NA - Somalian Pirates hijack Saudi owned VLCC

Six hijackings in the last week?!? Doesn't sound like there's much of a deterrent for these guys.
 
It's really unbelievable that these ships don't have some sort of security detail onboard.

I Just got done watching "Captain Ron"....he would never let that happen to his boat....

--Matt
 
The rogue said:
It's really unbelievable that these ships don't have some sort of security detail onboard.
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I think the article said they normally do have some security staff... but when your ship is nearly a 1/4 mile long, that's a lot of perimeter to cover. Maybe they could retrofit harpoons from some of the old decommissioned whaling ships...


Trapper John
 
Nothing says "Get the F away from my ship" like a Phalanx training on you. Maybe there's a market for an anti-ship version that could be depressed to fire at close-in surface targets! Think of what it'd do to some Somali pirate scow.
 
I read a book a couple of years ago called Looking for a Ship by John McPhee. It was a really interesting look at the merchant marine and how our cargo moves around the globe. One part was very interesting and it was on how often and common piracy is. I think we are only hearing more about this as of late due to the recent piracy near Somalia. But form what I understand piracy is a global problem and the straits of Singapore is some of the most heavily pirated infested waters on this globe.

Henning probably worked as a pirate and maybe he'll know more. But I would at least expecdt him to have some pirate stories based on his surface ship work.
 
There are some "interesting" things that can be put on a yacht for defense....
 
These pirate ever mess with ships from Russia or Israel?

They do that often enough and soon there will be no pirates.
 
I read somewhere that arming a cargo ship is illegal due to international law. Because of this technicality, third parties such as Blackwater are becomming a interesting idea to shippers, cause they have thier own boat that can patrol along side.
 
mikea said:
These pirate ever mess with ships from Russia or Israel?

They do that often enough and soon there will be no pirates.
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They have indeed and it is still a stalemate. The ship was Ukrainian, not Russian, but its cargo was 33 Russian T-72 tanks bound for Sudan.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Faina

So far the pirates are staring down Putin!

-Skip
 
Scott, you are correct, the SW Pacific, especially the straits around Indonesia and Malaysia, is crawling with pirates. For some reason only the Somalis are getting the press, probably because the US sometimes gets involved with them. Indonesia and Malaysia won't let us get involved in anti-piracy, probably because the pirates are state-sponsored, just like the olden days. The Somalis are free-lancers, so nobody is there to cover for them.
 
n20junkie said:
I read somewhere that arming a cargo ship is illegal due to international law. Because of this technicality, third parties such as Blackwater are becomming a interesting idea to shippers, cause they have thier own boat that can patrol along side.
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Completely untrue. IMO (the International Maritime Organization, a branch of the UN) discourages arming the crews of merchant vessels, but there is no "international law" (no such thing actually exists, there are international conventions that member states agree to that on the high seas are truly only enforceable by the navies of the flag state that the vessel in question is registered to.) against it. One of the companies I hauled for had a "no weapons" policy, and in the corner of the operations managers office was a rack with some SS Mossberg 12 gauges and a case of ammo in case you were making a trip to a hazardous area. If you happened to grab a couple/three(or 6, one for everyone on some trips) and some ammo and walked out through the office, no one seemed to notice. I always carry a .40 cal semi auto side arm (got a new one not to long ago, woohoo!) and I used to also carry a Mauser in .505 Gibbs for a long range stand off weapon (this is where I want to deter the pirates, before they get within small arms range, I want to be able to puncture hulls and disable engines), but after a long life at sea (I got it from an old retiring captain when I took over a boat from him) it was in a questionable condition for shooting that load anymore. I'd like to get one of the Barretts in .50 BMG to replace it. Clearing into foreign ports is an issue, but rarely a major one. If you declare the weapons, they will either seal the weapons locker with a lead seal similar to bonded stores, or take them and return them when you clear out (I never declare my side arm though, and usually keep one shot gun under my mattress and one in the engine room). I've also run some yachts with pretty serious arsenals onboard including fully automatic military rifles.
 
flyersfan31 said:
Scott, you are correct, the SW Pacific, especially the straits around Indonesia and Malaysia, is crawling with pirates. For some reason only the Somalis are getting the press, probably because the US sometimes gets involved with them. Indonesia and Malaysia won't let us get involved in anti-piracy, probably because the pirates are state-sponsored, just like the olden days. The Somalis are free-lancers, so nobody is there to cover for them.
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The Straits of Malaca have been a pirate haven for centuries now, and nothing has changed except the weapons used. The Somalis may or may not be state sponsored, it all depends on who you consider is in control of the state there, it's pretty much been in dispute for a long time. The US Navy does occasionally set up patrol in the SoM.
 
Henning said:
The Straits of Malaca have been a pirate haven for centuries now, and nothing has changed except the weapons used. The Somalis may or may not be state sponsored, it all depends on who you consider is in control of the state there, it's pretty much been in dispute for a long time. The US Navy does occasionally set up patrol in the SoM.
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Is there a Somali state??????:dunno:

Even IF there were some sort of candy-a$$ international law about arms on civilian merchant ships, you'd be a fool to abide by it. I'm with you, Henning -- a Barrett 50 would be a super nice little deterrent. Maybe a Streetsweeper for close-in work. Kinda lumpy under the bunk though.
 
flyersfan31 said:
Is there a Somali state??????:dunno:

Even IF there were some sort of candy-a$$ international law about arms on civilian merchant ships, you'd be a fool to abide by it. I'm with you, Henning -- a Barrett 50 would be a super nice little deterrent. Maybe a Streetsweeper for close-in work. Kinda lumpy under the bunk though.
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One old schooner I ran had a Thompson above my bunk, but nothing says "Pick an easier target" than a .50 cal through the wheelhouse from a couple hundred yards.
 
Q ships. We need Q ships. Once the pirates hit a few of those they might think again.
 

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Somalia is a Republican and Libertarian paradise. No taxes and no government.
 
steingar said:
Somalia is a Republican and Libertarian paradise. No taxes and no government.
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No (dependable) electricity, no running water (save the dude running down the street with two buckets), no food unless your local warlord wants you to have some......
 
And a report is just in that another large vessel has just been hijacked by Somali pirates.

This is getting out of hand... I think we all know what would be happening if there weren't the hostage crews on board....

How about we send a few remote controlled boats into the area, allow pirates to board them, then activate the explosives.... That would at least be fun to watch!

I bet that would put a damper on their boldness!

Plus, haven't I heard stories about various para-military groups which would purposely enter some of these areas in order to engage pirates? Kind of bait them in to blast them? Henning?
 
colomtnflyer said:
Plus, haven't I heard stories about various para-military groups which would purposely enter some of these areas in order to engage pirates? Kind of bait them in to blast them? Henning?
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All I need is funding, I'll do it, kinda like Paul Watson taking on the world whaling fleets. It doesn't take a bunch of money, but it isn't free.
 
News story this morning says an Indian warship blasted a pirate mothership. Two small attack boats fled, one found abandoned. However, other teams attacked other cargo ships simultaneously. It is the Wild West out there... -Skip
 
Henning said:
All I need is funding, I'll do it, kinda like Paul Watson taking on the world whaling fleets. It doesn't take a bunch of money, but it isn't free.
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The Dread Anti-Pirate Henning...with a bunch of pop up Dillon Aero "you're now out of business" toys mounted just below the railing... :thumbsup:
 
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