http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/maritime/ en-us Sun, 3 Jan 2010 03:30:42 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2419813/posts SOFIA (Reuters) - Somali pirates hijacked a British-flagged vehicle carrier off the Somali coast late on Friday, the Bulgarian foreign ministry said. The Asian Glory was seized about 600 miles east of the Somali coast before it joined a convoy heading for the Gulf of Aden, ministry spokesman Dragovest Goranov said. Somali pirates have made tens of millions of dollars from seizing ships for ransom in the Gulf of Aden, linking Europe to Asia, and are also hunting far into the Indian Ocean to evade foreign navies sent to protect commercial shipping. The European Union's counter-piracy force, EU Navfor and... Reuters http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2419813/posts#comment Sun, 3 Jan 2010 03:30:42 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2416575/posts Somali pirates holding a Chinese cargo ship and its crew of 25 said Sunday they would release the vessel after collecting a ransom of 3.5 million dollars (2.2 million euros) later in the day. The bulk carrier Dexinhai, owned by Qingdao Ocean Shipping, was seized on October 18 northeast of the Seychelles as it was sailing to India from South Africa with a cargo of coal. It was subsequently taken to the Somali coast, between the pirate lairs of Harardere and Hobyo, where it laid at anchor with other captured vessels and negotiations on its fate began. "We have been... Terra Daily http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2416575/posts#comment Mon, 28 Dec 2009 23:15:45 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2405087/posts Law: American heroes are arraigned for allegedly punching a terrorist in wartime. What happens to Tiger Woods isn't vital to our country's future. What happens to Matthew McCabe, Julio Huertas and Jonathan Keefe is. People are more likely to recognize the names of Tiger's alleged bimbo eruptions than the names of these three Navy SEALs we sent into battle. They are not household names in a nation consumed with Climate Gate, the public option and the antics of billionaire athletes. An administration consumed with apologies has said the architect of 9/11's massacre, Khalid Sheik Mohammed, must be given all the... Investors Business daily http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2405087/posts#comment Fri, 11 Dec 2009 02:15:13 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2402713/posts The Maersk Alabama, a U.S. flagged cargo vessel, is now a veteran of not one, but two attacks by Somali pirates. The first, back in April, although ending well (except from the perspective of the pirates), was a horrid ordeal. The crew, using kitchen knives [Correction: I have just been informed that it was pocket knives, rather than kitchen knives, that the crew used--my apologies for the mistake] as their weapons, staged a fighting retreat to a secure compartment. There, they endured terrible (and potentially fatal) conditions: for 13 hours, in 130° heat, without drinking water or ventilation, they waited... St Louis Gun Rights Examiner http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2402713/posts#comment Tue, 8 Dec 2009 12:10:35 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2402632/posts Richard Phillips, the ship captain toasted as a hero after he was taken captive by Somali pirates, ignored repeated warnings last spring to keep his freighter at least 600 miles off the African coast because of the heightened risk of attack, some members of his crew now allege. Records obtained by The Associated Press show that maritime safety groups issued at least seven such warnings in the days before outlaws boarded the Maersk Alabama about 380 miles off the shore of Somalia. A piracy expert and the captain's second-in-command say Phillips had the prerogative to heed the warnings or not.... Billings Gazette http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2402632/posts#comment Tue, 8 Dec 2009 05:37:06 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2397306/posts Five British sailors are being held captive in Iran after they strayed into the country’s territorial waters on their way to an international yacht race. The Britons were part of the nine-strong crew of the Kingdom of Bahrain, a racing yacht, which was apprehended by the Iranian navy on Wednesday. It is thought the boat, which carried a satellite tracker, may have drifted into Iranian waters after its propeller was damaged. The newly refitted vessel was making its way from Bahrain to Dubai for a 350-mile race to Muscat, which began on Thursday. When the yacht failed to arrive, expatriate... The Telegraph http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2397306/posts#comment Tue, 1 Dec 2009 01:36:31 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2396999/posts Somali Pirates Seize U.S.-Bound Tanker JEFFREY GETTLEMAN November 30, 2009 NAIROBI, Kenya — Somali pirates have struck again, seizing an oil tanker loaded with $20 million in crude that was headed from Saudi Arabia to the United States, naval authorities said Monday. According to European naval reports, nine pirates hijacked the tanker and its crew of about 30 about 800 miles offshore and headed back toward pirate havens along the coast of central Somalia. The Somali pirate business appears to be back in full swing after a brief lull this summer that some attributed to increased naval patrols but which... NYTimes http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2396999/posts#comment Mon, 30 Nov 2009 18:23:51 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2396667/posts The Royal Navy is regularly allowing Somalian pirates to go free because of the risk they would claim asylum if prosecuted in Europe. Pirates terrorising ships in the Indian Ocean, looting and taking hostages, are often given medical checks and fed after being caught, before being sent of their way. This is also sometimes because although they are carrying guns and other weapons, they have not been caught in the act of piracy and therefore have not technically committed a crime. More than 340 