Captain Derek Kruger Experience while passing Somalia coast.
I am one of the very few that has out foxed the Somalia Pirates. During the Month of August of 1997 on or about, I was delivering a ship belonged to my former company in Quebec Canada “Transport Desgagnes”to Madagascar when off the horn of Africa (Somalia) we experienced a storm. I knew of this coast and its problems. As we were in ballast conditions at the time caused us a great degree of rolling. I therefore turned off all of our navigation lights and blacked out all port holes and windows that would face the shore. This worked to a point until we heard over the VHF Radio a voice call out to another shore VHF station, that he could hear a ship having what sounded like two engines. This shore person further stated that he couldn’t see us, but stated it was close to the coast. He was right we were a two engine ship and as we were only 1.5 n.miles from the high sand covered mountain / hilly range. I listen intently to the conversation that was being spoken in French.We as Canadians spoke French as well. When the other speaker in on this conversation told the other “OK, we will get the boats ready to intercept this two engine ship.”
It was at this time I turned away from the coast and back into the darkness and heavy weather conditions, where we stayed all the next day. It was again decided to come close to this coast and this time we sailed all night without incident, or detection. Early next morning we came across a sight that I will never forget. I was seeing three small cargo ships driven up onto a low laying beach and what looked like to be abandoned.The ships looked like they were looted, as we could see them clearly. Large amount of what looked like debris was left laying all around these small ships.
Having passed this area it was time to leave this Somalia Coast Line,as the longitude line lay directly in line towards the northern point of Madagascar, now many miles southward from our position off this coast line, as the weather had improved. Sometime later I was called to the bridge by the duty mate, as I forbid all to answer any calls to us from whom ever called us. It was a voice that I come to recognize being that of a Filipino voice/accent. This person was calling “Any Vessel(3 times) for help as he needed help.” “I responded to his call for help by saying this is any vessel, how can I help you.” He stated that he was in a storm and his navigational instruments were damaged due to stress of weather. Could I could give to him my position, then he could find me, or if I talked longer so he could RDF on my signal. I kept my transmission short, as I feared the worse and it was apparent to me it was. I refused to do this. I called him back and said good bye “ANY SHIP.” Knowing the range of VHF we got further away from the coast as quickly as possible.
It was 1.5 hours later when we heard over the MMF/SSB Radio a call directed at our ship saying; “Bateau Canadian,Bateau Canadian, you were lucky this time sir, but not the next time,we promise you this.” The radio went silent after that and the sailor being a French Canadian with me in the bridge was shaken to the point that he excused himself from the bridge. He returned sometime later and asked. Sir, how did they know we were a Canadian ship?? I answered him saying that each night when we called to Canada via AT&T high sea operator system, to give our position having devised a code for this. These Pirates listened in on our transmission from somewhere ashore, it is how they knew we were a Canadian Ship.
It is my firm believe that these “Pirates are army or rebels having the equipment needed to catch ships. They are too well armed not to be anything else. The normal run of the road hoods, or crooks can never hope to be that well equipped for such an operation. These guys are also well disciplined unlike our regular thief.
Regards
Captain Derek Kruger
Master Mariner
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