The incident occurredlate last month as the Thai-flagged ship sailed 60 nm off the coast of Oman near to the Straitof Hormuz, in what is a piracy hotspot.
Lookouts on NYK’s 300,373-dwt Tateyama (built 2002) spotted two small skiffscarrying several men behaving oddly around a mile away.
Suddenly accelerating, the skiffs changeddirection and headed straight towards the ship, according to reports from CombinedMaritime Forces (CMF), the US-led anti piracy taskforce operating off eastAfrica.
“Sensing theship’s vulnerability due to not having a protective armed security teamembarked, the master broadcast a distress message to other nearby vessels andthe Omani Coastguard requesting immediate assistance,” said CMF.
“As the skiffscontinued to close the distance between themselves and the merchant ship,Tateyama’s master remained concerned they were possibly trying to intercept thetanker.
“He then initiateda whole-ship lock-down, increasing vessel speed to maximum, starting fire pumpsand overflowing the ballast tanks to make any potential boarding as difficultas possible.”
Meanwhile,having picked up news from the UK Maritime Trade Organisation in Dubai of theTateyama’s distress signal, CMF scrambled the Australian frigate HMAS Darwin toclose the VLCC’s location to assess the situation and combat any attack thatwas in the offing.
A Pakistan Navymaritime patrol aircraft also quickly reached the scene and establishedcommunications with the Tateyama’s master.
CMF said one ofthe skiffs stopped in the water and the other shortly slowed to a speed ofaround 12.5 knots.
Once the Tateyamaentered Oman territorial waters, the Oman Coast Guard authorities managed tostop the skiffs and question the men on board.
The Tateyama’s masterwas able to stand down his alerted crew and the tanker continued safely on itspassage to the port of Fujairah.
Commodore KeithBlount OBE, Royal Navy, deputy commander CMF, said: “This was one of the mostcoordinated pieces of piracy-alert activity I have seen.
“The quick and targeted response crossed taskforce and national boundaries with aligned common purpose – we all want todrive piracy from our seas. It was a job well done.”
