Imb Piracy Reporting Centre - Annual Report

[MMNETSEA]

The 2006 Annual Report prepared by the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre of the ICC Commercial Crime Services is available on request in PDF format on-line from their Website :-

http://www.icc-ccs.org

This document covers Piracy in all the world's oceans and all forms of shipping - and because it is a very long report , 99% of which is not relevant to yachts, I prepared an extract analysis pertaining only to yachts :-

Altogether there were a total of 10 reports made to the Piracy Reporting Centre regarding attacks on yachts or robberies from yachts. This total is the the sum of all such events on this planet during 2006. It does not include many other unreported (and a few reported ) events involving robberies - often the theft of outboard motors or where the would-be outboard motor thief is unsuccessful.

I personally took the first reports from 4 of these yachts - my recollection differs slightly :-

The 3 yachts were anchored off the beach on Tioman Island - Malaysia, were unattended at the time of the robbery (crews were on shore having dinner) all 3 robberies took place on the same evening. The police were not helpful - it took a lot of pressure to get the robberies investigated. The Piracy Reporting Centre would not accept the initial reports of the robberies.

Following the Pirate attack on the yacht off the southern Cape of India - The yacht's crew had great difficulty in getting assistance from the local police.

The report of the yacht being hijacked from Ko Racha Yai Island - Phuket, is said to have dragged its anchor and drifted off on its own little journey.

To sum up , 2006 significant reports totaled :-

South East Asia - 3 unattended yachts robbed on Tioman Island - Malasia.

1 Attempted boarding of a yacht on route between Singapore and Borneo was unsuccessful.

Indian Ocean - 1 Piracy on the High Seas off Southern Cape off India - Pirates took personal property and life-raft, Police recovered raft (less flares and survival pack)

Northern Red Sea - Yacht boarded in Endeavour Harbour - outboard motor taken by force from skipper.

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Venezuela - 3 pirate attacks (2 involving use of guns by pirates)

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NO Reports of Pirates or Baddies having a go at yachts in the Gulf of Aden during 2006

( not included, the harassment of the French boat early in 2006 off Sri Lanka by fishermen )

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The Web site of the IMB.

http://www.icc-ccs.org/

Thanks for posting the info Richard!

[JeanneP]

Originally Posted by MMNETSEA

The 3 yachts were anchored off the beach on Tioman Island - Malaysia, were unattended at the time of the robbery (crews were on shore having dinner) all 3 robberies took place on the same evening. The police were not helpful - it took a lot of pressure to get the robberies investigated. The Piracy Reporting Centre would not accept the initial reports of the robberies.

When we were last on Tioman Island, about 6 years ago, about five or more outboards were stolen from the dive operations on the island. Thieves came in the night and were gone before anyone realized what had happened. We figured that local fishermen on the mainland were the beneficiaries of this piracy. It's the same problem yachties encounter in Venezuela.

One of the reasons that I wave off questions about "pirates" is that any theft from a boat on the water is considered an act of piracy. We've all grown up with tales and movies of pirates, so the term evokes images of swords and mayhem rather than the petty thievery that so much of it is, at least towards yachts.

that's not to minimize the annoyance of having expensive gear stolen, but it helps to keep everything in perspective.

Thanks for the link to the report.

[Nausikaa]

Here's an interesting thing.

I have just read on the IMB site ( http://www.icc-ccs.org/main/all_piracy_al.php ) of an incident which is claimed to have happened in the southern Red Sea on 15th February.

" A 40 metre sailing yacht was approached by 2 fishing boats with 5 men in each boat 15 miles NW of Al Mukha, Southern Red Sea. On seeing the yacht taking anti piracy measures the fishing boats departed and sailed towards a bigger vessel, believed to be a mother ship, in the distance."

What I find strange about this is that on just this day I was flying in the area. On the aircraft we have marine VHF as well as HF. The VHF was on channel 16 all the time and no distress message was heard. Nor did we see a 40 metre sailing vessel. We did see a large ketch (looked to be Turkish) but she was certainly not as big as 40 metres.

There have been, according to the Yemen Coast Guard, no reported incidents of piracy in their waters during my period here (which started in April of last year).

I can immagine Yemeni fishermen being very curious and approaching yachts but I doubt if many would resort to piracy. The fact that fishermen fish from a mother ship is not att all an uncommon practise.

So what do we believe? I am sure if a distress call had been made that we would have heard it or at least heard another vessel relaying that call. After all, the southern Red Sea does have a lot of commercial traffic. My records also show that a Yemeni navy patrol boat was in the area that day too.

And to another incident of claimed piracy......

As it happens, a lady from Greenpeace is staying in the same hotel in Aden as me. In talking to her yesterday, she claimed that a Greenpeace vessel was attacked by pirates a few days ago in the Arabian Gulf. Now that is poetic justice. When Greenpeace board other vessels it is a demonstration, when their vessels are targeted for boarding it is piracy. Work that one out if you can.

Aye

Stephen

Yacht NAUSIKAA

@Nausikaa

It is so good to get a first-hand report from someone like you, doing what you're doing in the area.

[Nausikaa]

Originally Posted by admin

@Nausikaa

It is so good to get a first-hand report from someone like you, doing what you're doing in the area.

Thanks for the vote of confidence.

As a matter of interest, in almost 100 hours of flying we have spotted 6 yachts, 4 French warships and 1 Yemeni, 10 larger, commercial fishing vessels and numerous merchant ships as well as an almost infinite number of artisanal fishing vessels.

We have been active in an area stretching from just south of Socottra island to the Oman border, the entire Yemeni part of the Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea and the southern Red Sea. Normally, a flight is of about 5 - 7 hours duration and we are in constant contact with the coast guard, navy and air force as well civil aviation for air trafic control purposes.

I believe we are a good deterrant but we will be going home soon. What happens then is anybody's guess.

Aye

Stephen

Yacht NAUSIKAA