31/08/15 Sovereign Global UK’s vessel Aladin rescues the crew of the Focomar from Samha Island in the Socotra archipelago, Horn of Africa.
On Saturday 22nd August 2015, Sovereign Global UK’s vessel MV Aladin returned safely to her home port of Djibouti with the 24 rescued crew of the Focomar. Early in August the Focomar got into mechanical difficulties whilst transiting the Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor (IRTC), and the crew were forced to abandon ship and headed due south in the Focomar’s lifeboat to Samha Island. The Focomar was later recovered by tug and is heading to Dubai.
Due to the current operating environment in the region and conflict in Yemen, the rescue mission’s success relied upon close co-ordination with the coalition fleet in the region. Lieutenant Commander Peter Harriman, Royal Navy of the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) based in Dubai said “UKMTO along with EU Naval Force and other military organisations in the region were pleased to be able to play their part in the safe recovery of the crew.”
The crew of the vessel were made up of the Focomar’s Russian Master, 15 Ukrainians, 6 Filipinos and 2 Greeks in total. The vessel’s owner supported by its insurer, West of England Protection and Indemnity (P&I) Club chartered MV Aladin from Sovereign Global UK from Djibouti Port to embark on the 10-day round trip. Due to the seasonal weather conditions and sea states Aladin’s Master charted a safe passage to Samha island to rescue the crew using his experience and knowledge of the Horn of Africa in Monsoon season. The crew were safely retrieved from Samha Island on 17th August 2015 by the launches from MV Aladin. The crew had been look after by the local fisherman on the island.
“We were impressed by the speed, efficiency and operational knowledge of the challenges in the region by Sovereign Global’s UK’s management team” said Ian Clarke, Hellas CEO from the West of England P&I Club. “Thank you for a first rate response and rescuing the crew in difficult circumstances.”
“Working in the region and conducting the work we do, we are well placed to support the complexity of the mission undertaken to rescue the crew of the Focomar, at the behest of her owners and the West of England P&I Club. Through both formal diplomatic channels and our local network, we were quickly able to establish the safety of the Focomar crew on Samha Island and then quickly position our vessel Aladin, in order to mount a swift and safe rescue of the crew” said Christophe Durand, Managing Director of Maritime Programmes for Sovereign Global UK.”
