Piracy In Gulf of Aden

[goat]

I just got one of these guns from Russian Military Surplus. Tad bit heavy on the bow, but worth it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XJ0nblZjZE

goat

[Bulawayo]

I can only state that the decision to close on the Hannish Islands was not the most prudent decision. Part of route planning is to consider hazards along the way as well as alternatives. The Hanish Islands are very well documented as having trigger happy inhabitants. They have been for many years - long before the recent troubles. I recall reading about light artillery fire being directed towards commercial vessels sometime back in the '80's. I have previously posted about one of my experiences in the GoA - and which turned out to be youths with telescopic fishing rods, wearing hoods against the sun. They were only seeking to sell fish and asking for cans of Cola. We too were well provided with defensive measures and were pretty scared but under control. Our plan was simple enough and that meant only taking action when we were literally about to be boarded. Thankfully, this has never occured but we did have the means to adequately defend ourselves if necessary. We have used this route a number of times and if one follows the published information this route should prove no more dangerous than the southern route. We last came through in February 2015 and my next passage, helping a friend, is in September. The route around South Africa obviously presents weather considerations but the NLI and coast guard do provide excellent weather notices. The opportunity to reprovision and have affordable yacht work undertaken is also attractive, as is the option to visit game parks etc or to travel up to Victoria Falls. In my opinion it all relates to the next major destination. If its across the Atlantic then it would be my choice to go south around the Cape. If the Mediterranean is the destination then I would still opt for the Red Sea.
Our September routing is direct to Eritrea as the first stop after Salalah.
Salalah has good provisioning and is really the last opportunity to reprovision (unless prepared to stop in Saudia) until northern Egypt.

Originally Posted by 50ftmoneypit

Please do tell what reckless decisions were made? This should be good.

For most people, simply leaving their sofa and going outside is a reckless decision. Or, releasing the docklines once a year to empty their holding tanks.

Some people with a zest for living will actually sail into the sunset heading west for year upon year and experience life unlike most of the people I see here on this forum with 10,000+ posts. To me, that is a reckless waste of a life sitting at a computer typing away about other peoples experience when you have none of your own.

So please, tell us what the skipper did that was so reckless.

[weavis]

Last warning.

This is not a gun thread. Gun threads and anchor threads ( ) seem to bring out the worst in people..

One more continuation of the bickering and this thread will be for reference only..

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by GoingWalkabout

Exactly. Sorry but I was basically saying, if there boarded it's pretty much game over. All the talk about cannons was tongue in cheek. Seriously, discretion is the often the better part of valour. . Especially when your outnumbered. IMHO

I think we can safely say that if you want to avoid pirates...stay out of pirate waters.

[mako]

Originally Posted by Celestialsailor

I think we can safely say that if you want to avoid pirates...stay out of pirate waters.

Simple yet good advise. So, to make this thread useful (and keep our moderator cool), let's expand on this:

Seems to me that there are some major hotspots for piracy:
1) NW Indian Ocean / Gulf of Aden
2) Gulf of Guinea
3) Southern Philippines / eastern South China Sea

Also some "minor" areas:
4) Indonesian side of Strait of Malacca
5) Areas of southern Caribbean and South America

What areas of #5 above, or additional areas, would you classify as risky?

[1000 islands]

Originally Posted by Celestialsailor

I think we can safely say that if you want to avoid pirates...stay out of pirate waters.

[Celestialsailor]

I have a friend with a sistership to mine. He encountered what may or may not have been pirates. Here are two of the emails he wrote. I will not mention his name here...

#1
Am in Malaysia, Sebana Golf and Marina Resort.
http://www.sebanacoveresort.com/home.aspx

Was rammed by a pirate boat out in the South China Sea, 1000 miles after East Timor. Mast down, no radio reception. Motored to Indonesia under cover as no visa, refueled and got here.
All is fine, just need a sleeve to put in 10 feet down the mast. All is taking a bit of time. New solar tower, panels, cockpit windows, bent stanchions, pulpit, etc.
Marina is cheap but good, so enjoy the jet set life.
Any other boat would have sunk, Princess Del Mar is a tank.
Take care

#2
Thanks for the reply. I am in Puket, Thailand and leaving Saturday for
Sri Lanka.
I was ran down by a unmarked fishing vessel, no flag no name no
identification and I could not understand their language nor did they
speak english.
I learned later that some Indonesian fisherman shake off bad spirits
by sailing close by another vessel. I guess it was a bit more close
then what they or I expected.

