Top Ten Maersk Alabama Pirate Hijacking Facts

The Top Ten

1 It was the first American cargo ship to be hijacked in two hundred years

2 The story of the incident was reported in the 2010 book A Captain's Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALs, and Dangerous Days at Sea by Stephan Talty and Captain Richard Phillips

3 The ship, with a crew of 23, loaded with 17,000 metric tons of cargo, was bound for Mombasa, Kenya, after a stop in Djibouti

4 It was a series of maritime events that began with four pirates in the Indian Ocean

5 On April 7th, the U.S. Maritime Administration released multiple Somalia Gulf of Aden “advisory to mariners” recommending ships to stay at least 600 nautical miles off Somalia’s coast.

6 The crew members locked themselves in the 130 degree engine room. Chief Engineer Mike Perry ambushed one pirate with a pocket knife and took him hostage for 12 hours.

7 The lead pirate Abduwali Muse boarded the USS Bainbridge to address a wound he had received during the takeover of the Maersk, and begin negotiations for Phillips.

8 The crew members of the Maersk Alabama had received anti-piracy training from union training schools

9 Despite media reports to the contrary and poetic license in the 2013 film, Captain Phillips never offered his life for that of his crew.

10 The Maersk was eventually given a US military escort to its final destination.

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