Job Mail a / b of the album received December 31, 2009 - 19.43 h

This is a few days ago. The Dutch master is reported below

Yesterday (December 30) was a day that I will not soon forget: Somali
pirates attempted to hijack our ship,
but fortunately she did not succeed.
I had on December 29 the usual monthly security meeting with the entire
crew.
And one of the things I discussed was the fact that we were loading and
unloading in Yanbu in Singapore, and therefore we again two times through
the area of the Somali pirates to go.
Since we first ballast would continue, I saw not so heavily.
Finally, the ship ballast little quicker and not so cumbersome to maneuver
as if it is fully charged.
There is also added that the pirates have almost 13 meter climb as we were
in ballast, so I expectthey have a
would choose easier target.

It was on January 2 at 0900 hours GMT with a convoy accompanied by a
Chinese warship to the passage of the
pirates in the Gulf of Aden started,
but I had our charterer instructed to, by January 6 at 0001 hours in the
morning (one minutes after midnight) at loading port at Yanbu to come.
And that would not work if I could wait that Chinese convoy: I would be
around six hours until January 6 at night to come in Yanbu.

If I just would continue through at full sail, I was already on January 1
at 0100 hours GMT on the passage of the Gulf of Aden started: more than one
days earlier.
Although I would not warship as an escort, but I would be part of a group
of five tankers or in groups would make that trip.
According to the sailors of ships insuch a group, supporting each other in
case of attack by pirates.
What freighters and tankers, really in practice can do to each other mutual
support in such cases;
say that the sailors are not.

Anyway, I thought so that our ship in ballast would be an attractive target
and I had decided on January 1 along with four other tankers travel to the
car.
But on the trip, I probably loaded right on time for me or to join the East
on January 11 Ongoing convoy accompanied by a Chinese warship to leave.

I explained that to the crew, who knew then what I had decided and why.
And to be sure they have just told me that if the ship would be attacked by
pirates, an attack now almost one hours can be long. The pirates have become
more tenacious and do not fast anymore.
I told them that therea good chance that the pirates on the ship or shoot,
as the crew attempt to intimidate them and to bring the ship to stop.
Nobody would, therefore if a pirate attack in the outer cabins to stay, and
certainly not through the porthole to see what's happening outside.
Our galley by its central location would be the safest place on board, so
anyone who would not be needed on the bridge or engine room when an attack
should go to the galley. But I never thought that my advice would be really
useful;
I saw it more as a beautiful leaf-litter on the report that I should write
about the safety meeting.

That all changed when I saw the next day (December 30) at quarter past nine
in the morning a call from the mate on the bridge: there was a fishing boat
in our neighborhood. Well we were right there in the Arabian Sea; days
steaming from the coast. You see there is normally no fishing boats.But the
Somali pirates have used fishing boats as mother: that way they can more
than 600 miles from shore work. These boats are specially equipped with a
skiff called: a polyester speedboat from 5 to 6 feet long and a powerful
outboard motor with which they do 25 knots in calm seas can get.
I trust this is fishing for a penny and I went straight to the bridge.
Since it appeared that the fishing boat across from us was whether to float,
about 3 miles away. I was amazed: if a pirate mothership would be
that would surely have skiff to us while we have sent more or less to carry
him?
Now he was straight from us, and about fifteen minutes he was far behind
us.
That gave me a hope that I still had it wrong .... but not for long: yet
not ten minutes later we saw the skiff come to us.
The fishing boat (an old, woodenArab dhow) was already three or one miles
behind us and I kept hoping, by the waves lap on the skiff not very.
Perhaps we're lucky and he can not overtake us? To be sure, I changed it 90
degrees direction,
so I feed straight into the sea.
That would skiff that no one can find good leeward to come alongside: both
port and starboard of our ship he had to do with a wave height of about two
meters.

