Isle of Wight Tanker "Hijacked" 25/10/20

[bigeye]

I followed one of th "flightradar" links on here, told Zero Alpha it was going down and went next door to listen to 70s music and destroy Montezuma's empire. Came back two hours later and found it had been over two hours.

I have to ask, if an armchair warrior can call it, was Them's security lacking?

It's an interesting point. If I wanted to carry out some terror related beastliness in the UK I would be sure to join ARRSE and look at 'Flightradar' so I'd know exactly when to expect the door to be kicked in.

 

[bigeye]

That type of cross-loading tends to be more with fuel-oil rather than crude.

For crude the illegal trade is more from smaller vessels to larger ones - e.g. barges to coastal tankers, coastal tankers to larger tankers which then travel to refineries that do not ask too many questions in other countries (or are partially owned by Nigerian politicians or "controversial businessmen"). The refined product (usually sh*t quality) is then shipped back to Nigeria and sold by the same people.

There's an excellent paper which describes in detail how it is done, even to the amount of bribes required at each level for police, customs, etc. I'll try and find it. In the meantime, the doc below gives a very good idea of how it works:

https://www.chathamhouse.org/sites/default/files/public/Research/Africa/0913pr_nigeriaoil.pdf

I must admit, I'm a bit baffled as to why the vessel was at Lagos anchorage (no oil terminals there).

The 'pirates' must have taken a boat and climbed up the side - no easy feat with the water line to coaming distance of a 72,000 dwt vessel.

 

[NSP]

Crew of twenty-two according to talkRADIO just now. Nine minutes for the Poole mob to secure the vessel, once they went over the rail.

 

[Goatman]

I saw a report that HMS RICHMOND was deployed to assist. Question for matelot types - assuming the ship was alongside in Plymouth, with sufficient crew, fuel and ammo on board, how long does it take from receiving the signal to actually leaving port? I’m guessing it was 3hrs or so to sail up the Channel to the IoW, so would it be a matter of an hour or so to get your shit together and then cast off, and we’ll figure out the rest during the transit? Or is it pretty much “Signal received, crash deployment, Action stations, spin up engines, cast off lines”.

Er......why Plymouth?

If she was involved, I'm guessing she was at sea, underway and probably en route to HMNB Portsmouth or stooging about mid-channel.

Ask @Ravers what the cold start to sea time is for one of Her Madge's lithe ocean greyhounds these days?
( Never been aboard a Type 23. )

If a ship is alongside in Pompey ,and ready to rock, she can be off the Outer Spit Buoy in an hour.

The vessel in distress was off Sandown, not much further out.

Have a look for the Portsmouth webcam

 

[merchantman]

I must admit, I'm a bit baffled as to why the vessel was at Lagos anchorage (no oil terminals there).

Ship to ship transfers of oil cargoes is quite common at sea off Nigeria these days. One ship shuttles into the refinery others stay clear of the coast and the local pirates.

 

[Roadster280]

Er......why Plymouth?

If she was involved, I'm guessing she was at sea, underway and probably en route to HMNB Portsmouth or stooging about mid-channel.

Ask @Ravers what the cold start to sea time is for one of Her Madge's lithe ocean greyhounds these days?
( Never been aboard a Type 23. )

If a ship is alongside in Pompey ,and ready to rock, she can be off the Outer Spit Buoy in an hour.

The vessel in distress was off Sandown, not much further out.

Have a look for the Portsmouth webcam

I only said Plymouth because that’s her home port. Clearly it would be sensible to use a ship already in the Channel or one in Pompey, but there may not have been anything immediately deployable in Pompey.

 

[Ritch]

It's an interesting point. If I wanted to carry out some terror related beastliness in the UK I would be sure to join ARRSE and look at 'Flightradar' so I'd know exactly when to expect the door to be kicked in.

Yokel mentioned something yesterday about how it isn't right to mention when RAF Typhoons and/or Voyagers leave Akrotiri in support of Op Shader.

As if Johnny Foreigner in Syria is logged on to ARRSE's FlightRadar24 page waiting for information about when stuff is heading his way. The aircraft even switch their transponders off not long after leaving Cyprus.

