marine engineering

Home page||Ship employment ||


Piracy and armed robbery on board cargo ships - general precautions

General precautions

The dangers to a vessel can be significantly reduced if the ship's crew take relatively simple precautions, such as remaining vigilant and keeping means of access closed as much as possible, particularly access to crew accommodation.

All ships operating in waters where attacks occur should have an anti attack plan. The plan should, inter alia, cover:

i) the need for enhanced surveillance and the use of lighting and surveillance or detection equipment;

ii) crew responses if a potential attack is detected or an attack is underway;

iii) minimising the opportunity to steal cargo, stores or personal effects;

iv) ensuring the safety of the ships crew and passengers.

v)details of the radio and alarm procedures to be followed, and

vi) the reports that should be made after an attack, or attempted attack.

The SSP contains details of precautionary measures that are to be taken. The following notes are for guidance only based of advice from security experts:

Be vigilant : the majority of attacks will be deterred if the robbers are aware that they have been observed, and that the crew has been alerted and is prepared to resist attempts to board. Ensure that crew members are constantly seen to be moving around the ship, making random rather than predictable patrols.

Maintain a 24 hour visual and security watch : including shortrange radar surveillance of the waters around the ship. The use of a small yacht radar, fitted in such a way as to ensure complete coverage of the stern, unobscured by the radar shadow of the ship itself, should be considered. Keep a special lookout for small boats and fishing boats that pirates often use because they are difficult to observe on radar. In piracy blackspots, discourage the crew from trading with locals using small craft which may approach the ship.

Strengthen night watches : especially around the rear of the ship and particularly between the hours of 0100 and 0600 when most attacks occur, with continuous patrols linked by "walkietalkie" to the bridge. A drill should be established for regular twoway communication between the watch and the bridge. If possible, an additional officer should assist the normal bridge watchkeepers at night, in order to provide a dedicated radar and visual watch for small craft which might attempt to manoeuvre alongside, and allow the watchkeepers to concentrate on normal navigational duties.



Seal off means of access to the ship : fit hawse pipe plates, lock doors and hatches etc. While taking due account of the need for escape in the event of fire or other emergency, so far as possible all means of access to the accommodation should be sealed off and windows and doors of crews quarters should be kept locked at all times. Blocking access between the aft deck and the crews quarters is particularly important.

Establish radio (VHF) contact : and agree emergency signals specifically for pirate attacks with:

i)crew
ii) ships in the vicinity
iii) shore authorities

Locate an emergency VHF set : away from the master's cabin and the radio room which are often the first targets.

Provide adequate lighting : deck and overside lights, particularly at the bow and stern, should be provided to illuminate the deck and the waters beyond and to dazzle potential boarders. Searchlights should be available on the bridge wings, and torches carried by the security patrols to identify suspicious craft. Such additional lighting should not however, be so bright as to obscure navigation lights or to interfere with the safe navigation of other vessels.

Water hose and any other equipment : which may be used to repel potential boarders should be readily available. Keep a constant supply of water provided to the hoses. In danger areas keep the deck wash pump in operation at all times spray water over the rear deck where it is easiest for the attackers to board.

Reduce opportunities for theft : remove all portable equipment from the deck, so far as is possible stow containers containing valuables doortodoor and in tiers, seal off access to the accommodation.

Establish a secure area or areas : if large numbers of armed robbers succeed in boarding the ship, it may be essential for crew members to retreat to a secure area or areas. Depending upon the construction of the accommodation and the extent to which areas can be effectively sealed off, the secure area may be established in the accommodation as a whole, or in more restricted parts around the bridge and inside the engine room. Provision should be made, however for escape during a fire or other emergency.

Inform crew of the security plan : hold a training exercise and ensure that they are fully briefed on the actions to take in the event of an attack by armed robbers.

If pirates succeed in boarding the vessel, resistance and confrontation are not recommended as the likelihood of violence will undoubtedly be magnified. Agreeing to the demands of the attackers will hopefully keep the unwelcome visit brief, thereby allowing full control of the ship to be regained as soon as possible. Crew members can assist passively by mentally noting as many details as possible and pooling such information later on.


