Posted on 03/20/2005 4:22:16 AM PST by SLB
"We are safe in port of Aden. It‚s been 3 days repairing the damage. 30 bullets holes in deck, cabin house, dodger, and alas, newly varnished mast. Our bow shows evidence of a satisfying crunch. Our new paint job was not meant to be. Dinghy on deck was seriously wounded but in stable condition, much repatched. No wine was hurt.
This is the „official‰ report filed with the Yemen Coast Guard, Yemen Navy, Aden Port Control, US Coalition 5th Fleet, US Embassy and State Department? but not Carol‚s mother. Unfortunately, the poor guy that shoots has to write up the paper work. The one that rams does not engender any paper-work, except sand paper work.
March 11, 2005, written by Rodney J. Nowlin, USN Retired Pirate Attack off Yemen Coast
On Tuesday, March 8, 2005 at position 13 Degrees 28 North / 49 Degrees 07 East, in the infamous Pirate Alley of the Gulf of Aden, two sailing yachts, Madhi and Gandalf, were moving SW 30 miles off the coast of Yemen proceeding to the port of Aden from Salalah, Oman.
At about 0900 local, two outboard powered fiberglass longboats, about 20 feet long, each containing 3 men, passed off our sterns moving south at about 25 knots into the open Gulf between Yemen and Somalia. An hour later they returned, one coming quite close and looking us over carefully. The second boat passed off our bows but quite a ways away. These boats were obviously not engaged in a normal activity like fishing. At that time we were south of Al Mukalla, Yemen. The area around Al Mukalla is well documented as being a piracy, drug & people smuggling problem area and we maintained a careful watch for anything out of the ordinary.
At about 1600 we observed two different boats approaching us head on from the west with the glare of the sunset in our eyes. These were 25-30 feet long, had inboard diesel engines and higher freeboard. We immediately motored closer together. As soon as they saw us close ranks they started coming very fast directly at us. There were 4 men in each boat. They separated at about 200 yards with one boat coming down Madhi‚s port side, shouting and firing into the cockpit. The other boat, firing automatic weapons came at Gandalf. There were no warning shots. Carol on Gandalf began sending Maydays on every frequency.
The first boat swung around behind Mahdi‚s stern to come up and board us. At that point, I , Rod Nowlin aboard Mahdi and armed with a 12 gauge shotgun loaded with 00 buckshot, started shooting into their boat. I forced them to keep their heads down so they could not shoot at us. I am not sure I hit anyone at that point. I could see the driver of the boat crouched down behind the steering console. After firing three shots at them, their engine started to smoke and I swung around to try to shoot at the second boat ahead. At that point I saw Jay Barry on Gandalf ram the second boat amidships almost cutting it in two and turning it almost completely over. I turned back around to shoot at the boat still behind Mahdi. That was when they turned away from Mahdi and headed toward the stern of Gandalf. Gandalf was beside us about 100 feet away. The bow of the pirate boat came right up against Gandalf‚s stern and two men stood up on the bow with guns to board Gandalf. That was a serious and probably fateful error on their part. I shot both of them. That boat then veered away and I shot the driver, although I am not sure of the outcome because they were farther away and I didn‚t knock him down like the other two trying to board Gandalf.
Mahdi & Gandalf kept going at full speed to put as much distance between the pirates and us as possible. As soon as we were out of rifle range, we looked back and both attack boats were drifting and seemed to be disabled.
A merchant ship nearby finally answered our Mayday and diverted course to position itself between the floundering pirates and the fleeing yachts. They said they would contact the authorities‚ by Sat phone and then sailed alongside us for 4 hours after dark to make sure we would be all right. Best speed was made to the Port of Aden 180 miles away.
If Jay on Gandalf had not had the presence of mind to veer over into one boat and ram it, the outcome of this attack would have been totally different. All the guys needed to do was stand off a ways and shoot us to pieces with automatic weapons. We were extremely lucky. We broadcast Mayday calls on VHF 16 and all HF radio frequencies, including two HF frequencies that were supplied by the US Coast Guard near Oman only a few days before. Frequencies which the Coalition Forces Warships in this area were supposed to be monitoring. There was no response. The pirates were well organized and well armed. There were at least 4 boats involved. They had set up a picket line out from the Yemen coast probably covering 75 miles out, so if you transited the area during the day they would not miss seeing you. The two attack boats appeared to have come from the south before positioning themselves ahead of us in the sunset.
There has been speculation in the past that this ongoing piracy problem off Yemen‚s coast was being carried out by Somali pirates. Given the number, the types of boats involved, and the direction the supposed spotter boats were coming from, this does not appear to be the case. The men in the attack boats looked both African and Arab.
