Maffia - corruption - piracy - all bad words and unfortunately all applicable to Nigeria. If they're willing to pay the price, cargo vessels can be escorted fore and aft by gunboats. Piracy is an age-old trade and gunning them down, part of daily life it seems. Normal protection is just one highspeed vessel to accompany the convoy of cargo vessels in and out of the seaport Onne, which is just south of Port Harcourt in Nigeria. There is a certain area in the delta where no police or navy control is done. Therefore the area is used for pirate-trade. Eelco's ship left Nigerian waters again under surveilance. It is though on the high seas out of the high risk area (and protection), that the pirates are active. Pirates are one thing, but it's the corruption applied in maffia manner by the officials on all levels which leaves the bitter taste.
Skipper is on his way with the mv UAL TEXAS to Takoradi in Ghana, West Africa. The trip started in Houston Texas and they battled heavy seas and large swell crossing the Atlantic. Now in the lee of the African continent, they can pick-up speed again. I can follow him on marinetraffic.com
