Another Yacht Has Been Pirated

[rgscpat]

It's hard to stay strictly on thread when the news is sketchy and uncertain.

The pirate risk is different in some ways from ordinary ocean perils and the means of mitigating the risk are different.

Pirates aren't the only danger of this route, with adverse winds for northbound cruisers, blowing sand, intense heat, unmarked reefs, few safe ports, and a high likelihood of being hit up for baksheesh to add to the delights. Table Mountain looks more and more attractive in spite of the added distance.

My heart goes out to the families and friends of those who have been taken by these creatures who seem to put little value on human life or freedom.

[mintyspilot]

Originally Posted by Patient

Second incident near the Seychelles, sheesh.....Forgive the conspiracy theory, but it does make you wonder if keeping your planned routes and departure times to yourself at the bar might be a good idea.

Should be simple enough to test. Leak a dummy route at the bar and send a warship along it instead of a yacht.

[goboatingnow]

Table Mountain looks more and more attractive in spite of the added distance.

Yes if all you want to do is cross the atlantic, No, if you want to go to the Med, cause youll be visiting brazil first if you go via Table mountain.

The historic way to defeat pirates, is to use a convoy system. I feel well have to get a fairly large number of Yachts together and request and/or pay for naval protection. Red Sea ARC anyone??

Dave

[SimonV]

Well all this crap in the Indian Ocean sort of buggers up the plan for a casual circumnavigation. I don’t mind taking calculated risks, like ocean crossings; but when you throw in unknown variables such as scum sucking pirates then the risk is not worth it.

[goboatingnow]

but when you throw in unknown variables such as scum sucking pirates then the risk is not worth it.

The risk is still very low,

dave

[atoll]

have been up n down red sea 7 times,5 times entering and leaving from the gulf of aden and indian ocean,(3times via e african coast , and twice via oman.)

have allways tried to stick to the shipping lanes,or at least 60-80 miles off shore.
have been followed twice off the somali side ,both times the suspect vessels changed direction as cargo vessels emerged from the haze. suspect they were up to no good,but this could have been a coincidence,also sailing tatty vessels with rust streaks,so not visably rich pickings.

have friends who have been attacked but in all three cases they were 10-12 miles off shore,and were released un harmed,minus material possesions.

the red sea is fantastic and the quickest route into the med.

on a yacht your visible profile is very small,making your chances of being seen let alone being attacked very small.

venezuela,panama,png,solomons,philipines ,malaka str,thailand,e africa,brazil,caribean to name a few have all recently had been named for vicious attacks on yachts.

so on the whole would reccomend staying home,paying taxes,and watching the discovery channel.

that way all the security freaks,might leave a bit of pristine ocean wilderness,with out marinas,police,inflated prices and all the trappings of civilization.

isnt this why we went sailing in the first place,or was it to create a global nautical trailer park for wealthy westeners?

the national sport traditionally in most african countries,untill recently was rape and looting,with a bit of slavery to satisfy western greed and provide beer money...........

stay at home,if you must go somewhere fly,stick to well know resorts, that way in another 10 years there might still be a few un-sanitized places left for us none checkbook sailors...........

[beowulfborealis]

Well, I hope there is a rescue operation underway. The fact that these pirates operate so far from Somalia at least works in our favor. If you get a Mayday out, you might get intercepted before they get your boat back to Somalia.

The Northern Indian Ocean and the Red Sea can't become overrun with this kind of stuff. Its a major navigation problem for the whole world. This yacht seems to have been jacked north of Madagascar. I want to do my dream sail 'round the world, but this whole pirate gauntlet is a problem. The Southern Indian Ocean big waves scare me, so I don't want to do the long crossing. Abby Sunderland got her butt handed to her out there. I want to hug coastline. Arg. Any ex-Navy SEALS wanna crew with me?

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by atoll

have friends who have been attacked but in all three cases they were 10-12 miles off shore,and were released un harmed,minus material possesions.

.......

Yours are delightful memories Atoll from some years ago.
things are changed now and we are not talking about having posessions stolen.
We are talking about a well organised piracy on a multi millon dollar scale.
They don't want your boat or whats inside it. They want the people on board, not for their money, but their family at home's money. How much money? ALL that the familiy has ever earned or can ever borrow from the bank.

