British Couple Released After a Year in Captivity

[cuthbert]

The British newspapers are covering this extensively, and the majority of coverage and comment is not favorable. The Daily Mail has a big internet presence


"Pedants will argue that they were actually closer to the Seychelles when they were seized. But that whole stretch of ocean east of Africa is a pirates’ paradise.
Somali gangsters have been hijacking supertankers with impunity. The Chandlers never stood a chance once they had been targeted. It didn’t help that they posted their itinerary on the internet.
I defend absolutely their right to circumnavigate the globe in a rubber dinghy if they so choose. That’s their prerogative.
But it has to be at their own risk. At the very least they should have taken out ­insurance against all eventualities, especially the off-chance of being kidnapped.
Once they saw the size of the premium, they might have settled for a gentle trip around the Med"


Read more: Paul and Rachel Chandler: Next time yacht couple should stick to the Solent | Mail Online

[GordMay]

Paul and Rachel Chandler have criticised the British government, in a book (“Hostage; A Year at Gunpoint with Somali Gangsters” *), for failing to support their family.

➥ BBC News - Chandler pirate kidnap: Book claims FCO failed family

* ➥ Hostage: A Year at Gunpoint with Somali Gangsters

[MarkJ]

What do cruisers expect? The whole Government to fall to their knees?

886 hostages (aprox) are being held in Somalia.
Do we think the Bangladeshi governement has teams of officials helping their crews families?

[GordMay]

While I take your point; I suspect that British citizens might reasonably hope for more from their Government, than Bangladeshis from theirs.

[Eleven]

I think the Chandlers are way out of order. Remember they woke to find the 'pirates' in their cabin! One way to keep watch in dangerous waters. It's not as if they were catnapping on deck, they were tucked up cosy, fast asleep for the night. Obviously they were relying on Gordon Blair to rescue them, or send the RNLI if they got rundown, or a destroyer or two if they ran out of petrol.
We are responsible for our own actions. To criticise others for failing to risk lives in a desperate bid to rescue two people at the same time, in different locations, deep into bandit country. It's been tried before, and failed.
Only the Israelis seem to have the skills, equipment and courage to make a success of that sort of operation.

[NeptunesTrident]

I have no idea why folks on boats are not required, by international law, to carry a LMG, WP and thermite gernades on board.

Be fewer pirate attacks.

Fewer pirates = fewer attacks.

[Eleven]

Fewer payouts, fewer attacks too!

[tropicalescape]

Originally Posted by NeptunesTrident

I have no idea why folks on boats are not required, by international law, to carry a LMG, WP and thermite gernades on board.

Be fewer pirate attacks.

Fewer pirates = fewer attacks.

Come on tell us what you would do with um! DVC

[Astrid]

I have no idea why folks on boats are not required, by international law, to carry a LMG, WP and thermite gernades on board.

The average non-combat trained person on a boat would probably wind up doing himself, his boat and any passengers in with that sort of arsenal on board.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by NeptunesTrident

I have no idea why folks on boats are not required, by international law, to carry a LMG, WP and thermite gernades on board.

Be fewer pirate attacks.

Fewer pirates = fewer attacks.

Hey.... get Somali Registration for your boat... its de rigeur over there...
Comes top o the list... way before EPIRBS, Life Jackets etc....

[NeptunesTrident]

Originally Posted by Astrid

The average non-combat trained person on a boat would probably wind up doing himself, his boat and any passengers in with that sort of arsenal on board.

I would not argue that point.

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by Eleven

I think the Chandlers are way out of order. Remember they woke to find the 'pirates' in their cabin! One way to keep watch in dangerous waters. It's not as if they were catnapping on deck, they were tucked up cosy, fast asleep for the night. Obviously they were relying on Gordon Blair to rescue them, or send the RNLI if they got rundown, or a destroyer or two if they ran out of petrol.
We are responsible for our own actions. To criticise others for failing to risk lives in a desperate bid to rescue two people at the same time, in different locations, deep into bandit country. It's been tried before, and failed.
Only the Israelis seem to have the skills, equipment and courage to make a success of that sort of operation.

If I recall correctly part of the reason for criticism of the RN was that there was a RN ship in range (I think only some sort of supply ship, but certainly with some heavy calibre deck armanents and onboard light weapons, can't remember if any Marines onboard).......The "Captain" decided to wait for orders from the UK (so he couldn't be blamed for anything?) and was advised that a team of special forces was enroute to him, but due to the usual SNAFU they were delayed..........whether they would have arrived anyway before the Pirates reached Somalia is another thing.

But in any event, the RN Captain did have a good few options from offering the Pirates free passage to Somalia if they gave up the Chandlers...........or that the skiffs (and yacht) would all be sunk (appreciate not easy from a rolling deck, but with 1,000's of rounds onboard a good chance of being able to (eventually) hit the stern / engine - obviously not without risk, but would only take a few hits (and water above the floorboards) to change the negotiation balance of power......and you could throw in that if the Chandlers are not amongst the survivors an extensive grid search would me made for them 100 miles square, and only then would the RN return for the Somalis........i.e let them drown......of course whether that was actually done is a seperate thing.

I admit that the above would require a degree of good fortune, but the Chandlers surviving a year in Somalia had a lot of luck about it (as well as cash), especially that they didn't require medical treatment.......but of course them dying ashore couldn't be blamed on HMG / RN.

Of course all that was back in the time of the Prime Minister Gordon "the retard" Brown...............

[NeptunesTrident]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Hey.... get Somali Registration for your boat... its de rigeur over there...
Comes top o the list... way before EPIRBS, Life Jackets etc....

And there is another brilliant idea. Check it out, see how it works and get back to me.

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Hey.... get Somali Registration for your boat... its de rigeur over there...
Comes top o the list... way before EPIRBS, Life Jackets etc....

I dunno about Somali Registration, but Somali Insurance might well be a goer (won't be cheap).......if boarded by Pirates you simply show them the paperwork ..........and they will be aware that if they do capture you that the Somali based "underwriters" will be knocking on there doors. and the doors of there families - a private sector business approach that does yield results. and with the right underwriters involved you don't even need to knock on any doors.

Could be that as an additional incentive not to capture you that they get a bonus when ashore of $1,000 (not enough to warrant capturing yachts as a trade, but covers the fuel and a few beers (? ).

[NeptunesTrident]

Originally Posted by David_Old_Jersey

I dunno about Somali Registration, but Somali Insurance might well be a goer (won't be cheap).......if boarded by Pirates you simply show them the paperwork ..........and they will be aware that if they do capture you that the Somali based "underwriters" will be knocking on there doors. and the doors of there families - a private sector business approach that does yield results. and with the right underwriters involved you don't even need to knock on any doors.

Could be that as an additional incentive not to capture you that they get a bonus when ashore of $1,000 (not enough to warrant capturing yachts as a trade, but covers the fuel and a few beers (? ).

Now that an original idea. I wonder what kind of premium you could collect on something like that?