MV Thor Nautilus Evades Pirates
During the night of the 22 December, the MV Thor Nautilus defeated a pirate attack thanks to the use of BMP (Best Management Practices), showing the efficiency of self-protection measures in this high risk area. The Thai flagged cargo ship was attacked by one skiff, approximately 900 nautical miles North East of the Somali coastal village of Eyl. The vessel was fired upon with machine guns and a boarding was attempted, but failed. The pirates were unable to get through the razor wire which was fitted to sides of the ship. This is an important BMP measure. The pirates eventually gave up the boarding attempts and the vessel is now reported to be safe. The MV Thor Nautilus is a General Cargo ship with a deadweight of 20 000 tonnes and a length of 593.8 ft.