Posted on 03/07/2011 7:42:19 AM PST by Travis McGee
Pirates hijacked 53 ships and held a total of 1,181 hostages for ransom last year, according to the International Maritime Bureau. Forty nine of those ships and 1,016 of those hostages – from commercial and private vessels -- were seized by pirates off the coast of Somalia, a statistic that was brought into sharp relief last month when Somali pirates hijacked a yacht and on Feb. 22 murdered the four Americans aboard. Two days later, a Danish family, including three children, was taken from their yacht by Somali pirates and as of this writing had been moved to a larger pirate vessel off the Somali Coast.
These very unfortunate events and statistics are renewing and raising awareness about Somali piracy, and many piracy experts echo the advice of Amb. David H. Shinn, former U.S. ambassador to Ethiopia and Burkina Faso, who notes that “leisure travelers have no business going into the Western Indian Ocean until the crisis caused by Somali pirates has ended.” The International Maritime Bureau also reports that there were 445 pirate attacks worldwide last year, underscoring that piracy is not just a Somali problem. “Hostile boardings happen all over the world,” especially in South Asia, the Caribbean, and even off the coast of Florida,” says Charles Clifton, founder and director of non-profit security company Humanitarian Defense.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Don’t worry Barry will catch them and see that they are given a stern talking-to.
Uh...duh! I can't believe that people are dumb enough to sail into those waters with a boatload of Bibles and think that's going to save them from a bunch of Muslim cutthroats. Idiocy.
“and even off the coast of Florida”
From what I hear there are lots of boat thefts. The stolen boat is either used to move drugs and then dumped. Or its parted out and then the hull is sunk.
I won’t go offshore without a firearm.
When you’re in port, it pays to “get all local knowledge you can from local captains, the port captains office, [and] from marina staff” about potential piracy problems along your route and the port itself, says former Navy SEAL Team officer Matt Bracken, noting that protecting yourself “starts with local awareness, talking to other skippers, and always listening for reports of things being stolen or pilfered.”
While many travelers associate piracy with being boarded on the open sea, Bracken says the “biggest danger is being attacked at anchor,” noting that since marinas may cost upwards of $50 a night for docking, many seafarers will “anchor out” up to a half mile from shore. And even if you don’t consider yourself wealthy, Bracken says, the very fact that you have a boat may make you come across that way to a pirate. “When people anchor out they think, ‘I’m not rich,’ [but to] people watching me from shore, I’m Bill Gates.” Make your boat a harder target, he says. Secure your boat’s dinghy with a steel cable as “someone coming from shore won’t necessarily bring a bolt cutter.” Also, he suggests, cruise in groups or with at least one other boat so you can take turns having a person on watch at all times.
While piloting his 48-foot steel sailing cutter between Panama and Hawaii, Bracken had a 150-foot steel ship fall in behind him, which he knew felt all wrong. While he had real weapons on board, he broke out a black spray-painted plywood M-16, which he constructed at 1.2 times scale so that “it looks bigger and more threatening than a real one.” He adds that at 400 to 500 yards if pirates are “binocularing you and they see someone producing a weapon at that range, they know there is a risk of getting shot.” The vessel trailing Bracken “finally turned away and went somewhere else.”
I'd like to see that "M-16"!!
Here’s an idea. Don’t take joy rides around the world with no protection whatsoever. If you’re rich enough to have a big ash yacht, you’re rich enough to have a security detail.
We’re in Iraq and Afghanistan. You mean the rest of the world can’t put together enough ships and Marines to put an end to The Bloods gang in Africa? We might as well take over the rest of the world and charge them taxes to take care of everything.
Step 1: Stay on shore.
Seems simple enough.
was checking cruise lines because I heard the rates are very cheap right now.
I found a Somali cruise package that departs from Sawakin (in the Sudan ) and docks at Bagamoya (in Tanzania ). The cost is a bit high @ 800 per person double occupancy but I didn’t find that offensive. What I found encouraging and enlightened is that the cruise is encouraging people to bring their ‘High powered weapons’ along on the cruise.
