AdvanFort secures a client's voyage on the Bab-el-Mandeb channel

The MV Glory Mercy, on its way from the Red Sea to China, was embarked last August 17th, at 17 N, before sunrise (1-2 a.m. local time) by an AdvanFort armed security team to provide safe voyage through a high-risk area. The highest risk area is, of course, right along the shores of Somalia. In recent years, the attacks have been occurring in the vicinity of the narrow Bab-el-Mandeb channel, where Red Sea meets Gulf of Aden and whose shallowest point is located at the northern end of the strait. Because the attacks are occurring more in the Red Sea, the vessels are picking security teams up in this area and not from Djibouti, as they were just a year ago. The AdvanFort guards settled in, held a meeting with the ship's master and a conducted a mandatory walk around the vessel to make notes of possible improvements needed to further secure it and began their duty. Around noon the same day, the team and the crew were given the reality check all too common in that part of the maritime world. Masters are required and advised to have additional look out on a vessel's bridge wings. This is to provide a constant lookout, even as the guard on duty is either monitoring the radar or having a walk-around on one or the other side. On this particular day, the chief officer had the crew working outside, as some improvements were necessary. Around 1 p.m. a speedboat was observed coming straight at the ship, at high speed. Usually the fishermen in that area are easily identified by fishing rods standing tall on their boats, but this was no fishing boat. A general alarm was sounded to summon the crew from the deck.