21.   A Royal Air Force Nimrod search plane was sent to the area, and two merchant vessels were assisting in the search, the Coastguard said.

22.   A merchant vessel picked up four crew members from a life raft after they abandoned the Sky Bird, a container ship, navy Commander Silverio Tavares Martins said.

23.   A U.S. Navy helicopter Thursday evacuated a Russian seaman who suffered a heart attack aboard a merchant vessel in the Gulf waters.

24.   Activity at the Colombo port also came to a temporary standstill Thursday, when two other merchant vessels in the port damaged the pier.

25.   Britain designed the Liberty merchant vessels during World War II to quickly replace American merchant marine ships hit by the Nazis.

26.   Carranza said they have strong reason to believe the captured vessel was a pirate ship pouncing on merchant vessels going to and from the Subic Freeport.

27.   DURING his sailing days on board merchant vessels, Datuk Halim Mohammad had to endure a lot of hardship while working his way up.

28.   Eventually, a small Chinese skiff docked and took them to an awaiting merchant vessel.

29.   Eventually, a small Chinese skiff took them to a merchant vessel.

30.   Eventually, a small Chinese skiff took them to an awaiting merchant vessel.