Pilgrims vessel 'The Judge' to bolster maritime security in West Africa
The vessel, MV The Judge, was acquired by Pilgrims in the USA three years ago and has recently been refitted to install state-of-the-art navigation and anti-piracy equipment, expanding its personnel capacity to twelve crew members.
Corporate clients, including oil companies, geological surveyors and cable laying experts, have already enjoyed the protection of an armed escort provided by MV The Judge, whose captain, Shane Slabbert, has military experience with the South African Navy. The vessel, which has worked as far afield as Egypt, Somalia and Mombasa, is now based in Lagos, Nigeria, working alongside the Nigerian armed forces, and its area of operations now extends along the West African coast.
“The potential for attack by pirates is a regrettable feature of modern maritime activity and poses a significant threat to our clients, many of whom are involved in projects of international economic significance,” says Daniel Revmatas, General Manager of Pilgrims Africa.
“The Judge gives Pilgrims the ability to provide organisations with a complete solution to security provision, both on land and at sea. Our sea-borne service, demonstrated by the upgraded abilities of The Judge, provides welcome reassurance in this uncertain environment.”
The highly mobile vessel is able to respond rapidly to potential threats, long before a suspicious craft can approach a client’s operation. Pilgrims co-ordinates MV The Judge’s operations closely with the Nigerian authorities to escort a range of commercial operations around West African waters. These operations include oil exploration, seismic surveys, resupply missions, crew changes and emergency evacuation.
“The decision to bring MV The Judge vessel to Lagos and have a dedicated offshore maritime role is a fantastic addition to the Pilgrims service in Nigeria,” says Tim Hepworth, Regional Director for Drum Cussac, Nigeria, which works alongside Pilgrims supporting clients in the country.
“The vessel is fit for task and ideally suited to escort operations or short to mid-term survey and drilling operations in support of the oil and gas industries.”
