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Tim Lowe News

13 Jul 2020

UKHO Taps Sparkes as Acting Chief Executive

Rear Admiral Peter Sparkes (Photo: UKHO)

The U.K. Hydrographic Office has announced the appointment of Rear Admiral Peter Sparkes, the current U.K. National Hydrographer and Deputy Chief Executive, to the position of acting chief executive and accounting officer.Sparkes will hold the position while a permanent replacement is sought for Tim Lowe CBE, the previous UKHO chief executive and accounting officer, who announced his retirement Friday.Commenting on Lowe’s retirement, Sparkes said, “On behalf of the senior leadership team and all at the U.K.

12 Dec 2018

Admiral Tim Lowe to Head UK Hydrographic Office

The UK Hydrographic Office has announced the appointment of Rear Admiral Tim Lowe CBE, the current UK National Hydrographer and Deputy Chief Executive, to the position of Acting Chief Executive and Accounting Officer.Rear Admiral Lowe will fill the role whilst a permanent replacement is sought for John Humphrey, the current Chief Executive and Accounting Officer of the UKHO, who will leave at the end of January 2019.Rear Admiral Lowe said: “I look forward to taking the helm as Acting Chief Executive, whilst we continue to transform the UKHO into a world-leading marine geospatial information agency. It is an exciting time for our team as we transition to a data centric…

18 Apr 2016

UK, Singapore Partner for Navigation Training

The United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (UKHO) and the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) have announced a new bursary training scheme in Marine Cartography and Data Assessment. Organized jointly by the UKHO and MPA over a five-week period from April 18, 2016 at the MPA Academy in Singapore, the course will train attendees on compiling and maintaining navigational charts. Drawn from 10 nations, the course attendees will comprise employees of their national hydrographic offices, port authorities and/or related national agencies involved in the production and maintenance of navigational charts. The course will equip students with skills to create and maintain paper and digital charts utilizing computer-aided cartography applications.

21 Jan 2010

Safety Measures Protect Ship from Piracy

Jamaica-flagged M/V Miltiades came under attack and successfully deterred suspected pirates Jan. 17, while transiting approximately 130 nautical miles southwest of Al Mukalla, Yemen. The pirate skiff fired on the M/V with AK-47 rifles. The Miltiades embarked security team fired red flares and the ship took recommended evasive maneuvers to cause the skiff to break off the attack. No injuries or damages were reported aboard Miltiades. Early detection of suspected attacks is the first line of defense against piracy, but other practices include using flares, out running attackers or using heavy wheel movements, use of non-lethal devices, such as netting, water hoses, electric fencing, wire and long-range acoustic devices. These practices have proven effective at deterring piracy.

30 Dec 2009

UK Flagged M/V St. James Park Pirated

The M/V St James Park, a UK flagged ship, was pirated Dec. 29 while transiting the Internationally Recognized Transit Corridor (IRTC) through the Gulf of Aden. After receiving a signal from the M/V St James Park's Ship Security Alert System (SSAS), USS Chosin (CG 65), operating as the flagship to Combined Task Force 151 (CTF 151), was able to confirm via bridge-to-bridge radio that pirates had taken control of the vessel. The M/V St James Park is the first vessel since July to be pirated in the IRTC. It has a crew of 26, including Filipinos, Russians, Georgians, Romanians, Bulgarians, Ukrainians, Polish, Indians and Turkish. There are no UK citizens on board.

30 Sep 2009

Pirate Attacks on the Rise off Somalia

Photo courtesy U.S. Navy

Pirate activity has increased recently off the coast of Somalia with four attempted attacks occurring on motor vessels in the Gulf of Aden since Sept. 19. Three separate unsuccessful attacks occurred Sept. 19 and 20, while the most recent attack occurred Sept. 26 on the Panamanian-flagged Motor Vessel Handy V, in which seven pirates were arrested by the Turkish ship TCG Gediz (F-495), assigned to NATO's Piracy Task Force. This brings the total number of piracy attacks on merchant vessels in 2009 to 146, 28 of which have been successful.

28 Jul 2009

Piracy Warning to Mariners

The Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) are warning mariners of an anticipated increase in piracy incidents when the southwest monsoon ends in the coming weeks, and are reiterating that merchant mariners must continue to take proactive action to help prevent piracy attacks. High sea states over the past few weeks in the Somali Basin have resulted in fewer attacks on vessels transiting the area but mariners must continue to remain vigilant. “The prior preparation and vigilance of merchant mariners at all times of day and night is more important now than ever,” said Turkish Rear Adm. Caner Bener, Commander, Combined Task Force (CTF) 151. “CTF 151 and other multi-national maritime forces deployed to the region are successfully coordinating counter-piracy efforts.

15 May 2009

CTF 151, First Suspected Pirate Capture

Ships from Combined Task Force (CTF) 151 prevented a piracy attack in the Gulf of Aden, which resulted in the apprehension of more than a dozen suspected pirates aboard an alleged mothership May 13. At approximately 3:30 p.m., the Republic of Korea Destroyer, ROKS Munmu the Great (DDG 976) and guided missile cruiser USS Gettysburg (CG 64) responded to a distress call from the Egyptian-flagged Motor Vessel Amira, which reported being attacked approximately 75 nautical miles south of Al Mukalla, Yemen.

16 Jan 2009

Deterring Piracy at Sea

Contrary to the romanticized portrayal of pirates that have populated folk tales and captured youngsters' imaginations, modern-day pirates pose a clear and present threat to lives, commerce and the environment as they lurk over shipping lanes attacking ships and crew without regard for nationality or cargo. Piracy in the Gulf of Aden not only poses a threat to global commerce, but also threatens aid delivery by the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) to victims of the ongoing civil war in Somalia.

18 Nov 2008

Super Tanker Attacked in Arabian Sea

A Liberian-flagged very large crude tanker, Sirius Star, was attacked more than 450 nautical miles southeast of Mombasa, Kenya, Nov. 15. The ship is owned by the Saudi Arabian-based Saudi Aramco and is operated by Vela International. The crew of 25 includes citizens of: Croatia, Great Britain, Republic of the Philippines, Poland and Saudi Arabia. This attack comes amid a decrease in the rate of successful pirate attacks on merchant vessels off the coast of Somalia. Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) data analysis has shown that the combination of both military and civilian involvement in the area has reduced the percentage of successful piracy attacks from 53 percent in August to 31 percent in October.