Maersk says re-routing some of fleet due to piracy

[Fred Vloo]

A.P. Moller-Maersk, one of the world's biggest shipping firms, said on Thursday it was re-routing some of its huge merchant fleet to avoid the Gulf of Aden because of piracy.
Vessels without adequate speed or freeboard will for the time being avoid the Gulf of Aden and seek alternative routing south of the Cape of Good Hope and east of Madagascar," it said in a statement.
The firm said the decision would mostly affect its oil tanker fleet.

[Brian Cawkwell]

http://media.maersk.com/en/PressReleases/2008/Pages/PR201108.aspx

This is the full press realease.

[Arnes]

Like Maersk, also the Norwegian Odfjell-company yesterday sent out a press-release that their chemical-tankers will avoid Gulf of Aden. Except when charterers demand it, Odfjell will let their vessels coming from Arabian Gulf take the voyage around South Africa when bound for Europe or US East Coast.

Rgds,
Arnes

[Morten]

Well, this won't affect most of the fleet as many of the ships is travelling very fast in this area and they are going well north of Socotra. There has been lots of rumors about this ever since Britta was attacked.

The head of the Danish Shipowners Association actually said that this could prove to be a blessing in disguise for the shipowners yesterday. He said that the longer journey around the cape (An additional 3000 nm from the mouth of the Malacca Strait to Gibraltar) would increase freight rates and transit times (approx. 7 additional sea days for a container ship).