But the skiff slowly came closer, so I warned the crew that we were
attacked by pirates. Anyone who had no special mission, went to the galley.
The helmsman was at the wheel, and I put the handle of the telegraph machine
is a little higher: every extra RPM could help us. The drivers started now
an extra generator, so we had enough power to send two machines to use (the
wheel moves faster than many). br/ We also started two "water on deck"
pumps for our fire hoses, and the first mate was a good idea to open up the
ballast tanks, so then we could start the large ballast pump.
Within a few minutes walking from all the seawater ballast tanks on to our
deck.

All that water is intended as a repellent against the pirates: not because
they would hate to have wet,
but they are just open skiffs and boats that do not want them filled with
water.
Now I myself think that the pirates are not too difficult to maneuver
between the jet by yet to come alongside, but all we can do to make their
lives more difficult is yet taken along nicely.

There is a kind of containers you can in a hose clamp and then you can fire
with remote control that "send".
That is of course a thousand times better than if you like here on board,
only thehose in a fixed position can bind to the railing.
I do not have to ponder any of my crew on deck to assist with such fire in
his hand: the pirates would die so that man can shoot.

Meanwhile, the wireless operator was busy in all ways (through MF / HF
short wave radio and via two different satellite systems) to send a distress
signal.
What was I glad I was here in AMPTC a radioman on board have this man was
his money well spent.
I tried even go to the office to call them to tell but could not so well:
it was too early in the morning in Cairo.
And although there day and night someone sitting at the desk and the phone,
I got a figure that seemed to understand little English.
Then I go to my attention but the ship kept.

The skiff was now come really close and we could count five men. She
wavedwith their arms that we had to sail more slowly, and we could even them
"Stop, stop!" heard calling.
Probably they hoped that we would think they would need help and would
stop.
I did not, of course, came soon afterwards and their weapons for the day.
They first fired an RPG (rocket propelled grenade), as a kind of warning in
a wide arc high over our ship before it flew at about 80 meter height with a
black smoke cloud exploded.
When I was still not impressed and the ship was not stopped, the game began
in earnest.
The ship was bombarded with more RPG that's now focused on the
accommodation. It gave big thud as things got, the driver told me later that
they had heard the engine that blows and felt as if the whole ship was a
blow.
The pirates used their AK-47 to bombard the ship, and they were getting
closer to aattempt to board.

Now came a little further down on my husband's art steering, and an even
higher proportion of pure luck.
For example, if the pirates try to port to come on board, you can turn the
wheel hard starboard.
You then change course to starboard, and if you go to the surface of the
sea, you will see that the starboard roughly the entire length of the ship
the waves are eliminated, while the sea near the port hull is very much
rougher become.
And that I hoped to use against the pirates. But if you start spinning as
soon as the ship, you lose a lot of momentum.
And the lower your speed is, the easier it is for the pirates to climb on
board.

So it comes down to you so that the rudder only in extreme emergency, a
"hard on" position.
It is important to the speed as high as possible but if thepirates trying
to get their ladders on board,
it is a matter of "now or never". I have therefore no more than two times
the rudder "hard over" used both times when the pirate skiff and she was
almost alongside almost succeeded in placing their ladders.
And once I saw that the skiff back one meters or ten or twenty went away
from our hull, the rudder went back amidships to the momentum not to let
down.

We later the remnants of the RPG's picked up and viewed the damage to the
ship, and I feel that the pirates have just shot as an attempt to intimidate
us.
They had easily with their AK-47 the windows of the wheelhouse under fire
could take (I saw at one point that the wireless operator and the helmsman
of precaution under the radio table were all hiding away) but they did not.
So I have the impression that they were not looking for people to touch, and
even deliberately avoided that risk is to run.
Their being there on RPG's. These things are designed for the military to
be used against tanks, but these did not RPGs more than a good scratch in
the plates from our accommodation.
Apparently the pirates from the actual explosive missiles removed, so she
still with a stunning blow to the ship to come but could not explode.

All in all, the attack lasted about three minutes, then suddenly stopped
the skiff.
Moments later he turned around and he set course towards where his mother
had to be somewhere.
I hardly dared to believe that it now was: would they really not back to
try again?
It finally had its gescheeld or not they were brought on board. Are they
really so easy?

