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Old 01-11-2010, 16:19   #1
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Another Yacht Has Been Pirated

This is unfortunate. Those Somalis are working so far off shore these days, that the Indian Ocean is dangerous. It looks like 3 Britons and their boat have had it:

Pirates may have hijacked Britons' yacht - Yahoo! News--
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Old 01-11-2010, 16:45   #2
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I feel bad for these guys. We chartered in the Seychelles several years ago and it was magic!
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Old 01-11-2010, 17:15   #3
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The thing that will sicken me about this is the way people will say the Gulf of Aden is somehow safer.

Lets hope the report is dud and/or things work out...
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Old 01-11-2010, 19:27   #4
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I guess they couldn't make it to their safe room, at least the pirates don't mess with yachts. At least that's what I read on another thread.

Hope everything turns out good for the yachtsmen.
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Old 01-11-2010, 20:28   #5
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This is potentially another horrifying example of a situation which has been allowed to spiral out of control. Not sure what can be said that doesn't sound trite, at this point.

The thing that sucks the most about this pirate situation is that somehow, someway, a government (or group of governments) is going to use this (greater) situation to curtail freedoms in some way or another for us sailors.

If every yacht was required to pack firepower as part of its insurance policy, word would get out. And if there was a legal 'safe zone' or somesuch that, once violated, permitted the target vessel to defend themselves proactively rather than waiting for the AK-47's to open up at point blank range, it would deter many of these 'pirates.' I'm not saying it makes attacks impossible, but nobody wants to take fire, especially at the likely small ransom they can collect off a yacht.

A tanker is one thing, where the payoff is in the millions. You probably are willing to take that risk if you're a criminally-minded individually, but not when the best you can hope for is a couple hundred grand divided umpteen different ways.

God forbid we actually go back to the days where pirate hunting was a profitable enterprise. Figure out a way to do that, and in this economy, the problem would get cleaned up in short order.
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Old 01-11-2010, 20:36   #6
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This is potentially another horrifying example of a situation which has been allowed to spiral out of control. Not sure what can be said that doesn't sound trite, at this point.

The thing that sucks the most about this pirate situation is that somehow, someway, a government (or group of governments) is going to use this (greater) situation to curtail freedoms in some way or another for us sailors.

If every yacht was required to pack firepower as part of its insurance policy, word would get out. And if there was a legal 'safe zone' or somesuch that, once violated, permitted the target vessel to defend themselves proactively rather than waiting for the AK-47's to open up at point blank range, it would deter many of these 'pirates.' I'm not saying it makes attacks impossible, but nobody wants to take fire, especially at the likely small ransom they can collect off a yacht.

A tanker is one thing, where the payoff is in the millions. You probably are willing to take that risk if you're a criminally-minded individually, but not when the best you can hope for is a couple hundred grand divided umpteen different ways.

God forbid we actually go back to the days where pirate hunting was a profitable enterprise. Figure out a way to do that, and in this economy, the problem would get cleaned up in short order.
Let's see if I undestand what your saying ... you think insurance companies should refuse to cover someone unless they carry arms and in addition you think there should be a law that says if one boat comes to close to another they should have the right to open fire on each other?

Well, it would make for some pretty interesting anchorage stories I guess.
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Old 01-11-2010, 22:59   #7
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If you were to come on deck in an anchorage waving a whisky bottle and a fire arm and yelling and hollering what would be the result? Most cruisers would clear out quick. However some would go below and get their own whisky and guns and join you. Some would even let their goat out of the focsul and dance on the fore deck. Why should it be different with Pirates?
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Old 01-11-2010, 23:29   #8
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you think there should be a law that says if one boat comes to close to another they should have the right to open fire on each other?
Obviously this would apply to international (read: lawless) waters only. Individual countries should have laws governing conduct in their territorial waters.

When approached by another vessel in the open ocean at overtaking speed, without declaration, motive can be reduced to only a small handful of possibilities. You can probably leave the fingers at home if you're interested in counting those possibilities on said hand.

I understand that many people desire a passive, non-confrontational solution to every problem. I totally respect the attitude, and it leads to solutions which might otherwise go ignored. It just doesn't work when an angry man is pointing an AK-47 at you with bad thoughts in his head.

