Take the Anti-Piracy Pledge

[pbmaise]

If another pledge exists, please tell me. I propose the following. Copy and modify if you like.

The Anti-Piracy Pledge

To: Any group that kidnapped me or my crew,

Be advised my directions to my family and government are as follows:

1. I am a sailor. I have a duty to not imperil others.

2. I accept risks when I travel.

3. Act to honor my duty.

Give nothing. Not even communication. No exceptions.
Instead:

1.Confirm with my government that I/we are being held hostage.
2. If a group is identified as being the likely party, identify who they are and the area they are from.
3. Do as much as you can to broadcast the facts to help ensure others don't fall victim.
4. Petition my government to halt any trade, travel, money transfers, or aid to this area.

Business owners have the most collective power in any area. They are both the most likely group to secure release without paying anything and prevent piracy in the future.

Therefore:
5. Communicate to business owners of all sizes what you are doing and why. Buy advertisements in local papers if possible. Make sure they, and the public of the area, know you are willing to act for many years. However, please no more than 37 years.

No one is permitted aboard my vessel unless they, and their families, have understood, and taken this same pledge.

Philip B.Maise, Owner
Hot BuoysS.V. Volcano Hawaii

[belizesailor]

You make people take an Anti-Piracy pledge in Hawaii? Really?

[Ex-Calif]

Here's my pledge.

"I am a citizen of the most powerful nation on earth. Over my lifetime I have probably paid over $2m in US federal taxes.

I deserve at least one tomahawk missile expended on my behalf. Please direct it as close as possible to the location of the house of the warlord who has authorized the piracy that caused me to be kidnapped.

Then negotiate my release with anyone who may be left alive."

Fight terror with absolute terror...

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by pbmaise

If another pledge exists, please tell me. I propose the following. Copy and modify if you like.

The Anti-Piracy Pledge

To: Any group that kidnapped me or my crew,

Be advised my directions to my family and government are as follows:

1. I am a sailor. I have a duty to not imperil others.

2. I accept risks when I travel.

3. Act to honor my duty.

Give nothing. Not even communication. No exceptions.
Instead:

1.Confirm with my government that I/we are being held hostage.
2. If a group is identified as being the likely party, identify who they are and the area they are from.
3. Do as much as you can to broadcast the facts to help ensure others don't fall victim.
4. Petition my government to halt any trade, travel, money transfers, or aid to this area.

Business owners have the most collective power in any area. They are both the most likely group to secure release without paying anything and prevent piracy in the future.

Therefore:
5. Communicate to business owners of all sizes what you are doing and why. Buy advertisements in local papers if possible. Make sure they, and the public of the area, know you are willing to act for many years. However, please no more than 37 years.

No one is permitted aboard my vessel unless they, and their families, have understood, and taken this same pledge.

Philip B.Maise, Owner
Hot BuoysS.V. Volcano Hawaii

Yep sure , the guys toting the AKs are all signing up to this , absolutely.

I love the " business owners", how in gods name do you think they have any real power.

Communicate to business owners

Sure Ill use by sat phone to have long conversations with my local 7-11 owners, undoubtably that will work.

Be advised my directions to my family

Usually they are right beside you in the stockade.

Give nothing. Not even communication. No exceptions.

Eh, what about my pledge to tell the 7-11 owner.

1.Confirm with my government that I/we are being held hostage.

Is there a form for that , I presume the hostage takers will let me buy a postage stamp.

3. Do as much as you can to broadcast the facts to help ensure others don't fall victim.

I have repeatedly asked my captors to let me on the Oprah Winfrey show, they are considering the options.... but the bureaucratic delays are "killing" me.

No one is permitted aboard my vessel unless they, and their families, have understood, and taken this same pledge.

Thanks for that, I have left copies in convenient places on the deck for those pirates to sign as they board me.


Sheeeh, where do people get this nonsense from.


Heres the simple rules

1. Don't put yourself deliberately in harms way, especially if you have your family onboard.
2. If captured, you primary and "ONLY" responsibility is to stay alive and to keep you family ( if captured) alive as well
3. DO what ever is necessary to achieve 2. Unless you are on active duty, no secrets are worth your life. Communicate and build a rapport with you hostage takers.
4. Survive, dead heroes are worthless.
5. Money is irrelevant, if you can access it do so. dead men can't spend it.


dave

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by Ex-Calif

Here's my pledge.

"I am a citizen of the most powerful nation on earth. Over my lifetime I have probably paid over $2m in US federal taxes.

I deserve at least one tomahawk missile expended on my behalf. Please direct it as close as possible to the location of the house of the warlord who has authorized the piracy that caused me to be kidnapped.

Then negotiate my release with anyone who may be left alive."

Fight terror with absolute terror...

eh the flaw maybe, is that you maybe in the warlords house, making your second point somewhat academic.

dave

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

eh the flaw maybe, is that you maybe in the warlords house, making your second point somewhat academic.

dave

I thought of that.

