April 1, 2011 In the early morning of Thursday, March 31, a ship found itself stuck in the St. Lawrence Seaway in Montreal for several hours. The BBC Steinhoft got wedged in the canal perpendicular to the shore, between the Jacques Cartier and Victoria bridges. Tugboats were able to dislodge the ship around 2 p.m. ET but not before at least eight other vessels were significantly delayed due to the blockage. The cause of this incident is yet to be determined but early speculation points to human error. There have been no reports of any environmental damage and none of the crew on board were injured.
exactAIS® track of the BBC Steinhoft as other vessels behind are blocked from passing
Two Ships Collide in Cebu, Philippines
March 31, 2011 In the early morning of Thursday, March 31, a passenger vessel, MV Superferry 2 and a cargo ship, MV General Romulo collided in the waters off Lawis Ledge in Talisay City, Southern Cebu. Both vessels were reportedly heading for Cebu City port when the Superferry struck the starboard quarter of the General Romulo. No injuries have been reported but the damage to the hull and cargo area of the General Romulo forced the vessel to dropped anchor in the area due to the damage while the SuperFerry was able to dock at Pier 5 in Cebu City.
exactAIS® image of the MV Superferry 2 as it tried to navigate into Cebu City port before striking the General Romulo
MV Zirku Hijacked by Somali pirates
March 30, 2011 On March 28, the tanker Zirku was hijacked approximately 250 nautical miles southeast of Salalah in the eastern part of the Gulf of Aden. The UAE flagged vessel was attacked by twp pirate skiffs firing RPGs and small arms. The crew of 29 had been en route from Sudan to Singapore when it was attacked.
UPDATE: After 73 days in captivity, pirates release the MV Zirku on June 10, 2011. The MV ZIRKU had a crew of 29 (1 Croatian, 1 Iraqi, 1 Filipino, 1 Indian, 3 Jordanians, 3 Eqyptians, 2 Ukrainians and 17 Pakistanis).
exactAIS® track of the Zirku hijacking and the vessel then being brought to the coast of Somalia
MV Oliva runs aground on Nightingale Island
UPDATE: Latest reports now confirm the Oliva has broken apart into two halves and the spilling oil is threatening local penguin species.
March 18, 2011 The tanker Oliva ran aground in the early hours of March 16 at Spinner's Point off Nightingale Island and is now threatening the fragile ecosystem around the area as the oil slick coming from the vessel is running to the South of the island. The F/V Edinburgh arrived first on scene to offer assistance as it was fishing nearby at Inaccessible Island when the radio call was received. Observers on the Edinburgh have already reported seeing two dead birds. The Oliva also lost her lifeboat on Thursday morning and the crew are waiting for the weather to subside before attempting a rescue by the Edinburgh.
exactAIS® track of the Oliva arriving to Nightingale Island.
exactAIS® capture of the Oliva running aground.
MV Sinar Kudus pirated in the North Arabian to be used hours later as a mothership
March 17, 2011 On March 16, the bulk cargo carrier MV Sinar Kudus was pirated North East of the island of Socotra in the Somali Basin. Within 24 hours of being taken, the ship was used to launch an unsuccessful attack on the MV Emperor. The Sinar Kudus had been en route to Suez from Singapore when the attack occurred with a crew of 20 on board. Initial reports from the crew stated that between 30 and 50 pirates had boarded and taken control of the vessel. A skiff with five pirates on board was then launched from Sinar Kudus and attacked the Emperor but was repelled by the armed force from the merchant vessel and theEmperor remains safe.
exactAIS® track of the Sinar Kudus as it made its way to the Suez before pirates attacked on March 16.
exactAIS® track of the Emperor as it entered into the same waters as the Sinar Kudus in the Somali Basin.
Pirate attack attempted on the Maersk Alabama-again
March 10, 2011 The Maersk Alabama narrowly escaped a piracy attack on the morning of March 10. Four suspected pirates approached the vessel in a skiff and hook ladder. The crew took notice of the skiff when it got within half of a nautical mile of their vessel and quickly responded by firing warning shots to deter them from getting closer. The Maersk has seen its share of pirate activity as it was the vessel seized in a dramatic operation in the Indian Ocean two years ago with pirates taking their Captain hostage. After it became the first U.S. flagged ship seized by pirates in nearly 200 years, Navy sharpshooters aboard the U.S.S.Bainbridge liberated Captain Richard Phillips with only three shots to end a five-day standoff back in 2009.
exactAIS® track of the Maersk Alabama as it makes its way to Mombasa trying to steer clear of pirate infested waters off the coast of Somalia.
