Official: Hijacked American yacht getting closer to Somalia

The American yacht that was hijacked by pirates last week is less than two days off the Somali coast, a military official said Tuesday.

The vessel is being shadowed by the military in those waters, the official said. The yacht, the S/V Quest, was overtaken by pirates on Friday, according to U.S. officials.

Owners Jean and Scott Adam and two other people on board, Phyllis Macay and Bob Riggle, had been traveling with yachts participating in the Blue Water Rally since their departure from Phuket, Thailand, the rally group said Sunday in a statement on its website. But they broke off on February 15 after leaving Mumbai, India, to take a different route, the group said.

On Monday, a senior military official said a U.S. Navy warship and helicopters were trailing a boat believed to be the one that was hijacked by Somali pirates.

U.S. officials have not identified the people on board the ship, but have confirmed that four U.S. citizens are involved.

U.S. officials have made no further comment on the situation since Rear Adm. Charles Gaouette, deputy commander of the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet, said Saturday that the government is evaluating its options.

Another U.S. official, who asked not to be named due to the sensitivity of the situation, said previously that the United States were determining what military assets were in the region and the capabilities of the personnel onboard. The official said that the pirates are believed to be on board the yacht with the Americans, and the next step would be to determine whether the military could keep the yacht from reaching the shore -- either by blocking or harassing it.

Piracy has flourished off the coast of Somalia, which has not had an effective government for two decades. In April 2009, pirates seized the U.S.-flagged Maersk Alabama, leading to a standoff in the Indian Ocean.

U.S. forces moved to rescue American Capt. Richard Phillips after seeing a pirate aiming a weapon on his back, officials said at the time.

Three pirates were killed and one was arrested. The Somali man arrested was sentenced to more than 30 years in prison.