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Captain I understand you’ve had some experience with piracy, could you tell me what that experience was?
That is true, that happened in 2005 and June,
I remember the date is the 26th, June 26th. We left from Mombasa loaded with cargo for Bossaso
on Somalian Coast, so they were captured about 48 miles from Itala.
How were you captured? Captured in the sense, at that time we were
doing about 12 knots, the pirates in the radar and all these things were on but you know
the pirates’ boats are very small so they came on the port side, they fired on the back
but no-one noticed, one fellow noticed but he kept quiet. But they came on the port side
and they have some ladders, you know, because our boat is very a small ship.
They had ladders. Yes, very easy to climb the ship so within 2 or 3 seconds about
12 people came on board and they fired and they came on the bridge.
They took me to the cabin and they opened the safe so at that time the company gave
me about $8,900 for the expenses. So they removed all the money. And after that they
pointed to the chart, the navigation, they pointed to chart, that is Aldara and from that
point is about 150 miles. They asked us to navigate there. So that maybe 3 or 4 days
they must be at sea, all the fellows very hungry. This happened about 7.45 so they ravished
all the food. Then you see every day, then after 2 days
they didn’t allow me come to the bridge, I had to communicate with the office. On the
third day only okay they call me and talk to office. Then I told the office what happened
and they demand the money … so they demand something very high, might be $5 million or
something so now the negotiation is going on. So this is going on going on going on,
after one month suddenly they said okay we are releasing all the Kenyans, so myself and
the chief engineers, no two people should remain because your embassies are not taking any actions.
So they said next day morning you leave but the next day morning they didn’t take.
After about one month, one or two weeks, they are not vigorous but beginning very vigorous,
after that these people also Muslim they talk general topics but they won’t release anyone.
So didn’t release the Kenyans in Tanzania? No, no, just fooling them.
So this still going about two months’ time, one day they saw one ship. They told us to give up the anchor,
Captain, we are going to capture that resource. It goes about 6 miles from the anchor position.
So what to do, we remove the anchor and gave chase but the ship got away. These people
had the small boats, they chased that ship and came back and dropped anchor.
We went and dropped near Mogadishu, and we said Mogadishu is very close to the ship,
so they very much free. So … fighting, always, always.
So then they said okay we go in deeper position so we went there and dropped anchor, and the
current is very strong so the anchor started to drag so I told him we can’t drop the
anchor here, we have to go to mid-sea and we will drift, and so they agreed.
So we went to sea about 6 or 7 miles and started to drift. Now we are drifting towards Helmand, so this
fellow got afraid, so they said okay go to Aldara and drop the anchor there. I divert
the ship, then the bridge was about ten o’clock. And suddenly all these people very much shouting,
Captain you see there’s a ship. Yes, I saw the ship on the radar, I thought these people
thought we were going to collide and I told him the ship is very far away, six or seven
miles, nothing to worry, and they say Captain stop the ship, you are going to hijack that one.
So they were turning you into a pirate?
Yeah, yeah so what to do, we stopped, the anchor, small boats always, told them, three
boats, always. So they went into the boat and ten minutes, yes I am watching,
black out, then firing, and after about 5 minutes the lights came, they captured the vessel.
Then the pirate talks English, he told me you better call that Captain obviously. [laughs]
So I called the Captain, how are you, and he was a Sicilian Captain, and he said okay
I am fine and these fellow told me to tell the Captain to pull over ship.
So my ship went first then they came … so came and dropped the anchor.
How were you treated by the pirates? We were treated, initially you know for 2
weeks they would allow me to sleep in my cabin, and they come and open the cabin and see me
whether I am communicating or something, even I can’t look through my windows, they will
take the gun. So about 2 weeks very much, they torture me, after that they are a little
bit okay, but hijackers are hijackers, you can’t rely on their kindness, any time their
mood is upset, because they will kill you. So what do you do now when you go to Somalia,
how do you, aren’t you worried? Yes, because we go about 50 miles from Somali
coast, so less than 50 miles and below 50 miles is very dangerous, because the Somali
pirates are renowned, they won’t catch small ships nowadays, they want big ships.
So they can get a good amount of money. But I think, I don’t know ordinary Somalis they can’t
do this, they have big hand behind it.