Pirates in the Seychelles?

[VirtualVagabond]

Later this year we plan to sail from Cocos Keeling to South Africa. At present our route would be Rodrigues, Mauritius, Reunion, Richards Bay.

We would prefer the alternative of Seychelles, Comoros, Mozambique Channel etc, but Somali pirates were reaching down into the Seychelles a year or 2 ago.
Has anyone heard if the situation there is better or worse now?

Vic

[Barra]

There is an update on noonsite from last year that says there were zero attacks by somali pirates on cruisers in 2012. ie they continue to target merchant vessels but at decreasing rates

Interestingly it states that 1/4 of the seychelles gaols are filled with somali pirates so they must be having some success.

even so that trip is still on hold for us as i dont think i could relax through those waters for years to come!

Your braver than me but best of luck to you and would love to hear a report after you've done it.

[Neptune's Gear]

They are still there. Very few yachts going that way, so none taken. The risk is still there. Currently 47 motherships operating I. The Indian ocean that they know about. Source is a security contractor I met in sri Lanka. Pirates have been as far south as 40 deg... Your call. You'll prob make it, but if not things are bad!

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[VirtualVagabond]

Originally Posted by Neptune's Gear

They are still there. Very few yachts going that way, so none taken. The risk is still there. Currently 47 motherships operating I. The Indian ocean that they know about. Source is a security contractor I met in sri Lanka. Pirates have been as far south as 40 deg... Your call. You'll prob make it, but if not things are bad!

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You might want to check the cred of your hairy chested security contractor. Sounds like bar talk... 40 deg S is south of Cape Town!

We certainly won't be playing cat and mouse with pirates. It's why I'm trying to get some input ahead of time.
I was hoping there may be members who sail in that area and have local info.

Vic

[Neptune's Gear]

When I was there in early 2011, I saw the security guys charts. The pirates were that far south then. They are not all in crap boats. You can believe what you want - easy from the armchair. I was a few days behind Quest. It's not an experience I wish to repeat.

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[Neptune's Gear]

And VERY few yachts have been there since we were.

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[VirtualVagabond]

Originally Posted by Neptune's Gear

When I was there in early 2011, I saw the security guys charts. The pirates were that far south then. They are not all in crap boats. You can believe what you want - easy from the armchair. I was a few days behind Quest. It's not an experience I wish to repeat.

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Matt,
I appreciate your input, particularly if you've been there, but I've never heard of pirate activity 40 degrees South. As I say, Cape Town is only about 35, so it seems a hell of a long way from their known area of activity. As we are going to be sailing south through the Indian Ocean I'd be interested in any information you have on pirate activity. Particularly how far east too.
BTW, I'm no armchair sailor. Last year we put 14,000 nm under the keel.

Vic

[Neptune's Gear]

Yep, you'd be unlucky to find one that far south. But they have been there. As the patrolled area and the number of armed ships has increased, the pirates have spread out. However there have also been a couple of successful shore based anti piracy actions lately, and they are supposed to be fewer than they were. You can register with the authorities to get the latest info. I have a friend in Galle, who makes/made a living from taking sailors on tours of sri Lanka. A Good year would see over 300 vessels pass through. Last year there were none. Don't know about this year... Best of luck, its a very difficult decision. Matt. sv Island Time.

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[Blackie Swart]

The lowest latitude activity of pirates, Somalian or otherwise, was around 12deg off the Mozambique coastal waters. Basically same latitude as Seychelles and Comoros. There has been sporadic activity around Seychelles and north/west of there.

[VirtualVagabond]

Originally Posted by Blackie Swart

The lowest latitude activity of pirates, Somalian or otherwise, was around 12deg off the Mozambique coastal waters. Basically same latitude as Seychelles and Comoros. There has been sporadic activity around Seychelles and north/west of there.

Any idea how recently?

PS. I was a member of Point Yacht Club about 25 years ago!

[daletournier]

Hi Vic, please keep us posted on any information you find. I'm currently in Malaysia and still deciding what to do 2015.
Regards Dale.

[MarkJ]

The Seychelles are where the Chandlers were taken.

The only reason why no cruisers were taken in 2012 and 2013 is very very few sail boats have done it are the four were shot in 2011.

Its not a chance you would take, its suicide.


Mark

[Jon Hacking]

Originally Posted by VirtualVagabond

Later this year we plan to sail from Cocos Keeling to South Africa. At present our route would be Rodrigues, Mauritius, Reunion, Richards Bay.

We would prefer the alternative of Seychelles, Comoros, Mozambique Channel etc, but Somali pirates were reaching down into the Seychelles a year or 2 ago. Has anyone heard if the situation there is better or worse now? -- Vic

Vic (& Dale), the situation is MUCH better than it was, mainly because the naval forces were able to change their Rules of Engagement. The best source is the Piracy Tracking Website (not Noonsite). Somali attacks are WAY down, with only 15 last year, & the only 2 successful hijackings (fishing boats that were only 20nm off Somalia) were both rescued later that same day. From icc-ccs.org:

... 15 incidents were reported off Somalia in 2013, down from 75 in 2012, and 237 in 2011.

We sailed to Richards Bay via the Seychelles in 2007, & sailed back to SE Asia (again, via the Seychelles) in 2009. The northern route is much more interesting & the distances shorter, but you probably want to turn off your AIS xmitter. My own opinion (worth just what you're paying for it) is that the Somali pirates are no longer operating in the Seychelles/Madagascar area.

You can see our Seychelles Passage Notes online (the continuation pages to South Africa are also there - use the long nav-bar on the left side). Perhaps more useful to you, we've also published Cruising Info for the Seychelles, Madagascar, & Mayotte. We're quite proud of the Madagascar page as it contains tracks, anchoring info, satellite shots, & surface shots of each anchorage.

[VirtualVagabond]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

The Seychelles are where the Chandlers were taken.

The only reason why no cruisers were taken in 2012 and 2013 is very very few sail boats have done it are the four were shot in 2011.

Its not a chance you would take, its suicide.


Mark

At the moment Mauritius is still our planned route, but the Seychelles has a lot of appeal so just doing research.

Vic

[atoll]

sent you a friend suggestion to your fb a/c,Teoman salisalan,you might have a word with him.

teo delivered a 25m gulette from bodrum to thailand last year,stopping in eritrea,and oman in march april.

from the grapevine in mayotte,attacks seem to be mainly oppotunistic along the east african coast,from small fishing skiffs near the kenyan /somali border area.

from mayotte their are yachts that regularly cross to nossi be' in madagasgar,and north to the seychelles,as well as across to zanzibar/tanzania to avoid hurricane season.

during the ne and sw monsoon their are large arab motorised trading dhows 100 ft plus that trade between india,oman,and mogadishio,perhaps aiding,or easy prey for pirates along that route.

along the top end of madagasgar there is a regular french naval presence,as there is off the kenyan and tanzanian coast.

by the same token i have seen sri lankan fishing vessels operating as far south as chagos!

given the boisterous tradewind season you will have leaving australia in may/june till the top end of the mozambique channel,chances are you will not see another vessel,let alone a pirate!