Gulf | Oman
Freed captain of MV Stolt Valor delighted
After agonising months under gun-toting Somali pirates, the crew of MV Stolt Valor heave a sigh of relief when their tanker anchors off Oman's Port Qaboos.
- By Sunil K. Vaidya, Bureau Chief
- Published: 14:45 November 22, 2008
- MV Stolt Valor was carrying 25,000 tonnes of chemical cargo from the US to the Kandla port in India when it was seized two months ago.
- Image Credit: Sunil K. Vaidya/Gulf News
Muscat: After two agonising months under fearsome gun-toting Somali pirates, the 22-member crew of the Japanese-owned MV Stolt Valor on Saturday heaved a sigh of relief when their tanker anchored off Port Qaboos, waiting for a berthing space.
"It is a great relief to come to Muscat after that ordeal," Captain Prabhat Kumar Goyal told Gulf News on phone from on board the tanker that is anchored some distance from the port.
The ship is waiting for a place to berth at the port and also the ship management team wants to assess the condition of the crew as well as the vessel before they decide to bring the 25,000-tonne tanker loaded with chemicals for berthing.
Goyal, who is a native of Dehradum in north India, said his first priority would be to take flight home and meet his family.
"I have no intention of waiting anywhere for anything and just craving to meet my family after what we endured for two months," he said, adding that all crew members were also looking forward to heading home.
He assured that all the crew members were in good health and the vessel was in perfect condition. "I am delighted to see the Muscat shore from here and I am waiting to step on land as soon as possible," he said.
The captain said that the crew relaxed a lot in the past 36 hours after entering the safe waters of Oman. "I spoke to my wife and can't express my happiness in words."
He also said he was relieved to see his company officials and medical team on board.
MV Stolt Valor was captured by gun-wielding Somali pirates on September 15 and was released after the company reportedly paid a ransom of $2.5 million.
Captain Anshul Rajvanshi of the Mumbai-based Ebony Shipping Company arrived in Muscat with a psychiatrist and a physician to check on the crew and to also debrief them before they disembark to take flights to their respective countries.
On board the ship are 18 Indians, two Filipinos, a Bangladeshi and a Russian. Captain Anshul said that Ebony Shipping was involved in crew management for this Hong Kong-flagged tanker, which is managed by Fleet Management Ltd of Hong Kong.
"The first impression on boarding the ship is that the crew appears to be fine and ship and cargo in good shape," said Captain Anshul, who is here to make all the arrangements for the freed crew to fly home.
"Our first priority was to look for the welfare of the crew," C.M. Najib, General Manager of Towell Barwill, ship's handling agents in Oman, told Gulf News.
He also added that the replacement crew had already arrived in Muscat and will take the tanker to Kandla port in Gujarat, western state of India. "This [freed] crew will fly out in two to three days," he said.
Ships are frequently seized for ransom, as they pass through the Gulf of Eden, by pirates armed with rocket-propelled grenade launchers and automatic weapons.
Last June, the UN Security Council voted to allow international warships to enter Somali waters to combat the problem. However, its 1,880-mile coastline—the longest in Africa—is very difficult to police.
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