Packed Ice Problems in Gulf of Finland Finally Start to Alleviate
March 9, 2011 The ice situation in the Gulf of Finland has been severe from the beginning of February with packed ice reaching levels of a metre thick. More than 60 vessels have found themselves stuck in the ice as icebreakers from Finland, Sweden and Russia have worked round the clock in attempts to free them. More than 15 icebreakers have been brought in to assist as strong winds have forced the ice to pile tightly against the shores in the Gulf of Bothnia. Mix in the severe frosts in the area and the entire Gulf of Finland has been covered by soild ice. Many vessels in the area who were equipped with ice reinforcement and a powerful enough engine to possibly break through the ice have been warned by icebreakers not to proceed. Policy states that if a vessel attempts to break though on its own and consequently becomes stuck, they are not entitled to ice breaker assistance. This week sufficient progress has been made as a cargo ship Laura and the M/S Transpaper were able to cut through and clear a path for other vessels.
exactAIS® track of the Finnish icebreaker Sisu and the Swedish icebreaker Atle trying to cut through the packed ice in the Gulf of Bothnia.
Pirates Release EMS River Two Months After Capture
March 1, 2011 The MV EMS River had been held by Somali pirates since December 27, 2010 before its release March 1, 2011. The German-owned vessel had been travelling from the United Arab Emirates to Greece when it was attacked over two months ago. According to the owner of the vessel, all crew members are doing well and were unharmed during their capture. There have been unconfirmed reports stating the release came at a $3 million ransom.
exactAIS® track of the EMS River after release heading away from Somalia.
Greenpeace Vessel Taken to Safety in St. John's
March 1, 2011 The Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise ran into a powerful storm out at sea and has been brought safely to St. John's by the Canadian Coast Guard after being significantly damaged. The research vessel had been travelling from Boston to Amsterdam when it encountered hurricane force winds and severe waves. The vessel sent an emergency broadcast and the Coast Guard quickly set out to escort the vessel to port after a container broke loose, causing damage in the hold. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured but the vessel requires repairs before it can continue.
Piracy Incident Update- One Vessel Released After Another Vessel Hijacked
February 28, 2011 On the heels of another Somali pirate attack, the MV Izumi was released the morning of February 28 after being held since October 10, 2010. The vessel had been en route to Mombasa, Kenya from Japan when it was attacked. There has yet to be any information released as to the status of the 20 crew on board but they are believed to be heading to a safe port. Currently, two EU warships are on its way to the Izumi to administer first aid and to escort it to its safe destination.
exactAIS® track of the MV Izumi now en route to a safe port after being released from its Somali captors on the morning of February 28th.
On February 28, the Greek-owned MV Dover was attacked approximately 260 nautical miles North East of Salalah in the North Arabian Sea. The Dover had 23 crew on board and details of the attack have yet to be released as all communication with the vessel has been cut off.
The MV Dover was on its way to Yemen from Pakistan when the hijacking occurred.
United States Coast Guard Assists Disabled Ocean Freighter
February 26, 2011 On the 26th of February, the United States Coast Guard assisted a disabled 432-foot ocean freighter with 9 crew on board just outside of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The MV Dintelborg lost propulsion when a small fire broke out on the bridge, luckily there were no injuries reported and the fire was extinguished quickly. The ship went adrift however without power in 16-foot seas and has no ship to shore communciations. An MH-60 helicopter arrived on scene to establish contact with the crew of the freighter and to relay messages from the disabled ship to the rescue operations on shore. The Tug Mcallisterfrom New Bedford, Mass. is enroute to the ship and plans to tow it to Providence, Rhode Island. The cause of the fire is still unknown and the investigation is ongoing.
exactAIS® track of the Mcallister coming in to Massachusetts.
Bulker Avoids Running Aground in the Gulf of Mexico
February 25, 2011 The Ainu Princess, a 477-foot bulk cargo ship lost propulsion on February 24 around 42 miles southwest of the Dry Tortugas, Florida. The vessel began drifting after experiencing engine failure leading to the possibility of running aground. If left unchecked, the vessel ran the risk of going aground with more than 240,000 gallons of fuel onboard. The Resolve Pioneer arrived on scene the next morning to tow the vessel away from the Florida Keys and is now en route to Mariel, Cuba with the Ainu Princess safely in tow.
