U.S. Sea Sherrifs ???!!!???

[SilentOption]

I see a real use for a contract assault force to protect shipping. While the chances of finding like minded individuals to sail into a hurricane might be tough there will always be those who will volunteer for an adventure such as hunting pirates for money.

Why not? All those out of work contractors from Iraq and Afghanistan have to do something. They have the skills why not put them out there where collateral damage will be minimized. If a boat loaded with armed thugs shows up along side chances are there aren't any innocent civilians with them so why not hit the boat with a flame thrower. Then post that video on you tube. It would raise the stakes for pirates.
And the survivors wouldn't be so attractive to those Somali women who hold the pirates in such high regard.

[BigCountyEsq]

SilentOption,

I agree 100 %, I think private contracted security forces is exactly what is needed.

[SilentOption]

Originally Posted by BigCountyEsq

SilentOption,

I agree 100 %, I think private contracted security forces is exactly what is needed.

I should add

Paid for by the ship owners not the US taxpayers.

[David M]

Originally Posted by Chuck Baier

You know, these kinds of statements usually come from folks that seldom venture far from home and spend way too much time on the internet. Piracy and attacks on cruising boats are extremely rare in the grand scheme although get much discussion when they happen. In 16 years we have indeed seen some petty theft, much of it in the US, and on very rare occasions heard reports of more serious crime. On the other hand, the afternoon news today will be full of murder and mayhem and scares the crap out of me. After a short period I need to get out and go cruising to feel safe again.

I think your right Chuck. Far more crime per capita occurs on land than at sea. Most dirt bags don't own boats. Somalia might be an exception.

[Stillraining]

Well it wasent pirates I was referring to anyway ..it was rudders or whatever else is making people hit the mommy button and loose their boat.

[GordMay]

French Navy first to offer 'Close Support Protection’ system.

The European Union (EU) has initiated a ‘Close Support Protection’ system for vessels transiting the Gulf of Aden. The French navy will be the first to offer this service.

The French Navy is able to provide protection teams onboard two merchant vessels at a time. Only two vessels will have the protection teams onboard upon request. The rest of the ships intending to follow this ‘group of protected vessels‘ can do so without the protection teams onboard. The presence of the warships will deter pirates from attacking any vessels in the group. Vessels can also call the nearby warships for assistance when attacked by pirates.

Civilian vessels willing to benefit from such escorts have to make contact 10 days before slot.

Inquiries regarding exact time and date of departure, please contact:
French Force commander staff for Indian Ocean
Tel: 00 33 4 94 02 89 49
E-mail: alindien@free.fr

For more details goto:
Alert to all ships transiting the Gulf of Aden

[never monday]

Originally Posted by Amgine

Once upon a time a very recognized boating periodical posted a letter they had received, after carefully making sure there was no way any reader could contact the author.

The author was looking for crew/partners to join him on an adventure to take a vessel into the eye of a cat 5 hurricane, and then to keep pace with the storm until it made landfall, at which point they'd abandon ship and take whatever shelter they could find available.

The sheer idiocy of such a plot was astonishing, and the editors could not in good conscience provide the author with the opportunity to find like-minded people who would risk their lives so recklessly.

I've thought of doing this very foolish adventure. I'd bet the video would be worth a fortune to Discovery or the Weather Chanel.

[GordMay]

Blackwater gunboats will protect ships

Our favorite mercenary force doesn't only have helicopters, tanks, hummers and planes; but also warships. The Blackwater warship, McArthur, is being deployed off Somalia's pirate infested coast to actively protect against pirate attacks.

Blackwater sends warship to Gulf of Aden - Lloydslist.com

Blackwater: 13 firms want pirate protection - Navy News, opinions, editorials, news from Iraq, photos, reports - Navy Times

[AnchorageGuy]

Originally Posted by GordMay

The French Navy is able to provide protection teams onboard two merchant vessels at a time. Only two vessels will have the protection teams onboard upon request. The rest of the ships intending to follow this ‘group of protected vessels‘ can do so without the protection teams onboard. The presence of the warships will deter pirates from attacking any vessels in the group. Vessels can also call the nearby warships for assistance when attacked by pirates.

If you read one of the piracy threads here on the board I had suggested this protection team approach a couple of times. I guess someone in the French Navy read it and figured it out

[David M]

Originally Posted by never monday

I've thought of doing this very foolish adventure. I'd bet the video would be worth a fortune to Discovery or the Weather Chanel.

I don't think its foolish at all with the right vessel. Of course you could not use your typical yacht...even the best built most seaworthy yachts.

It would not be hard to build a custom made vessel that could take such a beating so as to survive a hurricane. It would need to be absolutely watertight and have a positive metacentric height at all angles of inclination. Why not do this with a submersible that can surface in the eye?

The only other thing I would suggest is to bring lots of Bonine.

[Guzzi]

I wish the media would stop calling these people "pirates" and refer to them as what they really are-TERRORISTS.

Now we have all these shows on TV glorifying the age of the pirates such as Blackbeard, etc.

[Stillraining]

Originally Posted by Guzzi

I wish the media would stop calling these people "pirates" and refer to them as what they really are-TERRORISTS.

Now we have all these shows on TV glorifying the age of the pirates such as Blackbeard, etc.

If we do that .. we would be forced to deal with it within the confines of the war on terror..with fair trials and all that baloney..also meaning you and I ( the good ol USA ) paying for it

Just let the independent for hire mercenaries and India handel it..the Russians to for that matter...cut and dried that way...and they will get the job done with out the bleeding harts geeting in the way.

[SilentOption]

A Chinese fishing boat was taken yesterday maybe they'll send a few missiles into do their negotiating for them. Taking out every boat floating in Somalia capable of going more than 10 miles offshore would be a great start I'd think. It would also be cheaper than contract assault teams and keeping a US military presence in the region.

[SilentOption]

Originally Posted by Guzzi

I wish the media would stop calling these people "pirates" and refer to them as what they really are-TERRORISTS.

Now we have all these shows on TV glorifying the age of the pirates such as Blackbeard, etc.

This came up someplace else kind of when a pirate flag was posted.

I don't have any trouble differentiating between the Blackbeard era and the modern day pirate/terrorists.
I don't know what other people in the world think about it but here in the US it seems we are always glorifying to some degree the "badguys" if you will by........ok, now stay with me on this. If you're drinking that might help.

So anyway.. Who didn't play cowboys and indians growing up? Cops and Robbers, Who hasn't dressed like a pirate for Halloween or some other blood thirsty character for that matter.

And who were the real badguys in the cowboy/indian battles? I grew up in Montana and learned a lot about the plains indians and the plight of the Nez Perce so I have my opinions about that era.

At any rate whats in a name. Call them what you want, anyone making a living by interupting commerce or threatening to kill for a ransome needs to come to horrible violent end...in my opinion.

If it wasn't so cold I'd be working on my boat right now instead of sitting at this computer all day.

[Stillraining]

Originally Posted by SilentOption

anyone making a living by interupting commerce or threatening to kill for a ransome needs to come to horrible violent end...in my opinion.

If it wasn't so cold I'd be working on my boat right now instead of sitting at this computer all day.

100% agreement..and FWIW its cold and ranny here too..I should be at work but its suposto be sunny tomorrow..and I dont like making mud..so the heater blowin on my feet under this keyboard is mighty hard to leave right now...