Crew members blame ship captain for pirate attack, say he ignored warnings

Cargo ship crew blames captain for pirate attack

MONTPELIER, Vt. — Some crewmen who were aboard the American cargo ship hijacked by pirates last April now say their captain ignored repeated warnings to stay at least 600 miles off the African coast.

Records obtained by The Associated Press show that maritime safety groups issued at least seven advisories warning of pirate attacks in the days before outlaws boarded the Maersk Alabama in the Gulf of Aden, about 380 miles offshore.

A piracy expert and the ship’s second-in-command say Captain Richard Phillips had the prerogative to heed the warnings or not.

Phillips, who lives in Underhill, declined to comment on the allegation.