February 13, 2011 The Yemeni fishing vessel Alfardous was pirated in the Gulf of Aden on February 13. The vessel was reported to be carrying a crew of eight when it was hijacked close to Socotra Island. This marks the fourth pirate attack of February as numbers continue to steadily increase.
exactAIS® track of the FV Alfardous being brought back to Somalia by its captors
MV Yong Jin Released from Pirate Control
February 10, 2011 The Combined Maritime Forces warship HMS Cornwall secures release of the hijacked MV Yong Jin on February 10, 2011. The Yong Jin had been held captive by pirates since November 11, 2010 and had recently been acting as a 'mother ship for Somali Pirates. After receiving a suspicious distress call from the South Korean vessel, the Royal Navy's HMS Cornwall steppind in to launch rescue efforts.
Read the full story here and follow to end of story for Royal Navy's video footage of the release.
exactAIS® track of the Yong Jin heading back home to South Korea after release.
Oil Tankers Hijacked with over $260M USD Worth of Crude Oil
February 8, 2011 Piracy continues to spread throughout the Gulf of Aden as two oil tankers were hijacked this week. Early on February 8, the MV Savina Caylyn was pirated close to 700 nautical miles East of Socotra Island in the Indian Ocean. The vessel underwent a sustained attack by a skiff firing small arms and 4 rocket propelled grenades. The Italian flagged vessel had 22 crew on board and was headed to Pasir Gudang in Malaysia after leaving Sudan with over $60 million worth of crude oil.
Click here for YouTube footage covering the hijacking of the Savina Caylyn.
exactAIS® track of the Savina Caylyn now on its way to Somalia to join the more than 30 other pirated vessels being held along its coast.
Just 24 hours later, the product tanker MV Irene SL was pirated approximately 350 nautical miles South East of Muscat in the North Arabian Sea. The Greek owned ship was on its way to the Suez from Fujairah with 25 crew on board. The tanker was carrying close to $200 million worth of oil and represents the biggest oil hijacking to date.
Follow this link for the complete story of the Irene SL.
exactAIS® track of the Irene SL which had been en route to the Suez before being attacked on February 9.
Digital Globe provided an aerial shot of the Irene SL.
MV Beluga Nomination Pirated
January 27, 2011 After four days of uncertainty as to the status of the crew, it was confimed that the MV Beluga Nomination was attacked by a skiff. The piracy occurred in the Indian Ocean, North of Seychelles, enroute to Port Victoria. EUNAVFOR is monitoring the status of the ship.
exactAIS® track of the MV Beluga Nomination being hijacked to the Somali coast.
Signe Bulker takes costly shortcut into Great Barrier Reef
January 25, 2011 Two crew from a Hong Kong-based bulk carrier pleaded guilty and were fined a total of $53,000 in the Gladstone Magistrates Court today for entering a restricted area in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. The 180 metre-long Signe Bulker illegally entered an area in the Capricorn-Bunker Group of Islands on January 18, 2011.
The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act 1975 prohibits ships from entering some areas in the Marine Park. This includes the cluster of islands that make up the Capricorn-Bunker Group. Environmental and industrial protection requires consistent adherence to the established regulations.
exactAIS® track of the Signe Bulker entering Great Barrier Reef protected zone on January 18, 2011.
Piracy Incident Update- MV Eagle Hijacked
UPDATE: September 28, 2011 after 254 days in capture, the MV Eagle was released and made its way to a safe port. All 24 crew members were reported as being safe and in good condition.
MV Eagle
The MV Eagle was pirated almost 500 nautical miles off the coast of Oman. The exactAIS® track shows the lengths pirates will take to hijack vessels
January 17, 2011 MV Eagle was captured 490 nautical miles southwest of Salaam, Oman. This attack happened hours after pirates released the hijacked MV Motivator.
Piracy Incident Update-MV Motivator released
January 16, 2011 The MV Motivator product tanker, held since July 4, 2010 was released from pirate control. Details can be found here.
exactAIS® track of the MV Motivator after release back on its way to Oman
Rare raid on Somali pirates results in release of MV Samho Jewelry
January 15, 2011
The MV Samho Jewelry taken hostage 350 nautical miles South East of the port of Muscat, Oman. Product tanker with 21 crew aboard carrying chemicals. Samho shipping was involved in the largest ransom payment of 2010 when the Samho Dream was released back in Nov 2010 for a reported US $9.5 million. Speculation grows that South Korean vessels are being intentionally attacked in hopes of receiving similar payments.
January 21, 2011 UPDATE- in a very risky move, the South Korean government staged a dramatic raid by commandos on the Samho Jewelry, rescuing all 21 crew members and killing eight Somali pirates. Footage of the raid:
