Canadians and Italians come to aid of U.S. ship

Pirates first went after a Lebanese ship, Maria K. When they were thwarted, they went after the Maersk Virginia (sister to Maersk Alabama). Obviously these pirates aren't very smart.

From CBS

The pirates broke off their pursuit of the Maria K and headed instead for the nearby American ship.

An Italian Naval helicopter joined the Canadian aircraft. With the helicopters hovering overhead, the pirates gave up their attempted hijacking and threw their weapons overboard before their boat was boarded by Italian seamen.

Good thing the Italians boarded the ship, as the Canadians have that "catch and release" policy regarding "suspected" Pirates.

No word yet on what the Italians have done with these "suspected" pirates.

Maersk sued by crewman over pirate attack

The carriers have been reluctant to arm their ships against pirate attacks, when sailing close to Somalia.
Maybe this lawsuit will make them reconsider.

Richard Hicks, chief steward of the recently-attacked boxship Maersk Alabama, filed a suit in a Houston court on Monday against Waterman Steamship and Maersk Line Ltd, alleging they knowingly sent him into the piracy-prone Gulf of Aden near Somalia without adequate protection. Mr Hicks is seeking at least $75,000, according to the suit.

U.S. Flag vessels required for USAID shipments

USAID issued a press release informing what cargo was onboard the hijacked Maersk Alabama.

It also mentions the reason the Maersk Alabama was re flagged to be a U.S. Flag vessel (even though it was built in Taiwan), was to be eligible to carry what we always referred to as "Cargo Preference" shipments.

Per the Cargo Preference Act of 1954, as amended, generally seventy-five percent of all USAID food aid shipments must be transported on U.S. flagged carriers.

And, from the Marad web-site

Cargoes procured, furnished, or financed by the United States Government requires that at least 50 percent of the gross tonnage of all Government-generated cargo be transported on privately owned, U.S.-flag commercial vessels to the extent such vessels are available at fair and reasonable rates. In 1985, the Merchant Marine Act of 1936 was amended to require that the percentage of certain agricultural cargoes to be carried on U.S.-flag vessels be increased from 50 to 75 percent. (See Food Security Act)

USAID Food Aid Aboard Maersk Alabama

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 09, 2009

* The MV Maersk Alabama is transporting nearly 8,150 MT of USAID P.L. 480 Title II food aid commodities.
* These commodities are valued at approximately $5.3 million and freight valued at $2.1 million. USAID is providing the transportation funding through grants to implementing partners.
* This food aid shipment from the United States contains vegetable oil, corn soy blend, wheat and dehydrated vegetables and will be distributed in Kenya, Somalia, and Uganda by USAID's implementing partners including the World Food Program and Private Voluntary Organizations.
* USAID currently provides life-sustaining food aid to 3.2 million Kenyans, 3 million Somalians and 1.2 million Ugandans.
* The United States is the largest provider of food aid worldwide. In fiscal year (FY) 2008 alone, USAID provided more than 2.6 million metric tons of food, valued at more than $2.6 billion, benefiting people in 49 countries on four continents.
* Per the Cargo Preference Act of 1954, as amended, generally seventy-five percent of all USAID food aid shipments must be transported on U.S. flagged carriers.

How is Maersk Alabama a U.S. Flag ship?

The vessel Maersk Alabama, hijacked yesterday, was built in Taiwan. However, it has a U.S. crew. It is owned by a Danish company, but was "reflagged" as a U.S. Ship, by a special program of Marad (Maritime Administration).

Here is the fact sheet from Maersk for the Alabama

Maersk Alabama fact sheet

Owned and operated by Maersk Line, Limited (http://www.maersklinelimited.com)
Capacity: 1,100 TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit)
Geared: Yes, two cranes
Length: 155 meters
Width: 25 meters
Deadweight: 17,525 tonnes
Service speed: +18 knots
Build year: 1998
Built in: Taiwan
Flag: US
Home port: Norfolk, VA.

Maersk Alabama is deployed in Maersk Line’s EAF4 (East Africa 4) service. The rotation is Salalah, Djibouti, Mombasa.

Maersk Alabama is carrying 400 twenty-foot containers of food aid for amongst others WFP (World Food Programme).

Maersk Alabama hijacked

The 17,000-ton Maersk Alabama was carrying emergency relief to Mombasa, Kenya, when it was hijacked, said Peter Beck-Bang, spokesman for the Copenhagen-based container shipping group A.P. Moller-Maersk. It was the sixth ship seized within a week, a rise that analysts attribute to a new strategy by Somali pirates who are operating far from the warships patrolling the Gulf of Aden.

Eventhough the ship is owned by Maersk, a Danish company, it is operating under U.S. Flag.