Friday’s attack on the 296,900-dwt Island Splendor (built 2011) was repelled by armed guards, preventing the vessel from being the fifth VLCC to fall victim to pirates in the region.
As we reported earlier today pirates in two skiffs set on a VLCC, which was not identified, about 230 miles east of Hobyo.
Data provided to TradeWinds by the IMB, counts just two other attacks on crude talkers off Somalia this year.
The Island Splendor, which is valued at $60.3m today by VesselsValue.com, is one of four VLCCs Sinochem has just purchased from Clipper.
The incident took place in location 04° 39'N, 052° 19'E, according to the IMB piracy reporting centre.
EU Navfor data shows there have been 30 attacks, and four successful hijackings, within a 200 nautical mile radius of the incident since 2008. This includes three unsuccessful attacks this year.
According to the IMB two vessels have been hijacked off Somalia in 2013, one in the Gulf of Aden and one in the Red Sea.
Pirates have successfully hijacked four VLCCs, however, the last one was over two years ago.
The 319,300-dwt Irene SLwas snatched in February 2011 and was later released after a huge ransom, which was placed at $13m at that time.
The other VLCCs successfully taken were Vela’s 318,000-dwt Sirius Star(built 2008) in November 2008, John Angelicoussis’ 300,300-dwt Maran Centaurus(built 1995) almost exactly a year later and the South Korean 319,400-dwt Samho Dream(built 2002).
