'British' ship seized off Somalia

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[Stuart2007]

Another ship was seized today/yesterday off the Somali coast... Nothing unusual in that, but one thing did strike me as odd:

"[bbc]... British flagged vessel... No British persons were onboard..." I seem to recall that most countries (certainly here) that to fly the nations flag that the senior officers had to be of that country (all except the countries that are 'convenience ports' only)...

It certainly used to be the case here... Would be interested to hear comments on this from qualified people... Where's Angus when you need him?

[The Ferry Man]

Not sure about that, but the vessel was a Vehicle Carrier - first one to be seized...

[Traddles]

Stuart,
I have no idea how a British registered ship has no Britons aboard. In my time at sea this would never have happened. Has our country now sunk so low as to be used as a flag of convenience, like Panama and Liberia??

[Ballast]

It's the British flagged car carrier Asian Glory (http://www.shipspotting.com/modules/myalbum/photo.php?lid=253487) that is been hijacked since this morning.

The British flagged chemical tanker St. James Park (http://www.shipspotting.com/modules/myalbum/photo.php?lid=1043642) is hijacked earlier this week.

[Stuart2007]

Stuart,
I have no idea how a British registered ship has no Britons aboard. In my time at sea this would never have happened. Has our country now sunk so low as to be used as a flag of convenience, like Panama and Liberia??

Thanks for that clarification... It appears that we have...

(since more and more of 'our' ships fly flags of convenience instead of our own, it is little wonder...)

[Firestar]

Oh no! Are the passengers alright?

[Kapn Jonah]

You wouldnt think that they would capture a passenger ship... wasn't it a car carrying vessel?

[IRI5HJ4CK]

Stuart,
I have no idea how a British registered ship has no Britons aboard. In my time at sea this would never have happened. Has our country now sunk so low as to be used as a flag of convenience, like Panama and Liberia??

It's happening all over the place now...Even Maersk are cutting jobs now and replacing them with those who will work cheaper...

Not good (Nothing against the people...But to me, a British Flagged Ship should have British/Local people on it. Depending on how you define local, is the problem...)

[marcstrat]

I have no idea how a British registered ship has no Britons aboard.

Hoy,
The problem is the payment every month.Years ago when i came of the fishingvessels,i wanted to go on the bigger ships.So i went to the seamens-pool,in Antwerp.
At that time most of the shipping company's did change the lower crew from local seamen,to seaman from asia,most of them phillipinos.
These seamen stay sometimes more than 1 year on the ship,than go home for maybe 2 months.
The last years even the higher officers are been changed to other country's officers.Offcource for the same reason,(monthly payment).
Marc

[Ballast]

There are always loopholes in the law to dodge rules about the crew nationality. There are some cases known overhere, where the owner places vacany's but rejects the sollicitant for 'over or under qualified reasons'. This way the owner can sail with foreign officers, because they are allowed to do that when there isnt any officer from the flagstate available.