[50ftmoneypit]

Originally Posted by GoingWalkabout

Exactly. Sorry but I was basically saying, if there boarded it's pretty much game over. All the talk about cannons was tongue in cheek. Seriously, discretion is the often the better part of valour. . Especially when your outnumbered. IMHO

You should just stay at home then on your Lagoon. Be safe away from all the bad people.

[Neptune Parts]

Originally Posted by Bulawayo

We last came through in February 2015 and my next passage, helping a friend, is in September.

Our September routing is direct to Eritrea as the first stop after Salalah.
Salalah has good provisioning and is really the last opportunity to reprovision (unless prepared to stop in Saudia) until northern Egypt.

I just took a look at my travel log, and we were heading North through the Bab Al Mandeb on the 15th and for a solid 10 days afterwards, there was absolutely no way anyone was heading South and we didn't see you or hear about you going North.

Eritrea is absolutely not the place to stop and every one knows this. We met a Russian in Port Ghalid that had been held in jail there without reason for 30 days.

Gjibouti has excellent provisioning from a newly built store with all the international brands.

There isn't much option but to sail past Hannish island as all the surrounding waters are reef laden and the shipping channel splits around the island group. When the winds are blowing and the seas are square, you don't want to be anywhere near Eritrea. Hell, you don't want to be near Eritrea on a good day. And Saudi Arabia will jail you for being in their waters.


You have Saudi navy on your starboard and Eritrea on your port. You have little or no options when winds and seas go verticle, which they do once every couple days through the Bab Al Mandeb vortex. Since most sailors want to pass through the Bab under cover of night, you arrive at Hannish at sunrise just as the morning winds off the desert begin to peak from 30 to over 50 knots sustained and the shallow waters square off at over 25 ft.

The reason there are so many reports of boats being fired upon is for this very reason. The Yemenis seem to take great pleasure is targeting vessels trying to find cover from the extreme winds and seas.

Picture 1) is of Saudi Arabian Navy helicopter with 50cal gunner in door letting us know we are too close to their shores...50 miles out!
Picture 2) Sunset on the Bab Al Mandeb Feb 15th
Picture 3) Main Street Saukin Sudan.
Picture 4) Diving on the wreck of the Umbria in Sudan.

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by 50ftmoneypit

You should just stay at home then on your Lagoon. Be safe away from all the bad people.

Man...you just don't know when to quit do you?

[salticrak]

Originally Posted by Neptune Parts

I just took a look at my travel log, and we were heading North through the Bab Al Mandeb on the 15th and for a solid 10 days afterwards, there was absolutely no way anyone was heading South and we didn't see you or hear about you going North.

Eritrea is absolutely not the place to stop and every one knows this. We met a Russian in Port Ghalid that had been held in jail there without reason for 30 days.

Gjibouti has excellent provisioning from a newly built store with all the international brands.

There isn't much option but to sail past Hannish island as all the surrounding waters are reef laden and the shipping channel splits around the island group. When the winds are blowing and the seas are square, you don't want to be anywhere near Eritrea. Hell, you don't want to be near Eritrea on a good day. And Saudi Arabia will jail you for being in their waters.


You have Saudi navy on your starboard and Eritrea on your port. You have little or no options when winds and seas go verticle, which they do once every couple days through the Bab Al Mandeb vortex. Since most sailors want to pass through the Bab under cover of night, you arrive at Hannish at sunrise just as the morning winds off the desert begin to peak from 30 to over 50 knots sustained and the shallow waters square off at over 25 ft.

The reason there are so many reports of boats being fired upon is for this very reason. The Yemenis seem to take great pleasure is targeting vessels trying to find cover from the extreme winds and seas.

Picture is of Saudi Arabian Navy helicopter with 50cal gunner in door letting us know we are too close to their shores...50 miles out!

Good intel mate. Are you South African per chance?

[Neptune Parts]

Originally Posted by salticrak

Good intel mate. Are you South African per chance?

Septic.

[Neptune Parts]

Here are a few more pics showing why the Red Sea passage is so inciting...

[Neptune Parts]

And because a photo is worth a 1000 words....

[salticrak]

Originally Posted by Neptune Parts

Septic.

haha,fair dinkum.