How to Avoid Somali Pirates ?

[hummingway]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

I'd go taste that Cape plonk!

Mark

Who needs an excuse to do that?

[hummingway]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

Dang!!!!!

Thats something interesting I hadn't noticed before!!! This skiff only had one engine down! Easy way to know he's safe..... till he puts both down LOL

I just blew up this pic so you can see a bit clearer.

We had a number of these skiff coming through the convoy during the 5 days. When the go fast they can't be seen... they just 'arrive'.

The one we saw attacking a container ship had at least 6 or 8 people in it and it was going over 25 kntos...

Look at the weather! In a smaller convoy it could have waited in Salalah till the wind picked up making it more difficult for pirates. I would have waited a month Dave is right, imho, right down the center in the IRTC. Most convoys for some inexplicable reason hug the Yemini coast where the UN Navys are not allowed to intervien if there is an attack because its in Yemini Territorial waters! Ours was mostly inside Yemini waters and I thought it was lunacy.

This must have been very nerve racking. That's a lovely craft and it's a shame that its not a pleasure to cruise these waters and enjoy their presence.

It's weird and maybe it's just me but that one person looks like he's imagining drawing a bead ... like a kid playing guns.

[SS Little-Devil]

Are there any documented cases of people fighting back?

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by SS Little-Devil

Are there any documented cases of people fighting back?

Yes,theres plenty. Dave - MaxingOut has one.

Originally Posted by hummingway

It's weird and maybe it's just me but that one person looks like he's imagining drawing a bead ... like a kid playing guns.

Have a look at the front guy in this photo.. Look carefully. Again its cropped. I am taking them from the helm. But when I saw this I thought "he's pulled out a rifle!"

Really, anything could have happened with any of these 'incidents'. It was quite a action packed 5 days!

[SS Little-Devil]

I have not read the gun posts at all, but there are several ways to rig your boat to defend against unauthorized boarding both before, during and after they board, without breaching any laws about importing firearms. There is always risk in defense, but in most case, offense is the best defense. I have heard about multiple flare guns on board, but there are many more creative ways than that. Of course it's best to avoid such situations, but if I was placed in one, I would consider it life or death and act (or choose inaction) accordingly depending on the circumstances. Pretty crazy forum topic.

[beowulfborealis]

Wow Mark,

That puts it into perspective with that photo. It would be hard to determine what some of the locals are up to until its too late. Cape Town is starting to sound like a great port. I have been in South Africa before. Nice place.

[rebel heart]

Honestly I'd rather experience Africa (the safe places anyway) than the Med. I did the Med in the Navy, so the whole gulf of aden business is a nice motivator towards a rather untraveled continent. Maybe it will cause cruising tourism to increase towards African countries that aren't total wrecks.

[fishwife]

If you were to transit the Gulf of Aden/Red Sea safely, you've still got the Egyptian Suez Canal mafia to contend with and you can't dodge them

P.

[rebel heart]

It will cost you as much to dock and eat in the Med as it will to buy your ransom with the pirates.

[avb3]

Originally Posted by Ozbullwinkle

That's great that the Thai's really look like they are prepared to take some serious counter action with these pirates.

I kind of like what the Russians did with those pirates they picked up in the Indian ocean.

After holding them a couple of days, they released them.

Now, what they did not say was how far from shore, with how little gas or water and in what condition those pirates were in after being "interrogated".

Methinks said pirates either met a demise at sea, or if they did get back, I suspect they told their buds not to tick of a Russian boat captain.

I don't believe for one minute that they were just let go.

[cat man do]

Just finished reading this article

Last October Paul and Rachel Chandler, married 25 years, were sailing their small yacht from the Seychelles towards Tanzania.

Before setting off, various authorities advised the couple that perhaps this wasn't a wise voyage.

Although international law decrees that every mariner has the right of a free passage, more than 1,000 miles from the African coast they were boarded and captured by Somali pirates.


The couple's transfer from the yacht to the pirates' mother ship was observed by the crew of the RFA supply vessel Wave Knight.

