MV Dubai Moon
Encyclopedia
MV Dubai Moon was a cargo ship which sank on (or soon after) May 21, 2010 due to strong waves caused by a tropical storm. The ship was carrying vehicles in the Gulf of Aden when she was struck by Cyclone Bandu, which pushed it off the track. The ship sent a distress call which was picked by Royal Navy
frigate HMS Chatham
. 23 crew members were rescued by the Westland Lynx
helicopter from Chatham before Dubai Moon sank.
At that time, the Panama
nian-registered
Dubai Moon was being blown towards the island of Abd al Kuri
in the Gulf of Aden
and the there were fears that it would run aground on the island. Efforts to alter the ship's course caused it to list further and risked capsizing it. Chatham set course for the ship.
Dubai Moon missed the island and dropped her anchors early on 21 May to try to stop as she was approaching the island of Jazirat Samhah. Although the anchors did not hold they prevented the ship from hitting a reef.
Weather conditions improved during the day so that Chatham was able to launch her helicopter to rescue the entire crew of 23 over a period of three hours, and the ship sank after the rescue. In an interview following his rescue, Captain Madar explained that his ship had been operating further out to sea than normal to avoid Somalian pirates, and was consequently unable to seek shelter in the storm.
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
frigate HMS Chatham
HMS Chatham (F87)
HMS Chatham was a Batch 3 Type 22 frigate of the British Royal Navy. She has the rare honour of a motto in English; Up and at 'em, being the rallying cry of the Medway town football and rugby teams. The motto has subsequently been translated back into Latin as Surge et vince...
. 23 crew members were rescued by the Westland Lynx
Westland Lynx
The Westland Lynx is a British multi-purpose military helicopter designed and built by Westland Helicopters at its factory in Yeovil. Originally intended as a utility craft for both civil and naval usage, military interest led to the development of both battlefield and naval variants...
helicopter from Chatham before Dubai Moon sank.
Sinking
On May 20, 2010, HMS Chatham received a radio distress call from the master of MV Dubai Moon, Capt Hassan Madar. Capt Madar reported that his ship, which was transporting vehicles and 175 nautical miles (324.1 km) from Chatham, was caught in the Cyclone Bandu tropical storm and that the deck cargo had shifted causing the vessel to list 20 degrees in the extremely rough seas and winds of 70 mph (113 km/h).At that time, the Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
nian-registered
Flag State
The flag state of a commercial vessel is the state under whose laws the vessel is registered or licensed.The flag state has the authority and responsibility to enforce regulations over vessels registered under its flag, including those relating to inspection, certification, and issuance of safety...
Dubai Moon was being blown towards the island of Abd al Kuri
Abd al Kuri
Abd al Kuri is a rocky island about 65 miles southwest of Socotra in the Indian Ocean. It is part of the Socotra Archipelago and belongs to Yemen, although it is geographically closer to the Horn of Africa....
in the Gulf of Aden
Gulf of Aden
The Gulf of Aden is located in the Arabian Sea between Yemen, on the south coast of the Arabian Peninsula, and Somalia in the Horn of Africa. In the northwest, it connects with the Red Sea through the Bab-el-Mandeb strait, which is about 20 miles wide....
and the there were fears that it would run aground on the island. Efforts to alter the ship's course caused it to list further and risked capsizing it. Chatham set course for the ship.
Dubai Moon missed the island and dropped her anchors early on 21 May to try to stop as she was approaching the island of Jazirat Samhah. Although the anchors did not hold they prevented the ship from hitting a reef.
Weather conditions improved during the day so that Chatham was able to launch her helicopter to rescue the entire crew of 23 over a period of three hours, and the ship sank after the rescue. In an interview following his rescue, Captain Madar explained that his ship had been operating further out to sea than normal to avoid Somalian pirates, and was consequently unable to seek shelter in the storm.