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Old 25-10-2010, 13:08   #1
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Common Sense Answer to Pirates

It seems that shipping companies have finally come up with a common sense answer to dealing with pirates. More and more vessels are installing safe rooms where crew can hide, turn of the engines, and call the authorities. This is the second time a crew has successfully used such tactics and it certainly makes the most sense of any I've heard to date.

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A cargo ship seized by Somali pirates off the coast of Kenya was freed Monday after one day under siege, and the German-based Beluga Shipping company said its crew of 16 was unharmed. The pirates were thwarted after the crew of the MV Beluga Fortune locked themselves in a panic room and switched off the main engine, cut off the fuel supply, blocked the bridge and reported the Indian Ocean attack to military forces,
Somali pirates thwarted off Kenyan coast - CNN.com
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Old 25-10-2010, 13:24   #2
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Old 25-10-2010, 13:28   #3
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Unfortunately not too adaptable to the average cruiser!
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Old 25-10-2010, 14:03   #4
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and will fool them about once...
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Old 25-10-2010, 14:31   #5
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Unfortunately not too adaptable to the average cruiser!
Big tankers are where their money is. If that situation can get under control it will help to break that economy up.
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Old 25-10-2010, 15:12   #6
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Big tankers are where their money is. If that situation can get under control it will help to break that economy up.
And make easy targets like yachts look more attractive
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Old 25-10-2010, 15:14   #7
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And make easy targets like yachts look more attractive
If yachts were easy targets and worth a lot of money you'd think they'd be going after them in more earnest in the first place. I can't really imagine anyone making an argument that reducing effective piracy actions is in anyway "bad".
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Old 25-10-2010, 15:33   #8
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If yachts were easy targets and worth a lot of money you'd think they'd be going after them in more earnest in the first place.
I never said yachts were worth more money, but they are certainly a softer target

It's probably like if there were easy bank targets, robbers would attack those.
But if the banks were sealed and unable to be breached (panic rooms) then the robbers look to easier targets like the corner store, like some do.
When they become to difficult then the guy on the street
Then Granny in her home

The crims dont stop being crims, they just look for easier targets

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I can't really imagine anyone making an argument that reducing effective piracy actions is in anyway "bad".
Do you really think these bad lads will stop being pirates and go back to working the fields (or whatever they would usually do) because their usual targets are harder to knock over or do you think they will just find a softer target?

They will just have to do more of them for the same financial reward.
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Old 25-10-2010, 15:38   #9
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Originally Posted by cat man do View Post

Do you really think these bad lads will stop being pirates and go back to working the fields (or whatever they would usually do) because their usual targets are harder to knock over or do you think they will just find a softer target?

They will just have to do more of them for the same financial reward.
I would thnk the answer to your question isn't straight forward. Some of the pirates would likely move on to crimes more profitable then hijacking sailboats. The sums of money involved aren't sufficient. Some of the pirates may turn to cruisers but I doubt that there is enough money in it to sustain the current "industry" so regardless what they do some of them will have to change their focus I would think.
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Old 25-10-2010, 16:16   #10
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Regardless of what happens next it is encouraging to see a change in tactics by the good guys.

If the softer targets get more attention, maybe the softer targets will change tactics also.
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Old 25-10-2010, 16:36   #11
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As long as the pirates end up put out of action (in this case by the military) it doesn't really matter who does it.
I wonder if there is some thing similar that cruisers could do? Although it is easy to tow even the largest cruiser away.
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Old 25-10-2010, 17:35   #12
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Cruiser solution?

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Originally Posted by Ben M-P View Post
As long as the pirates end up put out of action (in this case by the military) it doesn't really matter who does it.
I wonder if there is some thing similar that cruisers could do? Although it is easy to tow even the largest cruiser away.
We could start towing a mini-submersible/safe room!

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Old 25-10-2010, 17:56   #13
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Everyone needs to be armed on the open ocean. I'm not specifically stating a minimum caliber (or even that a caliber is part of the equation), but it is literally the only remaining 'lawless' place in the world. Look what the 'Sea Shepherd' group gets away with every year without any punishment?

Everyone needs to be armed, and ready to defend themselves. The big ships can take care of it with reinforced panic rooms, or private security firms, but the rest of us have to keep it in our own hands.
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Old 25-10-2010, 19:13   #14
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Everyone needs to be armed on the open ocean. I'm not specifically stating a minimum caliber (or even that a caliber is part of the equation), but it is literally the only remaining 'lawless' place in the world. Look what the 'Sea Shepherd' group gets away with every year without any punishment?

Everyone needs to be armed, and ready to defend themselves. The big ships can take care of it with reinforced panic rooms, or private security firms, but the rest of us have to keep it in our own hands.
Sorry, can't afford a 50 caliber machine gun on the foredeck, or know where to buy one.
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Old 25-10-2010, 19:23   #15
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Unfortunately not too adaptable to the average cruiser!
I don't agree. The average cruiser can go below, lock all hatches, disconnect the engine battery and get on the radio.

Preparation for such an event would include reinforcing all entry points to the cabin to make entry as difficult as possible.

If the pirates realize it's going to take them a while to gain entry, they are likely to move on to another target before help arrives.
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