If you don’t have weapons you can rent them right there on the boat. They claim to have a master blacksmith on board and will have reloading parties every afternoon. The cruise lasts from 4-8 days and nights and costs a maximum of $3200 per person double occupancy (4 days). All the boat does is sail up and down the coast of Somalia waiting to get hijacked by pirates. Here are some of the costs and claims associated with the package.
$ 800.00 US/per day double occupancy (4 day max billing)
M-16 full auto rental $ 25.00/day ammo at 100 rounds of 5.56 armor piercing ammo at $15.95
AK -47 rifle @ No charge. ammo at 100 rounds of 7.62 com block ball ammo at $14.95
Barrett M-107 .50 cal sniper riffle rental 55.00/day ammo at 25 rounds 50 cal armor piercing at 9.95
Crew members can double as spotters for 30.00 per hour (spotting scope included).
They even offer RPG’s at 75 bucks and 200 dollars for 3 standard loads .
“Everyone gets use of free complimentary night vision equipment and coffee and snacks on the top deck from 7pm-6am.”
Meals are not included but seem reasonable.Most cruises offer a mini-bar... these gung ho entrepreneurs offer......... get this..... “MOUNTED MINIGUN AVAILABLE @ $450.00 per 30 seconds of sustained fire”. Sign my ars up!
They advertise group rates and corporate discounts...... and even claim “FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY”. They even offer a partial money back if not satisfied....here’s some text from the ad.
“We guarantee that you will experience at least two hijacking attempts by pirates or we will refund half your money
back including gun rental charges and any unused ammo ( mini gun charges not included).. How can we guarantee you will
experience a hijacking? We operate at 5 knots within 12 miles of the coast of Somalia . If an attempted Hijacking does not occur we will turn the boat around and cruise by at 4 knots. We will repeat this for up to 8 days making three passes a day along the entire length of Somalia . At night the boat is fully lit and bottle rockets are shot off at intervals and loud disco music beamed shore side to attract attention. Cabin space is limited so respond quickly. Reserve your package before May 29 and get 100 rounds of free tracer ammo in the caliber of your choice.”
As if all that isn’t enough to whet your appetite, there were a few testimonials .
” I got three confirmed kills on my last trip. I’LL never hunt big game in Africa again. I felt like the Komandant in Schindlers list!”—— Lars , Hamburg Germany
“Six attacks in 4 days was more than I expected. I bagged three pirates and my 12yr old son sank two rowboats with the
minigun. PIRATES 0 -PASSENGERS-32! Well worth the trip. Just make sure your spotter speaks English” Ned, Salt Lake city , Utah USA
“I haven’t had this much fun since flying choppers in NAM. Don’t worry about getting shot by pirates as they never even got c lose to the ship with those weapons they use and their shitty a im—reminds me of a drunken ‘juicer’ door gunner we picked u p from the motor pool back in Nam” —”chopper’ Dan ——Toledo USA.
” Like ducks in a barrel. They turned the ship around and we saw them bleed and cry in the water like little girls. Saw one
wounded pirate eaten by sharks—what a laugh riot!! This is a must do.-— Zeke-Minnahaw Springs Kentucky USA
I had some scrap plywood in a boatyard once. I made two of them, from four pieces of wood. They hinge in the middle to stow compactly, and are attached with a bolt and wingnut. From 100 yards, you will be diving for cover.
Very cool. Thanks.
I see pirating as an act of siege. If you can’t avoid them or persuade them to leave you alone, there will be a fight. International laws need to be changed so that open ocean vessels can be armed and store weapons aboard with in port. Of course, many are armed depending on the port and the inspections they may incur.
But what if they want to cut your throat and rape your wife or daughter?
The experts must believe good karma cures all. “Put out peaceful vibes, man,” is what they sound like to me.
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