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News: Le Ponant Seizure
On Friday April 4th the French sailing vessel Le Ponant was seized by pirates off the coast of Somalia. Zegrahm Expeditions has chartered this exceptional ship for many years and thus has a close relationship with the ship owner and dedicated crew. We support them in this troubling time and send our thoughts and prayers to all the crew and their families. See in comments below a letter sent on April 7th to the ship owner.
This web site has a good compilation of the daily developments, or for the latest news and updates, please check with your reliable news source. As of Monday April 7th the crew is believed to be safe and unharmed and the French government is in negotiations with the pirates. There were no passengers on board at the time of the seizure.
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Our prayers are with the entire crew. Compliments to Zegrahm and staff for the foresight to not transport passengers through dangerous waters.
We are so glad we are able to react now, we have been missing this opportunity for the past days.
Our thougts are with the crew all the time; they had been wonderful in our trip to the Seychelles in Februar/March this year. Let’s hope the best of it.
We were on the next to last Seychelles trip on Le Ponant, a wonderful trip with a splendid Commandant, officers and crew. Our concern was also for our expedition leader and and cruise leader, since we believe Lea, at least, was to head the Petra to Pyramid trip on Le Ponant, and might have used the trip from Mahe to the Med as her transportation. I gather she is/was not on board.
Our prayers are for all those caught up in this dreadful event.
Lew and Connie
We look at our recent Feb. trip pictures and are painfully reminded of the wonderful crew and captain of the Le Ponant. They made our trip memorable with all their attention and enthusiasm, and now we wish there were something besides hopes and prayers we could do for them and their families. We have been following the course of the news through “Google” as a way to stay up to date.
Thank you all for your concern, the crew’s families and the ship owner will appreciate the thoughts you send their way. You are correct, no Zegrahm staff were on board the ship and Lia is safe in Europe at this time.
We have been searching the internet continuously since hearing of this appalling assault against people with whom we feel such a strong attachment and for whom we have such deep concern. It is really quite amazing how a group of people can bond so closely in only a week. We keep recalling the smiling faces of the crew members- serving us breakfast each morning, taking us on bumpy zodiac rides, greeting us at the top of the stairs when we trudged wearily up to dinner, playing an unbelievably funny slot machine game on Casino Night…always smiling, always making us feel so special. It seems so insignificant that the only “payback” we can give them is to pray - to keep them in our thoughts - to tell others we know to do the same. If their families know of this blog, I hope they read it and know how much these men and women mean to us and how deeply we care. We are concerned that the French government and whoever else is negotiating with these unspeakable men do so with nothing but the safety of these hostages as a priority. Hostages is the word the public uses. But, to all of us, they are friends.
Yesterday Zegrahm Expeditions’ President Scott Fitzsimmons sent a letter to the ship owner. We thought you may appreciate reading it.
Dear Jean Emmanuel, Eric, and our CIP friends,
During the many years that we have worked with you, and your captains and crew members aboard the ships, long-lasting friendships have been formed. Aboard Le Ponant specifically, hundreds of Zegrahm Expeditions passengers have enjoyed her charm, and especially the warmth, hospitality, and adventurous spirit of her crew. Great memories, life changing experiences, the wonderful feeling of “family”-all, and more, have come from traveling the world together on Le Ponant.
Right now, our hearts ache for Le Ponant’s crew, their family and friends, who are facing this terrible ordeal. So many past travelers aboard Le Ponant have reached out to Zegrahm, sending care and concern for their friends aboard. We all want to help, and are overcome with worry.
Please know that every crew member is foremost in our thoughts and prayers. We hope for a quick and safe return of our friends. As you meet with their families, please let them know just how much their loved ones mean to us…they have “extended” family across the Atlantic thinking of them constantly.
We look forward to seeing the smiling faces of our Le Ponant friends again very soon. Thank you for all that you are doing to make that happen.
Warm regards,
Scott Fitzsimmons
President
Thank you, Scott, for articulating in such a clear and caring way the thoughts so many of us have for the special people of Le Ponant. Through email messages, many more Zegrahm clients are aware of the horrific situation and are supporting through thoughts and prayers. The Captain and crew are indeed, extended family to us.
Let us hope that our good wishes bring a quick and safe resolution for our friends of Le Ponant!
Chuck and I are as distressed as the rest of you about Le Ponant seizure. We think of that wonderful, friendly crew daily and hope they will be kept safe and unharmed. We feel so lucky to have had such a wonderful trip with such great people - a priviledge to have travelled on Le Ponant. We hope that great ship will be in our future travels once again. Thanks so much for this website! It helps to be able to respond in some way.
Responding to Lew and Connie’s note above: Lia Oprea sent a note saying that she is currently in Paris, praying for news of a safe resolution of the situation, as we all are.
From the moment I received news of the seizure I have been monitoring many websites and news programs and following the plight of this wonderful ship and it’s grand crew. It is indeed a tragedy for something like this to happen. Let’s all hope and pray that they are released safely and in a short period of time. My thoughts are constantly with all of them.
A big thank you to Scott for his wonderful words to the Le Ponant company, and to Zegrahm for allowing all of us to be updated.
I’ll add all my good wishes for a safe outcome to all those good wishes proferred by my fellow passengers on the recent Seychelles/Aldabra trip. What a superb, truly awesome group of crew and officers aboard Le Ponant. Special, special people. God Bless!
April 11, 12.15 pm hr European time, 2008. Good news: All the crew is off the ship and safe. We are so happy to see this news popping up on our screen. We hope this beautifull vessel will sail again for Zegrahm in future!
Fair winds, Ab en Annet from the Netherlands
A proud moment for the crew and captain Marchesseau, thanks to his proffesionalism and quick thinking, was able to keep all calm and protect the female passengers by hidding them as best as he could from the pirates. This is according to a crew member that was interviewed.
A true hero, his leadership will be remembered and used as an example for years to come.
Bravo Patrick,