suspected Somalian pirates have been captured by international naval forces in the last year and subsequently... Telegraph http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2396667/posts#comment Mon, 30 Nov 2009 05:42:27 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2394863/posts African pirates attacked an oil tanker Tuesday in the oil-rich waters off the continent's west coast, Agence France Presse reported. The pirates reportedly killed a Ukranian crewman, believed to be the chief engineer of the 750-foot vessel, AFP reported. fox news http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2394863/posts#comment Thu, 26 Nov 2009 13:18:14 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2390699/posts Yesterday, Somali pirates attacked the commercial cargo ship Maersk Alabama. This time, however, an armed security team successfully thwarted the attackers. Last April, Somali pirates successfully attacked the Alabama, kidnapping ship’s Captain Phillips and holding him hostage until Navy SEAL snipers killed the captors. In 2008, Vice Admiral Bill Gortney, commander of the U.S. Navy’s fleet in that area, specifically warned that the Navy “can’t be everywhere” and that “shipping companies have to take responsibility for their own ships.” It appears that after the last near-tragedy, Maersk took the warning seriously. But the story also highlights media bias against self-defense.... Austin Gun Rights Examiner http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2390699/posts#comment Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:56:24 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2390777/posts Merchant ships need guns to fight pirates. Seven months ago, Somali pirates attacked the Maersk Alabama and held its captain hostage. Pirates attacked the Maersk Alabama again this week but were repulsed because the Maersk Shipping Line put armed guards on its ships. Pirates successfully attacked another unarmed ship on Monday, leaving 28 members of its crew dead. On Tuesday, 36 crew members of a Spanish ship were released only after pirates were paid a $3.3 million ransom. But when the pirates got within 300 yards of the Maersk Alabama, the ship tried evasive maneuvers and its security team successfully... The Washington Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2390777/posts#comment Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:20:20 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2390564/posts MOGADISHU, Somalia — As a Spanish warship looked on, a $3.3 million ransom was delivered by boat Tuesday and Somali pirates freed a Spanish trawler and its 36 crew members. Spain's prime minister did little to deny paying off the hijackers — one reason the lucrative attacks are on the rise. "The government did what it had to do," Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero told a news conference in Madrid. "The important thing is that the sailors will be back with us. The first obligation of a country, of the government of a state, is to save the lives... The Associated Press (hosted on Google) http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2390564/posts#comment Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:06:14 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2390281/posts ABOARD USS CHOSIN AT SEA, Nov. 19, 2009 – USS Chosin, home-ported in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, has assumed the role as flagship for the counter-piracy efforts of Combined Task Force 151 after arriving in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations as part of a regularly scheduled deployment. "We're extremely well equipped to support this mission," said Navy Capt. Timothy Smith, the ship’s commanding officer. "An Aegis-class cruiser has an awful lot of capabilities to search and identify, perform command and control operations, collect intelligence and maintain communications related to counter piracy." Early in the deployment, the Chosin crew sighted... American Forces Press Service http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2390281/posts#comment Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:46:45 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2389416/posts MANAMA, Bahrain, Nov. 18, 2009 – The U.S.-flagged Maersk Alabama’s security team repelled an attack from suspected pirates this morning 560 nautical miles off the northeastern coast of Somalia, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command officials reported. Four suspected pirates in a skiff came within 300 yards of the Maersk Alabama and used small-arms weapons in an attempt to board the ship. The ship’s security team responded with evasive maneuvers, long-range acoustic devices and small-arms fire, causing the suspected pirates to break off their attack. The acoustic devices emit a high-pitched sound that can be painful to human ears. "Due to... American Forces Press Service http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2389416/posts#comment Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:26:31 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2389012/posts ... private guards on board the U.S.-flagged ship repelled the attack with gunfire... Associated Press http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2389012/posts#comment Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:19:19 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2388894/posts NAIROBI, Kenya -- The Maersk Alabama, the American-flagged ship captured briefly by pirates in April, came under fire again early Tuesday morning off Somalia's coast, but evaded the attackers... The Wall Street Journal http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2388894/posts#comment Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:19:06 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2389126/posts About an hour ago, the Associated Press reported that the crew of the US-flagged merchant vessel Maersk Alabama repelled a pirate attack off the coast of Somalia.  This is the same ship that was boarded by pirates last April.  At that time, the captain of the ship was taken hostage and was held by pirates in a lifeboat for five days.  