Gulf Of Aden

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Yacht Goes Missing in the Red Sea with Five Aboard

A private yacht with three Russians and two Egyptians on board has been reported missing in the Red Sea near the coast of Yemen for several days by its owner and the Russian embassy in Saudi Arabia.It was not immediately clear what had happened to the pleasure yacht named 30 Minutes which its owner said was heading to Djibouti to be sent onwards by ship to Dubai.The ship, which its owner said was registered in Panama, was not fitted with the standard AIS ship tracking system which…

Global Piracy Up in 2018, Gulf of Guinea Leads

Piracy increased on the world’s seas in 2018, with a marked rise in attacks against ships and crews around West Africa, the International Chamber of Commerce’s International Maritime Bureau’s (IMB) latest annual piracy report reveals.Worldwide, the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre (PRC) recorded 201 incidents of maritime piracy and armed robbery in 2018, up from 180 in 2017.The Gulf of Guinea remains increasingly dangerous for seafarers. Reports of attacks in waters between the Ivory Coast and the Democratic Republic of Congo more than doubled in 2018…

Piracy Offshore Africa: Securing a Continent

The late Nelson Mandela once said: “I dream of an Africa which is in peace with itself.” At the EU-Africa summit in Brussels last month, European leaders urged their African counterparts to facilitate that dream by shouldering more of the security burden in their countries, both onshore and offshore. The summit coincided with reports of renewed piracy activity in the Gulf of Aden; ongoing attacks on shipping in the Gulf of Guinea, and explosions and mass arrests in Kenya, all serving to underline the scale of that challenge.

ISAF members visit: Photo courtesy of EUNAVFOR

Yachties Keep Out of Pirate Hi-Risk Area Warns EUNAVFOR

If there was ever a good reason to heed naval forces’ warnings about the continuing threat from Somali piracy, then an attack on a super tanker is surely one of them. A fully laden super tanker was attacked by eight armed pirates recently, 230 miles off the Somali coast, with the attack only being thwarted by the armed security team on board. Because of their vulnerability, it is highly recommended that all sailing yachts, under their own passage, should remain out of the High Risk Area (Southern Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and Western Indian Ocean).

Astrium and SES Extend Global Service

SES and Astrium Services signed capacity deals to deliver connectivity to vessels around Latin America as well as in the North Sea, Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. Astrium Services will renew capacity on the SES-4 satellite to provide its customers with managed services for maritime business communications, tracking equipment and engine performance as well as ensuring crew at sea to stay connected. Located at 338 degrees East, SES-4 is among several SES satellites providing capacity to Astrium Services enabling the company to customize services to satisfy specific needs of the maritime industry.

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Leisure Craft Warned to Keep Clear of Piracy Hotspots

European Union Naval Force Commander reminds yacht & leisure craft owners piracy still a danger in Gulf of Aden & Indian Ocean. Rear Admiral Potts who is the operation commander of the European Union’s counter piracy mission (EU NAVFOR) off the coast of Somalia reminds the yachting and leisure craft community that whilst pirate attacks have reduced off the Horn of Africa over the past year, the threat of piracy remains and owners should continue to avoid transiting the High Risk Area – the southern Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and the Western part of the Indian Ocean.

Dryad Maritime Cautions Against Pirate Attack

Leading Maritime Intelligence Agency Cautions Against Complacency Following First Attack of the Piracy Season. Pirate operatives have awoken from their hibernation to venture forth from safe havens and launch long-range mothership-enabled pirate operations with the first confirmed attack in the Arabian Sea on Monday this week. Following three months of very limited deployments constrained to the Southern Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and sheltered areas along the Omani coast, Dryad Maritime predicted that…