There was no evidence that this was a people smuggling operation. There were no men, women or children cowering in the boats. These were not fishing boats with nets or overhead sun protection. They appeared to be purpose-built boats, 25-30 feet long, with wooden splines or poles fashioned above the gunwales to which a plastic tarp or shield was hung chest high for the men to hide behind after shooting. The problem is getting worse and the pirate attacks are getting deadly. One could only expect that the Yemen Government will take more direct action At very least, allow yachts to group in Salalah, Oman and at some point along the NW Yemen coast request an escort until Aden or the Straits.
Rodney J. Nowlin, USN Retire March 11, 2005
the turks weren't very good at it either.
Yes, but staying in the bounds of what's legally practical, I'd take a shotgun, Enfield, and perhaps an AK or SKS. More guns than that would really make waves when clearing customs. That would give a good defensive capability at multiple ranges, not raise too many eyebrows, and allow a little hunting in some isolated areas.
I agree on most points, but learning to change loads is easily done with a modicum of training and practice. Buck is a fine all round choice for most social work, but those in situations like our friends in the boats, should be able to readily switch to slugs when needed.
Like any weapon system, one should plan on a bit of training and nominal practice.
I took a one day tactical shotgun class where we shot over 300 rounds of bird/buck/slug. Believe it or not, my shoulder was fine at the end of the day. My arms ached from holding that sucker up for so long, but proper use and placement of the stock eliminates the pain.
We started by patterning the various loads at increasing distance, to learn the effects of the spreading patterns. When we finished with the paper targets, we moved to steel plates and pepper poppers. Loading drills, transition drills, shooting while moving, shooting from cover, etc made up the bulk of the day.
I now compete in monthly 3 gun matchs to keep my skills moderately sharp.
I am under no illusions that I shoot on the level of a special forces or SWAT operative, but I feel confident to defend life and home. (Of course defense is a much different game, than operatives who have to take the fight to an opposing force.)
Travis, I suspect you already know most of this, but I wanted to post it for the benefit of others following this thread.
semi-related trivia:
while working on the docks at the port of New Orleans, I had plenty of dealings with the crews of cargo vessels, particularly from ex-soviet contries.
I'd frequently pick up a few extra bucks by fixing their weaponry.
they mostly had cheap M16 clones from somewhere in SE Asia. Select fire weapons, all.
the aluminum receivers did not seem to take saltwater air too kindly. bad pitting.
Navigating through pirate territory without a scoped high powered weapon is moronic.
Believe it or not, my shoulder was fine at the end of the day. My arms ached from holding that sucker up for so long, but proper use and placement of the stock eliminates the pain.
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The gun makes a huge difference. Some just buck hard.
Reminds me. I heard that faux-libertarian, right-wingnut idiot who wrote that book A Non-Politically Correct History of the United States (or something like that, has a pic of a Confederate soldier on the cover) on CSPAN the other day quoting Jefferson to the effect that Congress should never cede the power to make war to the President. He's expert in U.S. history and doesn't know that Jefferson himself ordered a squadron of ships (then the entirety of capital ships in the U.S. navy, and in terms of capital investment the major part of U.S. standing forces period) to confront the Barbary pirate nations without even consulting Congress?
I'd say your skills are VERY sharp and would measure up to all but the most elite (read: shoot almost daily) cops and soldiers.
Probably Philippino M-16 knock offs.
Agree ...I was responding to the 40MM post. The old Enfields, Mausers, SKS's etc would keep the tears to a minimum if they had to be deep sixed. A 12 ga pump would be minimum, albeit I'd still like a little plinking .22 revolver like the small scandium S&W 317 Camp guns er something for plinkin , playin and as a fob for yer dog watch.
LOL...what ?!?!... no sacrifical zinc's on the 16's ?!?!?.....:o)
.22s for plinking practice goes without saying!
Hmmm... good idea. Little "pencil zincs" like on outboards might work...
yeah, I believe so. the most common problem I encountered: massive fouling IN the gas tube.
I dunno, but I'll say I am not impressed with whatever they were anodized with... way too thin, imo.
Fishin trip up to Alaska last year ...... The guides were based out of an old cannery on an island up there and they had a rack of "camp" shotguns that had to have won the fugly gun's of the century awards. Stocks were wood (I think) under all the glass and duct tape, the barrels sawed off to questionable lenght's, some with pistol grips. All had been pitted badly yet they had spray painted all the metal parts with rustoleum spray paint. What ever color they happened to have on hand. Funny but functional as the bores were bright and the actions slick.
Maybe we need to start an ugly gun contest thread for bragging rights !
That's what I have read as well, and with slugs it will penetrate the hull of anything under 50 feet long except possibly a heavy duty metal work boat. Good slugs will also shoot maximum 4 inch groups at 150 yards. If you start shooting beyond that range you are likely to be considered the pirate.
SO9
none of my guns are THAT ugly. even my bullpup is too pretty.
magnesium powder rounds... gooooooood memories.
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