Its different stuff than a few years ago.




Hold onto your memories as far fewer people will get to see those places now. Not because they are too gutless to go there, but becuse they use corage and bravery to go on what is a longer and used to be though of as a more difficult route. And the bravery to do it to save their wives distress, and ultimately their lives.



Mark

[atoll]

thanks mark for your comment,so far this year ive only sailed 6000 miles,though preparing to take a vessel down to ghana from the uk.

probably if the navy had not been involved at the time the chandlers would not have been taken as hostages,meerly robbed.

if you want to stop piracy,address the problem,poverty in africa,caused mainly by unfair western economic policys,which we as wealthy yachties(any one who earns more than $300 a month) have benifited from,so look at piracy as a direct from source shipping/yachtie tax.........

somalia used to have a very good and profitable tuna canning industry,un till the west flooded the region with cheap weapons,employing the very same people who would otherwise be fishing but now have to resort to piracy to support their familys.

for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.......

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by atoll

this year ive only sailed 6000 miles,though preparing to take a vessel down to ghana from the uk.

Well, have a great trip!
I think thats an exciting new cruising area of the future. Senegal is now safer and some people have done well further 'round the corner. I think Ghana and Gabon, Camaroons etc are all exciting places and if some intrepid people, such as yourself, can open the route up and report on it we can all find out more about the security situation.
Meanwhile you will be supporting local people with your dollars (or whatever you call them in the UK )

All the best,


Mark

[atoll]

on another note, the probable reason that the pirates are going so far afield is that the gulf of aden has become a lot safer over the last few years.
this is due to a massive international navy presence and a tacit shoot to kill policy,backed by the omani and yemeni coast guard who 3 years ago,(the last time i sailed up that way),had just recieved a fleet of fast intercept vessels and new training facility in aden curtesy of uncle sam.

[Aussiesuede]

Originally Posted by atoll

on another note, the probable reason that the pirates are going so far afield is that the gulf of aden has become a lot safer over the last few years.
this is due to a massive international navy presence and a tacit shoot to kill policy,backed by the omani and yemeni coast guard who 3 years ago,(the last time i sailed up that way),had just recieved a fleet of fast intercept vessels and new training facility in aden curtesy of uncle sam.

A recent UN report confirms your suspicions. As the noose has tightened in the Gulf of Aden, pirates have predictably increased their range and are now a threat to a much larger area. Also, equally as predictable, they've become more violent in response to the increased aggression. Here is the UN Report:

Somali pirates have increased the number of successful hijackings in 2010, become more violent and expanded their attack zone, the UN said Tuesday.The pirates staged 37 successful hijackings of ships in the first 10 months of 2010, up from 33 in the same period of 2009, said a report.
International Maritime Organization (IMO) inquiries "imply that the level of violence employed by the pirates has increased," said the UN document prepared for the UN Security Council.


The number of attacks has fallen from 193 to 164 as the international naval patrols are more effective, the UN said, quoting IMO figures. But as of October 11, 389 people and 18 vessels were being held ransom by the pirates.


The pirates have increased their scope of action in the Indian Ocean by setting up bigger attack fleets.


So-called "Pirate Action Groups" now see a large "mother boat" command vessel tow two or three attack skiffs out deeper into the ocean.
It said some of the attacks were now up to 1,300 nautical miles off the coast and targeted "ever-larger freighters".

(report continued in link)

AFP: Somalia pirates increase hijackings: UN

Still no official confirmation re: the kidnap of the 3 Britons.

[MarkJ]

02.11.2010: 1237 UTC: Posn: 13:31.42N – 048:19.16E, Gulf of Aden.
A fishing vessel was reported hijacked by pirates.

You will also find them ranging into the Red Sea for the first time with a ship hijacked there in July.

[Bluefuss]

Perhaps the Irainian's could be persuaded to test their new nukes in Somalia.

[goboatingnow]

isnt this why we went sailing in the first place,or was it to create a global nautical trailer park for wealthy westeners?......
if you want to stop piracy,address the problem,poverty in africa,caused mainly by unfair western economic policys,which we as wealthy yachties(any one who earns more than $300 a month) have benifited from,so look at piracy as a direct from source shipping/yachtie tax

. Hallelujah ,brother for the truth shall set us free

Dave