Companies hire "shipriders" against Somali pirates

Associated Press ^ | Jun 5, 2009 | Katharine Houreld

[decimon]

There's not a warship for miles, a small pirate skiff is speeding toward you and there's no way the creaking tub you're on can outrun the bandits. How long do you wait before you shoot?

[decimon]

Shipriders on the storm.

[the invisib1e hand]

Shipriders on the storm tanker.

A very poetic term.

Anyway, it's about time.

[GonzoGOP]

How long do you wait before you shoot?

Depends on how much ammo you have handy. If I have a few hundred rounds of .50 cal I would them three round bursts at a mile out. Just to show I care. Then unleash full bursts as they get close to AK-47 range.

Now if you have a scoped .50 cal sniper rifle just shoot the pirate's helmsman at one kilometer and be done with it.

[decimon]

Now if you have a scoped .50 cal sniper rifle just shoot the pirate's helmsman at one kilometer and be done with it.

Shooting the engine might be more practical. Or not. But it's a thought.

[Rebelbase]

Anything that sinks the pirates boats is fine with me, so long as its followed by chum bags launched from a catapult.

[DainBramage]

They should wear Tshirts that say “Ship happens”

[Sir Gawain]

Don’t forget to dip the bullets in pig blood and spread the word.

[GonzoGOP]

Shooting the engine might be more practical. Or not. But it's a thought.

I don't know. Nothing says stay away like seeing the head blown off of the guy standing next to you. Either way works, the big point is that those tankers are very stable in any sea that a pirate boat can be out in. With the right kind of fire power you can reach out and touch them long before they can do any harm to you firring from a bobbing boat with an AK-47.

[GonzoGOP]

'Don’t forget to dip the bullets in pig blood and spread the word'

That might cause problem with fowling the feed mechanism. Let nothing interfere with good accuracy and rate of fire.

And I have no problem with the pirates going to meet Allah. In fact i thing sending them there as soon as possible is the neighborly thing to do.

[NonValueAdded]

How long do you wait before you shoot?

I'll take "As soon as they get into range" for $1,000, Alex.

[null and void]

Nothing says stay away like seeing the head blown off of the guy standing next to you.

*shrug* Unless it's getting splattered with the contents of the head of the guy standing in front of you...

[JimRed]

...so long as its followed by chum bags launched from a catapult.

Chum bags full of pork products, clearly marked!

[cowtowney]

Arithmetic should be pretty simple.

Make it riskier for the pirates than the ship.

Then, the pirates will stop.

[Billthedrill]

LOL! You beat me to it. Why the question, even? If you’ve brought enough ammo, blaze away. If you’ve brought the right ordnance, you get to shoot first. Why wait until they can shoot back?

[frithguild]

Shoot at the engine

The law of the sea may require you to then render aid to a disabled vessel

[decimon]

The law of the sea may require you to then render aid to a disabled vessel

To a pirate vessel?

[null and void]

Use this:

[GonzoGOP]

If you’ve brought the right ordnance, you get to shoot first.

Billy Mays here for the Pirate Eliminator. No fuss, no muss, no problems. Make those pesky pirate problems go away with Pirate Eliminator. Supersonic rounds mean they never hear it coming. High power scope lets you see the look on their face as they go to find their 72 virgins. Available in field gray, jungle green and desert tan. Order yours now!

[frithguild]

“To a pirate vessel”

During cross examination in the wrongful death lawsuit, the widow’s attorney asked the shiprider, “was the rubber raft flying the Jolly Roger?”

[The Great RJ]

If Barry had any moxie he would just declare that any speedboats in the shipping lanes off Somalia would be automatically considered hostile by the US and any US flagged ship is authorized to sink them on sight. Feed a few of these Somali’s to the sharks and piracy would quickly end.