MV Sun Express

A UH1N Twin Huey helicopter provides cover as Marines board the MV Magellan Star during a board and seizure.
History
Name
  • Sun Express since 2012
  • Previously Magellan Star, Conmar Cape, Judith Borchard, Gracechurch Star. Built as Pioneer Albatross.
Port of registry Antigua and Barbuda[1]
Laid down5 December 2000[2]
Launched28 March 2002[2]
Completed2002[1]
Identification
NotesClassed by Germanischer Lloyd since 2002.[1]
General characteristics
Class and typeContainer ship[1]
Tonnage
Length133.53 m (438.1 ft)[2]
Beam18.70 m (61.4 ft)[2]
Draught7.223 m (23.70 ft)[2]
Capacity735 TEU[2]
Crew19[2]

MV Sun Express is a German-owned container ship registered under the flag of convenience of Antigua and Barbuda. A U.S. Marine Force Reconnaissance team boarded the ship off the coast of Somalia on 9 September 2010, reclaiming control from pirates who had seized the ship and taken the crew hostage.[3][4] At the time it was captured by pirates the ship was traveling from Bilbao, Spain, to Singapore with a cargo of anchor chains.

The raid

Just before dawn, the U.S. team from the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit's Maritime Raid Force launched the assault from aboard the USS Dubuque (LPD-8), an amphibious transport ship. It was the first time U.S. military forces off Somalia had staged an action to board a commercial vessel in which pirates were on board with hostages, said a U.S. Navy spokesman.[5]

Grounding

On 3 November 2012, Conmar Cape ran aground off Subic Bay whilst on a voyage from Manila, Philippines to Hong Kong.[6] She was refloated between 16 and 18 November.[7]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Magellan Star (9242572)". Equasis. Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy. Retrieved 12 September 2010.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h "Magellan Star (110075)". Vessel Register for DNV. Germanischer Lloyd. Retrieved 12 September 2010.
  3. ^ "US Marines take back pirate-held ship off Somalia". Archived from the original on 12 September 2010.
  4. ^ U.S. Forces Take Ship From Somali Pirates, New York Times, 9 September 2010
  5. ^ "U.S. forces board pirate-captured vessel, seize control - CNN.com".
  6. ^ Voytenko, Mikhail (9 November 2012). "German boxship Conmar Cape aground off Subic Bay". Fleetmon. Retrieved 14 December 2017.
  7. ^ Voytenko, Mikhail (18 November 2012). "German boxship Conmar Cape taken to Keppel Shipyard for repairs after grounding, Philippine". Fleetmon. Retrieved 14 December 2017.

Media related to IMO 9242572 at Wikimedia Commons

13°23′S 49°58′E / 13.383°S 49.967°E / -13.383; 49.967