Well, I'm still waiting fifteen minutes before I finally dared to believe
they were indeed notback.
When I could finally own all calls are answered with the good news that the
attack was over.
All of the wireless distress signals were apparently a number of Maritime
Rescue Coordination Centers awakened: I got (satellite) phone calls from the
MRCC from England, Norway, from Australia, from India, from Dubai to the
Netherlands and even from what the situation were on board, whether we were
safe. Luckily I could reassure them now.

Then began the inevitable paperwork: it wanted a report, and as much
information as possible about the attack because she might be good advice
from other vessels could get.
It is in the rescue centers apparently not much coordinated, and more
extensively documented everything (the ISM rules which I had a few days ago
on ....) so I'm already a half days working on report writing and formsfill.

On the positive side immediately after the attack brought the chief
engineer and surprise me (and thank) a delicious plate of dates from Iraq,
in a peanut sauce. That sounds like a strange combination, but it's really
nice (although it will be quite nutritious, and just when I already one or
two pounds, three try to lose). And even if not to eat would have been had I
eaten it anyway, in appreciation for that gesture. Furthermore, the whole
crew to my cabin for me to thank me not for those pirates were stopped, some
were in tears, so emotional. But I can understand,
I own most of last night awake thinking about everything.

Continue with the way the pirates on board climb: since they use two types
of ladders.
First they have a real rope ladder, a light thing that is completely out
ropes.
At the top of the ladder is a kind of treble Ankertje, they throw up in the
hope that somewhere on deck hooked.
Then they have a bright aluminum ladder (four or five meters long) also has
two hooks on one side: if the ladder is in place, then hook them under the
aluminum ladder to the rope ladder. And as far as they are, then the ship
was lost.

We had been lucky, but once the pirates have to keep our bodies is enough
for me.
So when I got on the phone our office, I told them I felt changed as
navigation through the Gulf of Aden.
I've decided to that group of five tankers on January 1 by which we the
Gulf of Aden were going, but dropping.
Instead I choose the greater security of the convoy with the Chinese war
ship on January 2 at the passage begins.
And if we so about 18 hours toleave to come in Yanbu, so be it.
Better a few hours late to arrive a few months late (after a few months
hostage in Somalia).
Fortunately, the office could not agree, and I even got one hours later a
call from the General Manager itself (the big boss of AMPTC) which gave me a
nice pat on the shoulder.
He took the time to listen to my whole story and asked how the crew.
Unfortunately I know him personally, otherwise I have to ask is whether
there was anything he could do it for me "loons increase!" Said.
But perhaps he has no such sense of humor, so I have not tried out.

That was not necessary .... I had asked him to ship an email to send out
his call expressions of appreciation for our success is ens could confirm,
that I could mail in the crew mess hang.
And then that mailcame, was there (except once a pat on the master and the
whole crew)
that as a token of appreciation,
all aboard get an extra month's pay. I have that right now cash is paid out
to the Pakistanis smiling faces everywhere.

As the damage to a ship: a 6.9 mm bullet from an AK-47 went through the
hand railing on the C-deck,
and two bullets went through the port lifeboat. Fortunately, the really
small holes, and the boat is polyester so that we can easily repair
yourself.
These bullets also went by the oars that you still need a lifeboat, and one
of these belts has been completely shattered.

We also have quite a few (mostly shallow) wells in the steel sides of the
accommodation, but not a single bullet went through one shot back.
One of the AK-47 bullets must have come close but the the bullet is
still stuck in the steelshot and it sticks out even in part on the outside.
When he shot it would have been, the chief engineer had a nice soeveniertje
can find out the engine when he came back into his cabin.

The RPG's caused just for big scratches in the steel of the bulkhead. I
have a few pictures of this,
and the MRCC in Dubai has asked me to send them pictures. I will email that
to Dubai to also send William,
then he can do with this story in the forum.

About two hours is now on board midnight December 31 ....
We hope the New Year with as much luck goes.

Best wishes from Job