 

[Oyibo]

The 'pirates' must have taken a boat and climbed up the side - no easy feat with the water line to coaming distance of a 72,000 dwt vessel.

True. Perhaps their accommodation ladder was down.

Plenty of large ships do get illegally boarded in Lagos anchorage though.

 

[lokiuk]

If I was a member of the SBS Troop I would have my lawyer on speed dial, and just wait for 7 asylum claims this morning and a lawsuit against the SBS for heavy handedness.

And hosiery manufacturers must be worried that someone might have laddered their tights and they're going to be sued over goods not being fit for purpose

 

[Red Hander]

True. Perhaps their accommodation ladder was down.

Plenty of large ships do get illegally boarded in Lagos anchorage though.

There was a report yesterday of access having been via the rudder trunk.
I don't know enough to know whether that would provide access to other parts of the vessel.

Use of Rudder Trunk for Smuggling

On more than one occasion, vessels have been arrested in port, after discovering cocaine (as much as 100–300 kg) and stowaways in the rudder trunk of these vessels. The void space has been accessed…

www.google.com

 

[Oyibo]

Ship to ship transfers of oil cargoes is quite common at sea off Nigeria these days. One ship shuttles into the refinery others stay clear of the coast and the local pirates.

It has always happened, but if the ship had taken a large amount of legal oil from somewhere, they would not make a profit on the illegal market. And if it had taken illegal oil then the illegal bunkerers could have cut out the middleman

 

[Old Stab]

Oi, I'm 31. Wind your neck in.

And I was on the ship last night. I took down two of the buggers with a judo chop to the neck whilst simultaneously keeping ARRSE updated.

Bugsy Walt.

 

[Red Hander]

It's an interesting point. If I wanted to carry out some terror related beastliness in the UK I would be sure to join ARRSE and look at 'Flightradar' so I'd know exactly when to expect the door to be kicked in.

That's a good point. The assault was indicated by social media sites and Flightradar, etc. One day, that'll help the bad guys.

 

[tgo]

Heh if it's anything like the SAS/Balcony, I think we'll need a bigger boat uhh bridge.

 

[jagman2]

That's a good point. The assault was indicated by social media sites and Flightradar, etc. One day, that'll help the bad guys.

You are working on the assumption that it wasn't deliberate

 

[Seadog]

I thought he left as a Commodore.

He was Director Development, Concepts and Doctrine
( whatever it was called back then). He visited my ship in that role, he was a 2*. I had words with him; "sugar Sir?"

 

[Filthy_contract]

He was Director Development, Concepts and Doctrine
( whatever it was called back then). He visited my ship in that role, he was a 2*. I had words with him; "sugar Sir?"

Ok, my memory s clearly failing.

 

[putteesinmyhands]

If I was a member of the SBS Troop I would have my lawyer on speed dial, and just wait for 7 asylum claims this morning and a lawsuit against the SBS for heavy handedness.

If I were a member of the SBS Troop, I'd be having words with my lawyer about salvage rewards and how many people I'd have to share it with.

Come to think of it, that's likely why the ship's owners lost little time in contacting their lawyers. Could the master still be deemed to be in control of the vessel when the crew were marooned inside the citadel?

 

[loofkar]

Yokel mentioned something yesterday about how it isn't right to mention when RAF Typhoons and/or Voyagers leave Akrotiri in support of Op Shader.

As if Johnny Foreigner in Syria is logged on to ARRSE's FlightRadar24 page waiting for information about when stuff is heading his way. The aircraft even switch their transponders off not long after leaving Cyprus.

I don't know if the data is from transponder input but either way they are visible on some tracking apps while over the Med, Israel and Jordan.

 

[bobthedog]

If I were a member of the SBS Troop, I'd be having words with my lawyer about salvage rewards and how many people I'd have to share it with.

Come to think of it, that's likely why the ship's owners lost little time in contacting their lawyers. Could the master still be deemed to be in control of the vessel when the crew were marooned inside the citadel?

I think that is why the ships Liberian owners were keen to downplay the "hijacked" description of the ship.....