Maersk Email Shows Tense Standoff, Resourceful Crew, "Desperate" Pirates

The crew of the M/V Maersk Alabama acted quickly to take control of key areas of the vessel after Somali pirates attacked on April 8, according to a crewmember's account obtained by the Voice.

The insider's emailed account of the initial day of the drama offers details that have been somewhat overlooked in the articles about the U.S. Navy rescue of the ship's captain, Richard Phillips, after four days as a hostage.

The crewmember tells friends that by the time the pirates had commandeered the bridge, the chief engineer and two other crewmen had taken control of the engine and steering rooms.

The pirates initially captured the captain and three crewmembers on the unsecured bridge. But the rest of the crew was able to flee to the relative safety of the lower parts of the vessel.

Read the rest of Graham Rayman's post here.