Le Ponant

East Africa - Strange happenings in both Somalia and Kenya this past week, and while they don't all have something directly to do with yachts, they do affect all vessels near the horn of Africa.  The battle for safe transit of the Gulf of Aden and the Somali coast has gotten a lot hotter, and many speculate this will not end quickly or well.  However, with the recent arrest of a prominent African maritime official, there are fewer left to say anything at all.

Somalia - YachtPals just received a warning from Andrew Mwangura of the Seafarers Assistance Programme (SAP) in Kenya to ALL VESSELS NEAR THE HORN OF AFRICA.  The Amel Super Maramu Carre D'as IV, captured by Somalian Pirates a week ago, may be under use as a decoy vessel attacking other ships.  The SAP warns that the vessel likely is or will be used to signal ships at sea as being under distress, while hiding a speedboat from view of any ships responding to the rescue.  Mwangura says that a small attack vessel of the type that can hide behind the Carre D'as IV "usually carries

Pirates have kidnapped four yachties, including a woman and a child, while they were in a small boat off the coast of Somalia's northern Puntland region on Monday. The four crew were seized near the coastal town of Lasqorey yesterday while they were reportedly taking photos from their small yacht (though other sources claim the yacht ran out of fuel). Pirates abducted the four, abandoned the boat on the shore, and are said to have taken the captives into the neighboring mountains.

Six of the Somali pirates, who captured the French yacht Le Ponant and held its 30 crew hostage last week, have told a French judicial source that they were part of a maritime militia group with a written code of conduct. Said the source to AFP: "We are in the presence of a sea militia, a gang which has a leader, is given shelter by villagers who feed them and supply them with khat" (a stimulant).

See Updates at the bottom of this page about the Le Ponant hostages release, and news about the Le Ponant crew and the Somalian pirates from April 14 to April 16 2008.

Click here to read all news articles about the Le Ponant pirate attack.

April 14 2008

HOSTAGES RELEASED from Luxury Yacht Le Ponant - Pirates Detained

UPDATED April 13, 2008 on page: http://yachtpals.com/boating/le-ponant

THE HOSTAGES OF THE LE PONANT HAVE BEEN RELEASED! Pirates Detained

Six pirates have been detained after they freed the 30 crew members held hostage on the French luxury yacht Le Ponant that had been seized a week ago off the coast of Somalia.