This marad advisory provides information on the risk to vessels transiting the high risk waters (hrw) of the…

Original warning text

GULF OF ADEN.
RED SEA.
INDIAN OCEAN.
ARABIAN SEA.
1. THIS MARAD ADVISORY PROVIDES INFORMATION ON THE RISK TO VESSELS
   TRANSITING THE HIGH RISK WATERS (HRW) OF THE GULF OF ADEN (GOA),
   RED SEA, INDIAN OCEAN, ARABIAN SEA AND WATERS OFF THE HORN OF
   AFRICA (SOMALIA).
2. THIS ADVISORY WILL BE PUBLISHED ON THE MARAD WEB SITE AT
   WWW.MARAD.DOT.GOV UNDER THE HORN OF AFRICA PIRACY PORTAL AND ON
   THE US COAST GUARD HOMEPORT SITE AT HOMEPORT.USCG.MIL/PIRACY.
   OTHER PERTINENT INFORMATION IS ALSO POSTED ON THESE WEB SITES.
3. U.S. FLAG OPERATORS WITH SHIPS IN THE AFFECTED AREAS ARE REQUESTED
   TO FORWARD THIS ADVISORY TO THEIR SHIPS BY THE MOST EXPEDITIOUS
   MEANS.
4. U.S. FLAG SHIPS OPERATING IN HRW ARE REQUIRED TO COMPLY WITH US
   COAST GUARD MARITIME SECURITY (MARSEC) DIRECTIVE 104-6 (CURRENT
   VERSION). POC IS LCDR JAMES FOGLE, US COAST GUARD, AT 202 3721038
   OR [email protected].  NONE OF THE GUIDANCE IN THIS NOTICE IS
   MEANT TO SUPERSEDE MARSEC DIRECTIVE 104-6 (CURRENT VERSION) OR
   SUPPORTING PORT SECURITY ADVISORIES.
5. PIRATES ARE ATTACKING VESSELS, INCLUDING YACHTS AND OTHER NON
   COMMERCIAL VESSELS SUCH AS SAILBOATS, IN THE GULF OF ADEN, ARABIAN
   SEA, INDIAN OCEAN, SOUTHERN RED SEA, AND MOZAMBIQUE CHANNEL.
   PIRATES ARE FIRING AUTOMATIC WEAPONS AND ROCKET PROPELLED GRENADES
   (RPG) IN AN ATTEMPT TO BOARD AND HIJACK VESSELS. IF AN ATTACK IS
   SUCCESSFUL AND THE VESSEL IS HIJACKED, PIRATES DIRECT VESSELS TO
   THE SOMALI COAST AND THEREAFTER DEMAND RANSOM FOR THE SAFE RELEASE
   OF VESSELS AND CREW.  PIRATES USE HIJACKED FISHING AND MERCHANT
   VESSELS TO CONDUCT PIRACY OPERATIONS AS MOTHER VESSELS TO SAIL FAR
   FROM THE SOMALI COAST TO ATTACK AND HIJACK VESSELS IN TRANSIT OR
   AT ANCHOR.  SMALLER SKIFFS ARE LAUNCHED FROM THE PIRATE MOTHER
   VESSEL TO ATTACK TARGETED VESSELS.
6. RECENT ATTACKS IN THE SOUTHERN RED SEA AND TO A SHIP AT ANCHOR IN
   OMAN SHOULD SERVE TO WARN ALL VESSELS OPERATING IN THE HRW THAT
   THE PIRATES HAVE AND WILL CONTINUE TO ADAPT TO SHIP PROTECTION
   MEASURES.  THE TRANSITION BETWEEN MONSOON SEASONS BETWEEN OCT THRU
   NOV WILL BE MORE FAVORABLE FOR PIRATE SKIFF ATTACKS.  MASTERS AND
   OPERATORS SHOULD ANTICIPATE ATTACKS THAT MAY VARY FROM PAST
   TACTICS.   IN LIGHT OF THE EXTENSION OF THE THREAT TO PORTS AND
   TERRITORIAL WATERS, MASTERS AND OPERATORS ARE ADVISED TO MAINTAIN
   ALL APPLICABLE DEFENSIVE AND PROTECTIVE MEASURES THAT ARE LEGALLY
   PERMISSIBLE DURING THE VESSEL'S TIME IN PORT OR AT ANCHOR.
7. TRANSIT BY YACHTS AND PRIVATELY OWNED SAILING VESSELS THROUGH HRW
   IS EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS AND MAY RESULT IN CAPTURE BY PIRATES. THE
   COAST GUARD ADVISES AGAINST ALL OPERATION OF OR TRAVEL BY YACHT
   AND PLEASURE CRAFT IN HRW. VESSELS THAT MAKE THIS PASSAGE DESPITE
   THIS WARNING SHOULD MAKE CONTACT IN ADVANCE WITH THE NAVAL
   AUTHORITIES.  IN ADDITION, AMERICAN CITIZENS ABOARD SHOULD INFORM
   THE NEAREST U.S. EMBASSY OR CONSULATE OF THEIR PLANS TO TRANSIT
   THE AREA AND/OR UPDATE THEIR INFORMATION VIA THE SMART TRAVELER
   ENROLLMENT PROGRAM (STEP) ON WWW.TRAVEL.STATE.GOV. BASIC
   GUIDANCE FOR TRANSIT CAN BE FOUND AT HTTP:WWW.MSCHOA.
   ORG/YACHTINGGUIDANCE/PAGES/YACHTINGGUIDANCEONE.ASPX. IF YOU ARE 
   DUE TO TRAVEL THE AREA OF HIGH THREAT, PLEASE INFORM MSC (HOA) BY 
   EMAILING [email protected], WITH THE SUBJECT LINE 'YACHT 
   VESSEL MOVEMENT'.
8. RELATED COAST GUARD NOTICE: THE U.S. COAST GUARD ISSUED A NOTICE 
   TO MARINERS ADVISORY FOR YACHTS AND SAILING VESSELS. FOR THE TEXT 
   OF THE COAST GUARD NOTICE, PLEASE GO TO   
   HTTP://HOMEPORT.USCG.MIL/PIRACY.
9. ALL VESSELS SHOULD REGISTER FOR ACCESS TO MSCHOA WEBSITE AT 
   HTTP://WWW.MSCHOA.ORG TO OBTAIN UP TO DATE INFORMATION OF THE 
   CIRCUMSTANCES AND CONDITIONS IN THE REGION.
10.FOR FURTHER INFORMATION REGARDING THIS ADVISORY, CONTACT CAPTAIN 
   ROBERT FORD, MARITIME ADMINISTRATION, OFFICE OF SECURITY, CODE: 
   MAR-420, ROOM W25-308, 1200 NEW JERSEY AVE, S.E., WASHINGTON, DC 
   20590, PHONE: 202 366 0223, FAX: 202 366 3954, 
   TLX II: 710 822 9426 (MARAD DOT WSH), 
   OR E-MAIL: [email protected].