Somali Pirates Hijack Yacht with Four Americans Aboard

[Anonymous7500]

Originally Posted by kjames

I understand people here are upset but in suggesting immediate and unrestrained action, remember the Somali pirates hold over 700 prisoners and if it were simple to retrieve those people it would have been done already. There’s just nothing good or simple about this whole affair.

So? There are 6.700.000.000 people in the world. Subtract the 700 prisoners from that number and you still have 6.700.000.000! A couple of other statistics to consider: 25.000 children, under the age of five, die every day worldwide and over 100.000 Iraqi civilians have been colateral damage since 2003.

The pirates are barbaric. The only way to defeat that behavior is with barbaric acts. Terrible? Yes. Effective? Yes. Next time a ship is taken, send in a gunship and clear the ship of life. Yes, all life. Return the crew to their families for burial. Airdrop the pirate's corpses into their ports. I bet that pirate attacks would immediately decline and completely disappear after only a few incidents.

I wonder if anyone took S/V Quest up on this offer that is on their website:
Jean Adam writes, "I thought we should have a contest and see if you can figure out where this guy on the left [picture] came from!! The winner gets to join Scott & myself for our trip across the Indian Ocean, up the Red Sea to the Med. Hurry up before this offer expires!"

[deepstar]

As someone who has lived in Oman for the past 17 years, I can tell you the local yachting community is quite staggered by what is going on off the coast here.

240 nm from Salalah - places then aprox 320 nm NE from Socotra - the chance of any inshore navy task force finding them is nill. The EU "Anti-Pirate" patrols were around Dijubouti for some time, so they may be able to assist.

These are not Johnny Depp type pirates, but sophisticated thieves. The US just sentenced a Somali Pirate to 33 years in jail I believe 2 days ago.... this I see as the pirate's version of their diplomatic response.

The L.A. times is simply reporting what is posted all through the S/V Quest website. I rather doubt that they have an on-line subscription.

400 days captive like the wretched British couple, or risk being caught in a gun-battle - neither is an option I would like to choose.

Let us all hope they are swiftly released.

[stevensuf]

As has been said before in Salalah ak47 's can be bought legally and cheaply, i read recently of a convoy of yachts to go through, maybe the best idea is to arrange convoys, go to salalah buy a pile of ak's 2 to each boat and sail in a diamond or circular formation, toss the aks once youve ran the gauntlet,lets faces it they want you alive, dead you are of no ransom value, if the pirates do their usual, warning shots over the bows and you return warning shots, they are at a stalemate, they cant risk excessive fire, should they kill you, you have no value to them plus they know they are not going to have an easy time, and fibreglass does stop bullets.

[deepstar]

Originally Posted by stevensuf

Salalah ak47 's can be bought legally and cheaply

I can go and check with the local police - but I can assure you 100% this is not the case.

Pistols, Shotguns and Semi/Fully Automatic weapons are not legally allowed to be owned by citizens. Anyone being caught with one could well face severe consequences.

[stevensuf]

Maybe ive been lied to, but ive been told the market just outside there sells them openly to anyone, perhaps then it is ilegal, but not enforced.

[deepstar]

not enforced I would suggest.

[stevensuf]

Old guns, ammo & daggers for sale at Salalah city centre market photo - Jan-Michael Breider photos at pbase.com

[stevensuf]

Guns For Sale!! Downtown Salalah, Oman | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

[svBeBe]

Originally Posted by deepstar

..........

The L.A. times is simply reporting what is posted all through the S/V Quest website. I rather doubt that they have an on-line subscription.
................
.

However, the LA Times article credits Somalia's U.N. Mission as stating that this couple was on a "worldwide voyage to distribute Bibles." That is not true. The U.N. Mission made no such statement. Or at least no other news source credits the U.N. Mission with making such a statement.

By putting this statement in the media it further endangers the lives of the captives. It is highly unlikely that Somali pirates would go to the English language website for this yacht and learn that these folks enjoy giving away Bibles. But it is likely that the Somalis will learn of widely circulated news statements. After all, the pirate leaders seemed pretty attuned to the news statement made by the Chandler's family members during their captivity. Already a UK news source has repeated the LA Times story. Figure it won't be long until the crew of Quest will become known at "those Americans who were trying to smuggle Bibles into the Islamic countries."

Hopefully I am just being a cynic and they will be rescued quickly.

Judy
S/V BeBe

[S/V Alchemy]

Originally Posted by svBeBe

Most Circumnavigators are 5 years are more into their plan when they reach the Indian Ocean. The piracy dangers change monthly. For instance, piracy is 13 times greater this year for the period of Oct - Feb than the same time last year.

Additionally, it is a real problem for most Circumnavigators to turn around and go the other way.

This is absolutely true. We are planning a five-year circ leaving from Toronto in 2013. I get asked, bringing a sub-teen boy, whether we will be going up the Red Sea. I can't say that now. We likely won't decide until we round Cape York and start tiptoeing across the Torres Sea.

The situation is fluid. Our boat is equipped for rounding Cape of Good Hope, but I'm under no illusions it would be fun to work that route. SA is no peacable kingdom, either, of course, but at some point you either go or stay sailing in circles in Lake Ontario.

Whenever people ask, I say that fitting out to a schedule is hubris in a jam jar, and planning a circ other than "we will cross our outbound track at some point" is also idiotic. I think our Year One is shaping up as a circ of the North Atlantic from Nova Scotia to Ireland to Portugal, Azores and Guadaloupe, and then a dash to Panama. Year Five is the Caribbean heading north to NYC.

Years Three, Four and Five? No clue, except I think we'll haul in New Zealand for a hull servicing!

Anyone who tells you they are going here, here, and here at such and such a time is either delusional or is missing the point of cruising...

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by boatman61

I'm not paying $50/day to sail on your boat... this marksman has a day rate...

No. definately $50 a day (just to cover me costs). But you would get performance bonuses

I would call it "Piece Work"


and a share of any Pirate Booty. maybe even both types

[Boomp]

My paper this morning reports 630 held by pirates in Somalia!....I would not venture near that area. While I know there would be a measure of security w a convoy, it's easy to envision it being a sailboat buffet for pirates too. Maybe w destroyer escourts...

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Garrison.

It’s unfortunate that it was news such as this, that brought you to us.

[WaltzingYogini]

I have just started writing a column on Blue Water Cruising for examiner.com. I'm sorry that my second article will be about this tragic event.

Is there anyone out there that knows the captain and crew that I can talk to?

My e-mail address is WaltzingYogini (@) gmail (dot) com

[MarkJ]

Last year put grey hairs on my scone!


The worst thing was we never knew if a skiff was a pirate or not and many/most on our convoy didn't consider anything a threat, suggesting we give cigarettes to skiffs approaching us. (See Fatty Goodlanders article about it!)




Nicolles eyes didn't move from those binoculars for the 5 days of our Gulf of Aden transit - thats obvious.
What isn't as well known is the trip to Oman from India and Sri Lanka. No convoy and over 1,000nms where we were on alert. Every vessel sighted we dropped the sails so we'd be more difficult to see. Every dawn we had the sails dropped in case first light surprised us with a boat.

See the Live Piracy map for this year and see how the Indian Ocean is the hot bead and the route from the bottom of India a or the Maldives is all in dangerous waters.

Originally Posted by svBeBe

BTW, we have elected to spend a lot of money to ship BeBe to the med from here.
Best, Bill s/v BeBe Amel 53 Currently Cochin, India

Good decision, Bill and Judy.
Its a lot of money but I think you will find it a good one.


Mark