Ask any rape victim if they prefer that people be disallowed the option to defend themselves from future attacks. It's all well and dandy to try to figure out a non-violent solution to a violent situation, but when you're staring down the barrel of a loaded weapon, there's really only one type of response that will provide any kind of security.
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Old 02-11-2010, 00:20   #9
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This is potentially another horrifying example of a situation which has been allowed to spiral out of control. Not sure what can be said that doesn't sound trite, at this point.

The thing that sucks the most about this pirate situation is that somehow, someway, a government (or group of governments) is going to use this (greater) situation to curtail freedoms in some way or another for us sailors.

If every yacht was required to pack firepower as part of its insurance policy, word would get out. And if there was a legal 'safe zone' or somesuch that, once violated, permitted the target vessel to defend themselves proactively rather than waiting for the AK-47's to open up at point blank range, it would deter many of these 'pirates.' I'm not saying it makes attacks impossible, but nobody wants to take fire, especially at the likely small ransom they can collect off a yacht.

A tanker is one thing, where the payoff is in the millions. You probably are willing to take that risk if you're a criminally-minded individually, but not when the best you can hope for is a couple hundred grand divided umpteen different ways.

God forbid we actually go back to the days where pirate hunting was a profitable enterprise. Figure out a way to do that, and in this economy, the problem would get cleaned up in short order.
I just can't wait for the news reports of one yachtie shooting another over a mooring or the smell of the chickens on board.

The more heavily armed the yachties are the more heavily armed and the more trigger happy the criminals will be. Ons look at the number of gun murders/gun ownership in places like the US and Somalia will highlight the bleeding obvious.

It's time for an international effort to help the Somali government to take control of their country. But there is no oil or any other resources that others want from there, so the motivation to help is low,
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Old 02-11-2010, 02:32   #10
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Is this pirate attack being reported in the UK by the main (ie reputable) press?
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Old 02-11-2010, 02:37   #11
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Hi Mark,
Not seen anything yet on TV.
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Old 02-11-2010, 03:04   #12
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Hi Mark,
Not seen anything yet on TV.
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Was Posh Spice onboard?
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Old 02-11-2010, 03:05   #13
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Last I saw on the BBC was the anniversary aof the Chandlers kidnap. If I remember right it stated that family and friends had raisedclose to half a million in ransom, and that had been rejected, the demand is for a million.
I understand the American approach but it won't work. the only way is a suicide pill. Nothing to ransom then, no relatives forced to choose between their home and a life. Booby trapping might work too, most kidnaps we have stories from report 'We woke to find an armed man in our sallon/cabin!'
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Old 02-11-2010, 03:22   #14
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WOW! Only took a couple of replies to become a gun/alcohol/rape thread. In the big picture I'm much more scared of this type of parniod thinking than a few pirates! Maybe going sailing isn't going to be the escape from "nuts" that I hoped for.
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Old 02-11-2010, 03:37   #15
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This is potentially another horrifying example of a situation which has been allowed to spiral out of control. Not sure what can be said that doesn't sound trite, at this point.

The thing that sucks the most about this pirate situation is that somehow, someway, a government (or group of governments) is going to use this (greater) situation to curtail freedoms in some way or another for us sailors.

If every yacht was required to pack firepower as part of its insurance policy, word would get out. And if there was a legal 'safe zone' or somesuch that, once violated, permitted the target vessel to defend themselves proactively rather than waiting for the AK-47's to open up at point blank range, it would deter many of these 'pirates.' I'm not saying it makes attacks impossible, but nobody wants to take fire, especially at the likely small ransom they can collect off a yacht.

A tanker is one thing, where the payoff is in the millions. You probably are willing to take that risk if you're a criminally-minded individually, but not when the best you can hope for is a couple hundred grand divided umpteen different ways.

God forbid we actually go back to the days where pirate hunting was a profitable enterprise. Figure out a way to do that, and in this economy, the problem would get cleaned up in short order.
Huh? So by carrying a gun we are safer? How about they start to figure we are packing and instead of firing warning shots they circle the boat and fill it full of lead and when everything is quiet they board the boat and take what they want.
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