Author Topic: Somali pirates seize gas tanker Mv. Longchamp  (Read 10765 times)

Offline Fred Vloo

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Somali pirates seize gas tanker Mv. Longchamp
« on: January 29, 2009, 01:32:11 PM »
Somali pirates on Thursday hijacked the German  gas tanker Mv. Longchamp http://www.shipspotting.com/modules/myalbum/photo.php?lid=409468  with 13 Filipino and Indonesian crew in the Gulf of Aden,
There was a heavy exchange of gunfire but the crew is believed to be  safe, said Andrew Mwangura who runs the Kenya chapter of the Seafarers  Assistance Programme.
He added that it was still unclear whether the exchange was between  different groups of hijackers or with foreign navies patrolling the  pirate-infested waters.
The MV Longchamp, with a crew of 12 Filipinos and one Indonesian, was  transporting liquefied petroleum gas "from Europe to the Far East," Mwangura  said, without giving exact locations.
The pirates took control of the Bahamas-flagged vessel and headed for the  Somali coast, he added.
The seizure brings to 16 the number of ships currently in the hands of  pirates.
Pirate attacks in waters east of Somalia -- the Gulf of Aden and the Indian  Ocean -- increased by nearly 200 percent last year, according to the  International Maritime Bureau.
It also saw the biggest seizure ever by pirates when they captured a  330-metre long Saudi-owned super tanker with two million barrels of crude oil,  which was later released.

Offline Andrew McAlpine

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Re: Somali pirates seize gas tanker Mv. Longchamp
« Reply #1 on: January 29, 2009, 08:49:05 PM »
The vessel was apparently seized off the southern coast of Yemen, about 60 miles (95 kilometers) from the town of al-Mukalla, the capital of the Hadramaut region.

The Longchamp had been traveling in a corridor secured by EU military forces when it sent a distress signal before dawn.

Somali waters are now patrolled by more than a dozen warships from countries including Britain, France, Germany, Iran and the United States. China and South Korea have both ordered warships to be sent to the region to protect their vessels and crews from pirate attacks.

This just shows that even with a naval presence in the area vessels are still not safe.

Offline brimar

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Re: Somali pirates seize gas tanker Mv. Longchamp
« Reply #2 on: January 29, 2009, 09:04:13 PM »
Re;- ''LONGCHAMP''

Really sorry to hear about the ''Longchamp'' ...She arrived here in Lyme Bay Bay on 26th Dec 08 and anchored about 5 miles off Exmouth to await orders. She stayed for 4 days and sailed on 29th Dec 08 at1630 for Zeebrugge. Hope they soon get released.
                                     Brian.

Offline Kelvin Davies

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Re: Somali pirates seize gas tanker Mv. Longchamp
« Reply #3 on: January 29, 2009, 09:28:19 PM »
Having seen this ship come in and out of Fawley so often, always servicing short range European ports, I was surprised to see her featuring so far East.
As for Al Mukalla; in 1966, while providing communications for the British Army and the resident political staff there; my pals and I made ourselves rather unpopular with the locals.
We had a record player and 1 record; Purple Haze by Jimmy Hendrix with (I think) Hey Joe on the other side. We played it over and over and over.
There was no air conditioning there so the windows were always open.
No wonder the local tribesmen used to shoot us up from time to time!

Offline Fred Vloo

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Re: Somali pirates seize gas tanker Mv. Longchamp
« Reply #4 on: January 29, 2009, 10:56:10 PM »
And with so many army ships around I still don't understand why it is so difficult to set up a regular convoy schedule.
Cheers
Fred

Offline Andrew McAlpine

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Re: Somali pirates seize gas tanker Mv. Longchamp
« Reply #5 on: January 30, 2009, 12:24:50 AM »
Kelvin,

I was also surprised to see that she had been to the Far East, but i guess in these times operators will take any work however in this case it might have been better to leave her laid up in Tor Bay as no doubt the ransome will be high  

I too hope the crew are safe and get released soon.

Andrew
 :-(

Offline Phil English

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Re: Somali pirates seize gas tanker Mv. Longchamp
« Reply #6 on: January 30, 2009, 09:23:48 AM »
It's not unusual for Western owners to position LPG carriers like the Longchamp to work out east. She's probably been fixed on a new TC and will be doing short haul voyages out there for a while.

Phil

 

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