U.S. Navy Eyes Hijacked Somalia Aid Ship {Pirates take UN Aid ship}

AP via SFGate ^ | 2/26/7

[Enterprise]

Hell, I'm old, used up, and broken down. But I would volunteer for THAT duty!

[Go Gordon]

My son is finishing up building a 72-foot sailboat in Thailand and will be heading home in April through these waters with the boat and a crew of 10 Tsunami volunteers.

Maybe a better choice of words wouldn't hurt

[verum ago]

may I inquire as to why?

[Holicheese]

Why doesn't the UN Navy protect the UN ships?
Or maybe a French Air Craft Carrier?

[Rb ver. 2.0]

I don't think that girl could run very fast. But I'd only be walking...........

[FDNYRHEROES]

Tsunami volunteers

Hell, send me 10 of those tsunami survivors like post #15...I'll worry about a boat and the logistics later...

[El Gato]

Somali pirates are trained fighters, often dressed in military fatigues, using speedboats equipped with satellite phones and Global Positioning System equipment.

BFD, they won't be able to stand up to a US Navy Destroyer, or even a Coast Guard cutter, should one be in the area.

Piracy is a "shoot on sight" offense. If you capture them by some misstep, you can hang 'em from the yardarm, forthwith. Of course we mostly don't have yardarms... but I'm sure the Squids or Coasties could come up with an appropriate substitute for the practice.

Maybe keelhaul 'em first to make 'em reveal where they are based and who their supporters are.

They are a menace to all peaceful shipping not just UN ships, else I wouldn't care too much.

[jdub]

you can also get an insert that will allow you to fire a single shot of real ammo through a flare gun. perfectly legal all over the world.

[SmithL]

Piracy is a "shoot on sight" offense.

Then, why is the Rainbow Warrior still afloat?

[El Gato]

'Course, anything short of a Ma Deuce would seem out-gunned.

And maybe a LAW or TOW missile capability, and maybe a 20mm cannon. The Pirates may very well have RPGs, and 14.5 mm machine guns (.50 cal is about 12.7mm).

[El Gato]

I would tell your son to give Somalia a wide berth. Like, sail east, not west from Thailand.

There's also lots of (Muslim) Pirate activity around the Straits of Malacca and other Indonesian waters, which he'd have to traverse if he went the other way. Not as much US Navy presence to come running when you call either.

Best one could do going east would be to swing way south, and go around Austrailia to the south, stopping in Oz of course for the R&R you'd need by the time you got there. Then on to the Islands of the Southwest Pacific for more R&R, and thence to Hawaii.

Great if one is in no hurry.

[El Gato]

Then, why is the Rainbow Warrior still afloat?

Japanese are too PC to enforce it?

[alarm rider]

True. There are ways you can "adjust" any flare gun.

[cll]

That reminds me of a great story:

http://www.amazon.com/Voyage-Madmen-Peter-Nichols/dp/0060957034/sr=8-1/qid=1172541165/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-2940985-2964804?ie=UTF8&s=books

[gogogodzilla]

I don't see why we don't just prepare to sink the ship...

...and broadcast to the pirates that the only action that will not result in their deaths would be unconditional, immediate surrender.