The latest information on piracy attacks and the regions at greatest risk may be obtained from the International Chamber of Commerce Piracy Reporting Centre who can be contacted via the International Maritime Bureau:

ICC IMB (Far Eastern Regional Office),
PO Box 1255950782,Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Telephone: +60 3 2078 5763,
Fax: +60 3 2078 576
Email: IMBKL@icc-ccs.org, Telex: MA31880 IMBPCI. www.icc-ccs.org
The 24-hour anti-piracy helpline number is +60 3 2031 0014




Other useful articles :
  1. Rope handling safe procedure

    2. Ropes are made of short fibres that are spun into yarns, which are then made into flat or twisted strands. And the strands are spun or braided to make the finished rope .
    More .....

  2. Synthetic man-made ropes and hawsers

    3. Although natural fibre ropes are still widely used throughout the marine industry, they have been superseded by synthetic fibres for a great many purposes. Not only do the majority of synthetic ropes have greater strength than their natural fibre counterparts, but they are more easily obtainable and at present considerably cheaper.
    More .....

  3. Natural fibre rope

    4. All natural fibre rope is manufactured from manilla, sisal, hemp, coir, cotton or flax fibres.The process of manufacture consists of twisting the fibres into yarns and turning the yarns in an opposite direction to establish the strands.
    More .....

  4. Prepare cargo holds prior loading

    5. Washing is always carried out after the compartment has been swept. Drying time for washed compartments must be allowed for, before loading the next cargo; this time will vary with the climate, but two to three days must be expected.
    More .....

  5. Strength and stability of the Lifting appliances

    6. The vessel's structure, crane, derrick or other lifting device and the supporting structure should be of sufficient strength to withstand the loads that will be imposed when operating at its maximum load moment .
    More .....

  6. Anchoring safe practice

    7. Prior approaching an area for anchoring ships master should investigate fully a suitable anchoring position and conduct a planned approach including speed reduction in ample time and orienting the ships head prior anchoring to same as similar sized vessels around or stem the tide or wind whichever is stronger . Final decision to be made on method of anchoring to be used , the number of shackles , the depth of water, expected weather and holding ground. .
    More .....

  7. MacGregor single-pull weather-deck hatch cover

    8. Hatch covers are used to close off the hatch opening and make it watertight. Wooden hatch covers, consisting of beams and boards over the opening and covered with tarpaulins, were once used but are no longer fitted. Steel hatch covers, comprising a number of linked steel covers, are now fitted universally. Various designs exist for particular applications, but most offer simple and quick opening and closing, which speed up the cargo handling operation..
    More .....

  8. Cargo holds access arrangement

    9. The access shall be separate from the hatchway opening, and shall be by a stairway if possible. A fixed ladder, or a line of fixed rungs, shall have no point where they fill a reverse slope .
    More .....

  9. Lay of Ropes and hawsers - Small Stuff descriptions

    10. The lay of rope is a term used to describe the nature of the twist that produces the complete rope .The most common form of rope at sea is known as ‘hawser laid rope’ comprising three strands laid up right- or lefthanded.
    More .....

  10. Stresses in ship structures and how to mitigate

    11. Heavy weights tend to cause a downward deflection of the deck area supporting the load .This subsequently produces stresses, with consequent inward and outward deflections of supporting bulkheads, depending on the position of initial loading .
    More .....

  11. Lifting appliances - Maintenance, testing, controls & safety measures

    12. When there is any suspicion that any appliance or item of equipment may have been subjected to excessive loads, exceeding the Safe Working Load (SWL), or subjected to treatment likely to cause damage, it should be taken out of service until it can be subjected to a thorough examination by a competent person.
    More .....

  12. Safe operation of Lifting appliances and gears

    13. All lifting operations must be properly planned, appropriately supervised and carried out to protect the safety of workers.
    More .....

Machinery system main info pages

Home page||Cooling ||Machinery||Services ||Valves ||Pumps ||Auxiliary Power ||Propeller shaft ||Steering gears ||Ship stabilizers||Refrigeration||Air conditioning ||Deck machinery||Fire protection||Ship employment ||


Home ||




General Cargo Ship.com provide information on cargo ships various machinery systems -handling procedures, on board safety measures and some basic knowledge of cargo ships that might be useful for people working on board and those who working in the terminal. For any remarks please Contact us


Copyright © 2010-2016 General Cargo Ship.com All rights reserved.
Terms and conditions of use
Read our privacy policy|| Home page||