Stories of modern day piracy continue to become a topic of conversation with visiting shipmasters.

On Sunday when the tanker Elbrus arrived for bunkers captain Nickolai Golovchenko, whom I met several times on his previous call at the docks in 2007, told me that he had left Qatar fully-laden with diesel bound for the Suez Canal and Europe.

“As we approached Aden several military ships were in the area. Some hours ahead of us a Greek tanker was attacked by pirates in fast boats.

“The captain sent on an urgent request for military assistance. Luckily the military were close and the situation was soon under control. It is worrying times for shipmasters and crews when passing Somalia” said Nickolai.

Some of the major oil and container shipping companies have already taken steps to combat the pirates by ordering their shipmasters to avoid the Gulf of Aden and go around the Cape of Good Hope.

The move is damaging the revenue of the Suez Canal Company which has noticed a downturn in trade.

A few hours after the Elbrus anchored the tanker Ginga Hawk, fully laden with palm oil arrived in the Carrick Roads from Malaysia and Indonesia. Her Korean master said that his ship was diverted around the Cape of Good Hope to avoid piracy off Somalia adding an extra 11 days steaming time on his voyage.