Yacht Narena Attacked by Pirates in Gulf of Aden

Created by doina. Last modified on 2007-03-27 10:21:14
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We were attacked by pirates while sailing through the Gulf of Aden. There was another attack on two yachts a week before only 20 miles from where we were attacked. We were sailing in convoy with four other yachts PENYLLAN, GYPSY DAYS, SEA DOVE and IMANI. We had a couple of meetings to plan our contingency in case of the event of a piracy attack. We would sail in a close formation not more than half a mile apart, at a minimum speed of four knots under sail and five knots if we were motoring. It is believed that the pirates have access to VHF radio and so we would keep radio silence on Channel 16, and not give our position on any radio frequencies. We had a regular HF 2 MHz radio schedule every three hours.

At 0800 on the morning of March 9th, Bruce was scanning the horizon and saw three small craft - they were coming in our direction. We called the others on the radio and told them. As the boats drew closer, Bruce could clearly see the plastic tarps covering their hulls, and the heads of a lot of people. He immediately realized that these were people-smugglers and possibly the same boats that attacked the two yachts last week. The attacking boats were about 20 metres long, wooden, and had plastic sheeting wrapped around their hulls. They were also loaded with terrified people, believed to be illegal Somali refugees en route to Yemen. We were later told that the refuges are often thrown into the sea on the coast or shores of Yemen, regardless of whether or not they can swim and left to their own devices. These people smugglers are ruthless.

We closed our ranks (a bit like a wagon train), turned on our engines and went as fast as we could in a tight group. Our yacht was at the rear of the formation on the port side, which just happened to be in the vulnerable spot from an attack from this angle, just our luck. At least IMANI was on the inside of us and we were happy about that as they had children onboard. Then, when they were about 200 meters from us, they started to shoot and, as I heard the first shot, I saw Bruce in the cockpit duck on the floor. Immediately we were on our radios, the Mayday calls were going out thick and fast, but with no reply at first. Then I heard Mark on IMANI speaking French (his mother tongue) to the French/German Coalition in Djibouti, but that was too far away. They were sending an Orion plane that would arrive in about an hour. We couldn't wait that long. Karen on SEA DOVE was talking to the commercial ship MAERSK ANTWERP that was also about an hour away, but would relay our message to the Piracy Center in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. That was great but offered no immediate help. Then I heard Mark speaking to the American Naval aircraft carrier that we had passed the day before with a warship practicing landing their jumpjet Harriers. They could be at our position in three hours. "That is not good enough, we need help now," said Mark. They said they would send assistance immediately, but we still believed it could not arrive soon enough.

In the meantime I was calling Mayday on the HF international distress frequency 2182, with no response. Then Karen had a response from the Panamanian merchant ship, the ROYAL PASCADERAS, they were altering course to come to our assistance and they were only about five minutes from visual contact! "Oh thank God," I prayed, all we had to do was keep the pirates at bay for a little while longer. The US Navy, in the meantime, was still talking on the VHF in a loud commanding voice. It increased my confidence, we would outrun these bastards, and we would live to see our children and grandchildren again.

After the gunshots, Bruce was lying in the companionway, steering the yacht by reaching his hand up and pressing the autopilot panel. He made me stay below in the cabin, the lower half of which is below the waterline, so I wouldn't be shot. I chanced a look through the cabin window (I've never been good at doing what I'm told), and I could see the one boat that was still after us. It was loaded, absolutely crammed with human cargo, like sardines. I also saw a man with a rifle on the bow. The other two boats were going behind us. I wasn't sure if they had given up the chase or were they going around behind to flank us. The main boat that was chasing us was slowly gaining. We realized this was it, they were going to board us, NARENA was their target, we were the closest. We were surprisingly very calm. Bruce put his arms around me and said "We'll get through this Cherie, just give them anything they want and they won't hurt us, they only want to rob us, so just let them have what they want."

Bruce went up to check our course (so we wouldn't run into the yacht in front of us) and he quickly jumped below again and grabbed the radio. He told everyone to look out the back, they had dropped back, the pirates had slowed down, and perhaps they had given up the chase, or were they up to something else. No! It was our heroes, the ROYAL PASCADERAS had come over the horizon, and they were heading our way! Oh my God, thank heavens. We were saved, we were safe, we'd done it, and we were the first yachts to escape a pirate attack that I know of. We'd made it, yes, we'd made it! Thank you ROYAL PASCADERAS! The three boats were quickly making their way towards Yemen, one was blowing a hell of a lot of smoke. Then, about 20-30 minutes after the pirates had left us, the Coalition Orion flew overhead and circled us a few times. We were on the deck waving and shouting like children. About an hour later he returned from the opposite direction; he radioed to say he saw numerous small local craft, none were coming in our direction or appeared to be a threat to us. Meanwhile, the ROYAL PASCADERAS sailed slowly beside us. With the knowledge that we were safe, they bid us farewell and went back on their original course. We will never forget them, and hope that one day we will have the opportunity to thank them. Personally I just want to give the captain a big hug and kiss.

About half an hour after the ROYAL PASCADERAS left us, a large US helicopter flew overhead and spoke to us on the radio. Not long after this, the Coalition Taskforce 200 called and asked if we still needed assistance, they were on their way and would be with us in a few hours, but we told them the Orion aircraft said we were no longer under threat. Wow, every man and his dog were out to help us. No doubt the problems and possible threat of invasion of Iraq had increased the navy presence in the area. Never before had a yacht under attack had so much assistance - we were indeed fortunate. Commercial vessels are notorious for not coming to the assistance of a yacht being attacked by pirates, but not the ROYAL PASCADERAS!

That evening the Coalition Warship 992 contacted us by radio. They had come to assist us if necessary and they stayed close by the whole night and again the next day. By then we were out of the danger zone, and we went our separate ways. Bruce and I sailed on through the "Gates of Sorrow" with 25-30 knots of wind behind us and had a sleigh ride. We finally arrived in Port Assab, Eritrea; we were in the Red Sea off the north coast of Africa. The next thing we heard, the American and allied forces were invading Iraq!.

Bruce and Cheryl Matthews, Narena