740LMT in 12°55'N 48°20'E, 64 miles from the Yemeni coast and 98 miles from the Somali coast. The attacking craft was a blue, wooden traditional fishing boat with a small cabin roof and a high, noisy exhaust. There were 3 crew of unknown provenance. As the attacking boat approached the yacht, a Hyundai container ship came up from astern. Four other ships were within 16M on radar. Daisy Duck contacted the container ship on VHF 16 because they needed fuel and were worried about the closing fishing boat. The container ship reassured them about the fishing boat but said they couldn't stop to provide fuel. Shortly afterwards the fishing boat closed to within 15m and asked Daisy Duck to stop. When Daisy Duck refused and accelerated, the fishing boat fired shots. There is no report of the shots hitting Daisy Duck.
      The skipper of Daisy Duck was armed and had his gun stood-by. He returned fire aggressively. Subsequently the one remaining attacker who was still upright steered the attacking boat away, in what direction is not known. Meanwhile the skipper's wife, below with the two young children, sent Mayday calls on VHF16 and MF/HF 2182kHz, 4125kHz, 6215kHz, 8291kHz, 12290kHz and 16420kHz. There were no replies, not even from the Hyundai container ship now 0·5M off Daisy Duck's bow despite repeated, direct pleas. Subsequently contact was made via ham radio with the Rome Coastguard and the Italian embassy in Djibouti. Undoubted piracy attempt.
6. 27/01/01 Yachts Freedom, Tosimoh and Mintaka were about 50M miles SSW of Mukalla in approx. 13°56'N 48°54'E at approx 1000LMT. The yachts were on a reciprocal course with two fast huris (local fishing craft) which looked like passing close to starboard. The approach was treated as potentially aggressive. Alerts were sounded by the yachts on VHF, SSB and GMDSS via Inmarsat C. A flare pistol was fired low between the approaching boats and other similar deterrent action was taken. The local craft veered away, resumed their original course and met with up to four other huris about 1M away. After ten minutes two different huris returned eastward past the yachts. The alert sounded again. The huris were told to go away by voice and gesture. They carried on past. An interesting side effect of the GMDSS Inmarsat C distress alert is that families in Germany and Britain were alerted by national MRCCs. Mukalla port authorities were eventually alerted on 2182kHz. Probably contact with fishermen.
7. 09/01/01 Freedom (Irish) and Tosimoh (German) were approached at approx 1300LMT by two local fast boats about 10–15M SE of the Small Strait at Bab el Mandeb while sailing in company with another German yacht, Mintaka. The first boat swung to parallel Freedom. The bow man looked as though poised to jump onto Freedom although in fact this position is commonly adopted to trim local craft. A wave was exchanged. Freedom broadcast an alert. The craft fell astern, appeared to have engine trouble and was joined by the second. Both turned away towards Tosimoh. Tosimoh brandished a mean looking signal projector. After some shouting the two boats left at speed in the direction of Mayyun. Meantime a nearby ship had responded to the alert which was then cancelled. The incident was reported in Aden as a suspected incidence of piracy/robbery. The authorities believe this was a military patrol but this has not been confirmed.
8. 24/12/00 French yacht Lisestrambord was stopped by an armed boat about 15M offshore between Balihaf and Bir Ali (approx 13°43'N, 48°12'E). The attack was made at 1430LMT by a boat carrying about 50 people. The crew consisted of 5 men armed with guns and knives but there were about 45 refugees also aboard – men, women and children. Shots were fired in the air before aggressive boarding which caused damage. They stole cameras, video equipment, binoculars, polar jackets and alcohol. They were also given US$300 under duress. They tried to insist that Lisestrambord follow them to the coast (probably Yemeni, but not specified), but the skipper refused. The incident was reported to Immigration in Mukalla. Undoubted robbery.
9. 26/10/00 Australian yacht Funtastic, close off Ras al Ara, was approached by a military patrol which tried to persuade the skipper to return with them to Ras al Ara. Funtastic claimed shortage of fuel and the patrol left, satisfied with baksheesh (some cigarettes and soft drink). The incident was not reported to Yemeni officials, so the soldiers have not been disciplined.
10. During autumn 2000 the French yacht Anouchka passed inside the exclusion zone around Mayyun (Perim Island) and was technically in violation of regulations. A military patrol approached. Some of the boat's crew were in uniform. The patrol was pushy and demanded baksheesh. Anouchka reported the incident and an Inmarsat piracy attack report was subsequently broadcast and never cancelled. The incident was followed up by the Yemeni authorities. The troops concerned have been punished.
11. In the spring of 2000, at an unknown date, the single-handed Polish yacht Sadyba, a white hulled, 10m Bermudian sloop, went missing on passage between Djibouti and Massawa for causes unknown. These are inaccurately charted waters with strong currents, strong winds, brutal seas and much shipping traffic. Unexplained disappearance.
12. 27/01/00 Australian catamaran Gone Troppo attacked and shot at in mid-Gulf of Aden about 70M from the Somali coast. One crew member wounded. The yacht was immobilised by having a fishing net dropped across its bows, subsequently fouling the propellers. No replies to repeated VHF Mayday broadcasts. Extensive theft of money and electronics. Subsequently pirates may have shadowed Gone Troppo but left when contact was made with a passing ship which offered protection. The robbers were Somali. Undoubted robbery.
13. 22/11/99 Panamanian registered Airflow, a 28m schooner, approached on converging intercept courses by two vessels between the Hanish Is and Bab el Mandeb. Avoided encounter by changing course and by contacting Aden harbourmaster and a nearby tanker, which Airflow then closed for further protection. Naval assistance, sent by Aden authorities, arrived after the potential threat had disappeared. Yemeni enquiries have ascertained that the intercepting vessels were Yemeni military patrols.
14. 18/11/99 Yacht Leonard Star, flag unknown, boarded by armed men 2M E of Jazirat at Ta'ir in the Red Sea. Boarders attempted to steer yacht towards Jazirat at Ta'ir. A threatened satcoms phone call to the Aden authorities ended the incident and the boarders were satisfied with drinks and food. Yemeni enquiries have ascertained this was a military patrol. The soldiers concerned have been punished.
15. 11/11/99 Australian yacht Aphrodite III shot at when it failed to stop after being threatened by pirates posing as police off Ahwar, between Mukalla and Aden. Extensive theft of money and equipment. The Yemeni government apprehended and imprisoned the criminals, recovered the stolen goods and offered to make full repairs to the yacht. This is the ONLY case of robbery when the criminals have been caught and punished, possibly because of extensive and immediate international press coverage of the incident. Undoubted robbery.
16. 11/09/99 French yacht Correlation, on arrival in Aden, reported an attack 6M off NE tip of Somalia. The crew comprised two men and a woman. One of the two male crew was reported to have been shot dead by pirates when he attempted to fight back. This was neither confirmed nor denied by the female crew. The Aden authorities report that when the yacht reached its next port of call in the Red Sea, only the skipper was still aboard. Police investigations in Europe continue. A probable on-board crime.
17. End of 1999. Details are sketchy. German yacht Nono hijacked when close in shore off Cape Guardafui, Somalia. Crew kidnapped and subsequently released following negotiations between German foreign service officials and the hijackers. A ransom may have been paid. The yacht and its contents were entirely lost. Undoubted piracy.
18. 29/04/99 Finnish yacht Violetta hijacked 70M off Bosaso, N Somalia. Crew initially ransomed but subsequently released with no payment via offices of UN and pirates' village elders. Yacht later recovered, but it had been stripped. Undoubted piracy.