I am pretty fatalistic. I'd take a Tomahawk to drain those MoFos and hopefully get all his immediate family as well...

Waiting for some Abu Saiyaf d!ckwad to behead me is not how I want to spend my last months.

Like Pierre the fighter pilot - I prefer to go down in flames

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by Ex-Calif

I thought of that.

I am pretty fatalistic. I'd take a Tomahawk to drain those MoFos and hopefully get all his immediate family as well...

Waiting for some Abu Saiyaf d!ckwad to behead me is not how I want to spend my last months.

Like Pierre the fighter pilot - I prefer to go down in flames

Im all for bravado, but why kill yourself to blow up a few Abu Saiyaf types, they just get replaced by other Abu Saiyafs types but your now dead!.

Personally, I m a proponent of no atheists in a foxhole, everyone likes to live.

Until they behead me, please refrain from bombing the place, after they behead me, turn the country into glass.

dave

[pbmaise]

Clarification. My boat is registered in Volcano Hawaii. I am currently in The Philippines where two German sailors were kidnapped from their vessel. I sail in this same area. I was in Puerto Princesa when their vessel was towed in.

To some of you, piracy and kidnapping is obviously a joke.

It is something I have known since childhood. I lived in GB during regular bombings. One occured just two blocks down my street.

If you need a quick reminder of what some of know read:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List..._peace_process

It the case of these two sailors, it appears the group waited a few days, researched, and brought over members from another Island before striking.

Now run along over to the joke forum if you are looking to poke fun. Some here, are cruising sailors who know this is serious.

It is my firm belief that if this kidnapping is true, that:

1. The German Government is putting my vessel and my crew in harms way by remaining silent;

2. That there is one, and only one appropriate way to handle these types of situations;

3. The most powerful group in any Country are business owners. They realize their business is at risk because of the actions of people they know.


Sent from my MyPhone Agua Ocean Lite using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[Sandibar]

I'm sailing in the Baltic, so don't have to worry about pirates, but people do get kidnapped on land as well while traveling in high-risk environments. Finns have been kidnapped and killed in the Yemen, Afghanistan and Philippines in the past few years.

I don't understand the pledge in the first post, but just wanted to point out that in places where kidnappings/killings are a risk business owners often are not the most powerful group. Against whom would you target the economic sanctions (I assume that's what we're talking about here) in countries and areas where separatist political groups, warlords or plain criminal kingpins rule?

Also: "Make sure they, and the public of the area, know you are willing to act for many years. However, please no more than 37 years." What happens after 37 years?

Markus

[Ex-Calif]

I keep writing replies to this thread and my computer keeps eating them. Maybe my computer is smarter than me...

So imagine a big diatribe about bombing pirates and terrorists and warlords and a disclaimer that I lived in the Philippines for 6 years so that proves I am an expert - LOL

I wondered about the 37 years thing as well - Hmmm....

[Spleen]

I also wondered about 37 years and would love to know more about that number.

[captain58sailin]

Having worked in pirate central for several years (12) (Nigeria). I can tell you, once you get taken hostage, all bets are off. The pirates will be unconcerned about your pledge. They will perform all manner of act, to induce the negotiating parties to pay a higher price for your release. And they are not above beheading someone if they believe it will further their cause. Best bet, don't get taken in the first place, second best bet, if you are taken, cooperate with them until they get paid and let you go. If you get taken by an idealist, instead of a capitalist, you are screwed.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

5. Money is irrelevant, if you can access it do so. dead men can't spend it.


dave

I certainly do not have the answer to piracy but do have one observation. I think there is no doubt that paying a ransom to pirates encourages more piracy and kidnapping.

If no one had ever sent a dime to Somalia I doubt there would be the piracy problem we have today. They are in it for the money, period. There is no political agenda, no message they are trying to send to the world, nothing else but money (although with Abu Sayad there may be a different story). If there was no money in piracy then they would be focusing on some other activity that would pay.

However, if it was my wife or daughter being held hostage would I say stonewall the SOBs and never, never pay a dime? Forget my family, what about anyone's husband or wife or children? I'm just glad I'm not the one that would have to make that decision.

Bottom line, points 1-5 summarize it pretty well, with a big emphasis on #1 "Don't put yourself deliberately in harms way, especially if you have your family onboard."

There are bad people and bad places in the world. Research your cruising routes very carefully. There's no guarantee that avoiding the known hotspots will make you 100% safe but sure will stack the odds in your favor.

[Ex-Calif]

If you have Netflix watch "Stolen Seas" - I interviews and documents the real people involved in a real hostage negotiation with a professional hostage negotiator hired by the pirates.

Interesting insight to the "business" of piracy in Somalia.

[Canibul]

Do Arabic speaking pirates in Africa read online cruising forums written in English? I'm confused as to just whom this pledge is intended to impact. Perhaps if we tattooed it on our foreheads... in Arabic?