Sadly, for whatever reasons — politics, concern for the victims, or simply obeying Government orders — they just stood by and watched.

To add insult to injustice, the Wave Knight had a group of Royal Marine Commandos on board who could surely have made 'mincemeat' of the Somali pirates.

All this took place nearly a year ago, and while the Press and television media 'ranted' for a month or two, it's gone quiet, and those two poor souls from Tunbridge Wells are still held captive in some Somalian hell-hole.

Why, oh why didn't the 'watchers' react?

In stark contrast, about the same time, a Russian merchant vessel was hijacked by pirates in the same area.

It so happened that a Russian naval ship was close by, and quickly retaliated.

Armed Russian servicemen retook the ship and, disarming the pirate chappies, tossed them back into their own small boat and cast them adrift. They were never heard of again. "Service with a smile", or what?

Makes you wonder about the wisdom of the Wave Knight's crew and the British Foreign Office in allowing this inhuman act to go unpunished.

Sir Francis Drake would surely have drawn his cutlass!

HISTORICALLY we are a nation of proud seafarers. But there are times when what happens out there on distant oceans makes me wonder.

[rgscpat]

I have heard of some wealthier yachties hiring and picking up a couple of ex-military types, doing a bit of hardware shopping in Malta or someplace similar, and then transiting the Red Sea. Southbound, they likely get the benefit of prevailing breezes and a faster passage. Obviously not cheap. And I've always wanted to see South Africa and watch the clouds come down Table Mountain.

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by rgscpat

I have heard of some wealthier yachties hiring and picking up a couple of ex-military types, doing a bit of hardware shopping in Malta or someplace similar, and then transiting the Red Sea. Southbound, they likely get the benefit of prevailing breezes and a faster passage.

The 'hardware' you speak of is available in Turkey. Pick up a few shotguns there on presentation of passport and dump them over the side before Asia.

The ex-military types are indeed doing it, but you wont be able to afford them. There is a mob operating out of Salalah in the smallest and crappiest patrol boat I have ever seen in my life and they are Brits (sorry I didnt get a photo of their boat) and they escort vessels that are 2 slow (under 10 knots) to do the IRTC convoys. Such as tugs towing barges etc.
The patrol boat escorts them up the IRTC to 16th Latitude where its safe.

Your bit about transiting the Red Sea. The Red Sea is pretty safe, its the Gulf of Aden thats the problems... just folks have been calling it the Red Sea (go figure!!). From the Straits of Bab El Mendeb north you're fine, East and you are not.

The area between Aden and the Straits of Beb el Mendeb have been assumed by cruisers to be safe. However that is NOT correct. It is an area UNpatrolled by the UN and it is where we saw a ship hijack attempt. I guess the IRTC will be extended to there shortly.

Cruisers complacency is putting them in unsafe situations.

Cruisers use the arguments:
1) No one has been pirated since the Chandlers
2) Pirates are not interested in Yachts.
3) The coast of Yemen is safe

These 3 arguments utterly sicken me. They are wrong and some cruiser will find out to their detriment.


Mark

[MarkJ]

I just (finally) put my piece on our Gulf of Aden transit on the website.

If you have a moment to have a look I'd be pleased. Some of the photos take a while to ,load. I am not sure they are all there etc.


http://ourlifeatsea.com/pirates.html

Mark

[estarzinger]

The plain and simple fact is that South Africa is a wonderful area. Even without considering the pirates, we choose to go that way. The country side is marvelous touring and the sailing is quite good. The weather forecasting is adequate and the harbours are not that far apart. The longest bit is from Reunion to Durban, and you will probably get caught in one small gale on that leg, but for the rest you just wait, drinking the red wine and seeing the country, for a good weather and then pop along to the next harbour.

The pirates - who knows - a small but serious risk. We do personally know the two steel cruising boats that sunk and killed two pirate boats a couple years ago, and I am pretty sure I would not have the fortitude to do what they did. I would much rather deal with a gale than an AK. The world is a big enough place with enough cruising options that we have simply choosen not to go places with known risks like that.