Another Yacht Has Been Pirated

[boatman61]

'Born on a mountain top in Tennessee...
'Got me a gun... when I woz only 3.....'
Gailwind... Gailwind Gunman....
King of the wild Cun-treeee......'


and Yemen, and Somalia, and Eritrea.....
This is my rifle this is my gun.... the rifles for fighting .... and the gun.. knife.... club.. fork....
and if that don't work I'll stab you in the eye with my cigarette papers....

[Alexei]

Originally Posted by hoppy

I just can't wait for the news reports of one yachtie shooting another over a mooring or the smell of the chickens on board.

The more heavily armed the yachties are the more heavily armed and the more trigger happy the criminals will be. Ons look at the number of gun murders/gun ownership in places like the US and Somalia will highlight the bleeding obvious.

It's time for an international effort to help the Somali government to take control of their country. But there is no oil or any other resources that others want from there, so the motivation to help is low,

I respectfully disagree. Vehemently.

I can't speak with other nations, but I know for a fact that the US Navy has been handcuffed by political douchebags via rules of engagement and concern over the 12 mile limit around Somalia. Really? We're concerned about violating the territorial waters of a country without a government....that basically isn't a country? Stupid! All that needs to happen is to take the gloves off and allow warships to engage pirate vessels, wherever located, and without being required to "apprehend". We have a number of destroyers patrolling the area all the time. Treat it like the combat situation it is, pick up any survivors, but blow the pirates out of the water. Every time. Then sit back and watch how quickly the problem goes away.

Make the risk far greater than the reward and people will not take the risk.

[boatman61]

Well the Royal Navy is certainly taking it seriously.... they're appealing to the Government for more freedom of action...
They argue the 'Pirates' represent a threat to the National Security of the UK... in as much as we don't have storage capability for Liqiud Gas Imports that keep our country running... all it needs is 2 super tankers of gas bound for the UK to be taken in short order and the country could grind to a halt....
Lets see if the call to arms is heeded...

[Capt Phil]

I would be interested to hear just who is behind the Somali pirates. A fourth rate piece of desolation cannot mount the kind of sophisticated, on going sieze and hold for ransom action that they have been involved in continuously for several years. I spent time in Sudan, a neighboring country back in the 70's and early 80's and the Sudanese (who are no great prize themselves) looked down on the Somali's as degenerate, largely uneducated and highly unmotivated. Haille Sallasi kept the pot from boiling over for several decades but when he died so died any sembalance of control in the region. Al Quaeda is now the most influential political force in the country. Your correct in noting that there is very little value from a natural resource point of view in Somalia but it does have a strategic geographic value because of its position in the area. I'm sure that this fact has not gone unoticed by who ever is currently pulling the strings. Boatman has it right IMHO, as soon as a major player like the UK is threatened and begins to fight fire with fire, piracy as a way of life in the region will vanish as it has in other parts of the world and it will become just a regular old religious war.

[SabreKai]

Just out of curiosity, how many of you think that you have sufficient friends to pay the ransom to get you out of pirate hands? Assuming you were dumb enough to go anywhere near that area in the first place, lets say they did grab you. The boat you have worked a good part of your life for is left bobbing round unattended and will end up god knows where. You and your family and close friends will end up spending a fair bit of time sitting in a mud and grass hut while those half nuts Quat chewing people put out ransom demands for millions of dollars to release your sorry butt.

How many of you can honestly state that you have enough friends to get you out of there?

Your government won't do squat, the bank that owns your boat (if they still do) won't squat either. Do you think your insurance will pay to rescue you and pay for the boat? Maybe, but I doubt it. I'm pretty sure it says you are SOL in the fine print.

So, who pray tell, is going to spring you from durance vile?




Sabre

[S/V Alchemy]

I don't like to dwell on this, but the Agulhas Current is looking better all the time.

[barnakiel]

The RSA way is only so-so. First there is the weather then there is the criminality. No piracy AT SEA there though.

I went the RSA way in a smallish boat and we did fine. We did not see or hear any navigational trouble for yachts that year.

If I were to chose an option again I would ask my first mate of her opinion and then we would go via the cape again, I guess.

PS BTW I think paying ransoms is one of the reasons why the piracy is there. And each time a ransom is paid the pirates come up with better boats and better equipment, to find you. Some time ago a rib with pirates was stopped in Yemeni waters: it had AIS, radar, IR equipment on board - much better gear than I have ever had in my boat.

b.

[S/V Alchemy]

Yes, I have heard that the crime is pretty well all land-based around the Cape, and it's best to pick weather windows with care. I have also heard, however, that there are good places to leave the boat for a few days to check out an admittedly beautiful country.

My kid wants to see Egypt, Greece and Turkey. We will have to observe conditions as we cruise after 2012/13, but at this point it just looks too piratical/unstable to do the Red Sea/Suez route. I guess it's Gibraltar and looking out for levanters and siroccos, etc.

[Bergovoy]

i have no friends or family.. at least none that would give five bucks for me...

and if they could give money, I would hope they dont... PLEASE... they can fight, negotiate, lie, but dont give them what they want... please hunt down thier familys or goats or something...

wait.. sorry, dont harm thier familes...

[Artif]

I just came across this Maritime Security Operations and the

I was particularly interested in the comment that piracy is good for business, in the U.K. at least, being as the U.K. is one of the main players in marine insurance. Piracy goes up then the premiums go up and insurance companies make more money.

[biminijimini]

"i have no friends or family.. at least none that would give five bucks for me...

and if they could give money, I would hope they dont... PLEASE... they can fight, negotiate, lie, but dont give them what they want... please hunt down thier familys or goats or something...

wait.. sorry, dont harm thier familes... "

Hunt down their families and friends and the leaders but SAVE THE GOATS!!

[storyinframes]

Navy captures another pirate ship, 52 held - Rediff.com India News

Indian Navy captures Pirates and Mother ship. west of Lakshadweep islands in the shipping lanes.

[storyinframes]

Apparently the pirates were so frustrated after a merchant-man evaded them that by nightfall they sighted nav lights on the horizon, closed on it, fired warning shots to slow down, only to discover a barrage of incoming machine gun fire. they discovered it was an Indian Coast guard frigate.
within a span of week 2 motherships (captured THAI trawlers) and 50 pirates were apprehended and locked in prison.

[Southern Star]

Great news (and Kudos to India)!

Brad

[storyinframes]

ow those 52 pirates will rot in prisons for the rest of their lives, without standing trial of course. they will curse India's slow judicial process but should have thought about it before venturing too close to Indian territories.