The incident ended when US Navy SEAL snipers simultaneously killed all three pirates aboard the lifeboat in a nighttime action.  This time, the pirates never got aboard the ship. What was the difference?  Guns.As the AP report makes abundantly clear,... AIPNews.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2389126/posts#comment Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:39:41 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2388853/posts NAIROBI, Kenya — The EU's anti-piracy force says that Somali pirates have again attacked the Maersk Alabama, the U.S.-flagged ship hijacked last spring. The EU Naval Force says pirates fired automatic weapons at the ship, but that guards on board the craft fired back and thwarted Tuesday's attack. FOX News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2388853/posts#comment Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:54:53 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2388065/posts A chemical tanker with a crew of 28 North Koreans has been hijacked by pirates near Somalia, the European Union's naval force says. The MV Theresa VIII, a Singaporean-operated tanker, was taken on Monday in the south Somali Basin, 180 nautical miles north west of the Seychelles. The vessel had been heading for the Kenyan port city of Mombasa, but was diverted north, the naval force said. The EU naval force (Navfor) operates in the region to protect shipping. Somali pirates, using "mother ships" to launch their small-boat attacks on vessels, have extended their range to an area off the... bbc http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2388065/posts#comment Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:22:14 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2384882/posts MOGADISHU, Somalia – Gunmen have killed a top Somali judge who had sentenced many pirates and human traffickers to long jail terms, the security minister for northern Somalia said Thursday. Mohamed Said Samatar said three men were arrested Thursday over the killing of High Court Judge Mohamed Abdi Aware. In addition to jailing suspected pirates, Aware also recently jailed four members of Somalia's Islamic insurgency. Eyewitness Mohamud Dahir said masked men with pistols shot the judge in the head and chest several times as he left a mosque Wednesday evening in the port city of Bossaso. "These gangs hate him... AP on Yahoo http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2384882/posts#comment Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:53:14 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2383236/posts 34 years ago today, on November 10, 1975, the SS Edmund Fitzgerald - aka "Mighty Fritz," - foundered and sank during a storm on Lake Superior. Launched on June 8, 1958, the Edmund Fitzgerald was the largest ship on the Great Lakes for the next 13 years Gather.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2383236/posts#comment Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:12:18 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2375615/posts UP close and personal, the modern day pirate gang is a mob of scruffily dressed Somali males armed to the teeth with AK-47 assault rifles and other weapons. And the group encountered by those aboard the Anzac Frigate HMAS Toowoomba in the Indian Ocean last month were distinctly unhappy that their plan to hijack a Portuguese freighter had been thwarted. But they weren't about to admit they were pirates. Communicating through a Somali language interpreter, Lieutenant Jace (Jace) Hutchison, officer in charge of Toowoomba's nine-member boarding party, asked just what they had in mind in approaching the Portuguese vessel. They... Daily Telegraph (Sydney) http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2375615/posts#comment Sun, 1 Nov 2009 01:03:08 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2374598/posts World’s largest cruise ship sets sail Oasis of the Seas features 2,700 cabins, can accommodate 6,300 passengers The Associated Press updated 11:06 a.m. ET Oct. 30, 2009 HELSINKI - The world's largest cruise liner on Friday began its maiden voyage to Florida, gliding out from a shipyard in Finland with an amphitheater, basketball courts and an ice rink on board. The 16-deck Oasis of the Seas spans 1,200 feet (360 meters) from bow to stern. Its 2,700 cabins can accommodate 6,300 passengers and 2,100 crew. Commissioned by Royal Caribbean International, the ship cost $1.5 billion and took two and a... MSNBC http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2374598/posts#comment Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:46:14 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2373089/posts MOGADISHU (Reuters) – Somali pirates holding two Britons captive aboard a yacht off the coast of the Horn of Africa nation warned Britain not to try to rescue the couple. The pirates seized the vessel on Friday morning hundreds of miles out to sea near the Seychelles archipelago. They have taken it to the Somali coast with a view to demanding a ransom for their captives. "If warships surround us, we shall point our guns at the British tourists. They are old and we will take care of them -- that is if we are not attacked," said a pirate... Reuters on Yahoo http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2373089/posts#comment Wed, 28 Oct 2009 19:32:36 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2367118/posts Container Trade in TEUs* 2009 Year-to-Date*TEUs: 20-foot equivalent units or 20-foot-long cargo container **Preliminary estimate   Loaded Inbound Loaded Outbound Empties Total Containers January 200,588 88,510 110,197 399,295 February 149,299 92,781 75,962 318,042 March 186,450 117,674 70,007 374,131 April 199,051 112,976 96,678 408,705 May 208,591 121,064 89,900 419,555 June 206,358 114,107 92,882 413,347 July 221,719 108,420 102,874 433,013 August 249,920 130,623 112,796 493,339 September 224,924 109,337 106,103 440,364 October November December Year-to-Date 1,846,900 995,492 857,399 3,699,791 YTD % Change -23.8% -26.3% -24.2% -24.6% Port of Long Beach http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2367118/posts#comment Wed, 21 Oct 2009 01:31:20 GMT