British Couple Released After a Year in Captivity

[goboatingnow]

So many, without the resources and back up to pay the ransomes, will remain there, future uncertain. __________________

I wasnt aware there are any at all held for extended times, who do you beleive are still there

Dave

[SimonV]

The news here stated that their ransom was raised by Somali's living in England, also there is still some 500 people still being held in somalia.

[RiverRat]

Originally Posted by itchybro

Just heard about this via of all places Al Jazeera's "english" channel. At the end of the report it was stated "over 500 hostages remain and 29 ships."

What does the sign language mean? Is that 3_9?

[mbianka]

Well that certainly is good news. Unfortunately, it took $500 thousand to gain their release and the waters there from the reports do not seem to be any safer. I wonder if a couple of "sting" operations using some special forces on sailboats might help "weed out" some of the bad actors in the area.

[Tellie]

Originally Posted by RiverRat

What does the sign language mean? Is that 3_9?

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot The rest should be easy to figure out

[boatman61]

A damn good New's channel it is to....

Originally Posted by itchybro

Just heard about this via of all places Al Jazeera's "english" channel. At the end of the report it was stated "over 500 hostages remain and 29 ships."

[mikereed100]

Originally Posted by Morganministry

On Oct. 23, the boat that Paul and Rachel Chandler were sailing on with 21 crewmembers aboard was hijacked by pirates. The British couple were on a worldwide boating vacation when they were seized.

There's only 1 head on a 38' boat, right? Whisky Tango Foxtrot.

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by SimonV

The news here stated that their ransom was raised by Somali's living in England, also there is still some 500 people still being held in somalia.

Yes, the scource of this news comes from an interesting group... apparently mis matched to their cause but now too closely associated with it to drop the ball

Ecoterra is some sort of environmental group and distributes news via a couple of websites.

They are the only non-government site (apart from East African Seafarers Assistance Programme) that is giving detail on the negotiation of all ships seized.

Its a good one to read each week if you are interested in that area.

The current report is
http://www.australia.to/2010/index.p...=99&Itemid=132

The main website is ECO²TERRA

What is painfully obvious from a good reading is that the crews of large ships are relatively OK as the ransom is paid quickly. However to poorer people without ransom insurance - as fishermen or cruisers are - get held much longer till the ransom is paid. Only 2 weeks ago a fisherman has died of malnutrition and the rest of the crew are nearly dead too.

The 2 new 'western' cruisers will also be in for the long haul.

...which read that the pirates will kill them and then remove their eyes and kidneys in order to be sold, is more a sort of a macabre hoax. On 27. October the third officer (name of the Yemeni man known but withheld until next of kin are informed) died, the crew reported and the owner confirmed that he also had received that sad report.

The Chandlers family has been financially devastated; the Chandlers themselves in a difficult situation of never ebing able to pay back their family and friends, nor, of course, go cruising again.

They have no right to any part of their old boat as it would have be salvaged... thats if there was any value to it. Given there was value and they were paid out, then they would be behoven to pay back their relatives... as they would be too with any media money they get.

So a highly terrible situation for all.

[NotQuiteLost]

Glad for the Chandlers to be free again. I can't really imagine how they must feel.

[NDH]

Originally Posted by kmason

I'm pretty sure their yacht was found adrift, minus any thing of value, just off the coast of Somalia on Oct 29, 2009. Don't know where the Royal Navy towed it to though.

The boat was a Rival and was brought back to UK, I read on a site yesterday that the boat was being looked after by the Rival owners association until their return, if that bit is true but it is a heart warming gesture.

[kgregg]

a bit of bad news for the Chandlers. Mr. Chandler's father passed away while he (Paul) was being held in captivity. My best to this family. They've been through a lot.


Freed by pirates, man told of dad's death - World news - Africa - Somalia - msnbc.com

[MarkJ]

I don't know what order these photos will show in but look at before and after.

Its not hard to work out which is which.

One off thing is who much his before photo just looks like so many other cruisers just doing their thing and making light of the menial work and fixing what needs to be fixed.
He's still got a smile on his face after the release, of course. Maybe being a sailor does help. Some things we need to do, and never give up

[swagman]

Fingers crossed they can write a book / make a movie about the captivity and get back enough to repay the relis and who knows, if they still want to go for it - maybe another boat.

Looking at the pictures above, he's obviously gutsy.
Not many blokes I know would take on the wife by dismantling an oily outboard leg on the dining table:-).

Cheers
JOHN

[Captain Bill]

I saw a report from Somalia this morining where the reporter was reporting the pirate company had settled on the amount of ransom that had been paid because the were concerned for the health of their assets and should their assets die the price of their stock would go down. He went on to explain that Piracy was an industry in Somalia and there were 72 Pirate companies in which everyday Somalies purchased stock in these pirate companies and were making lots of money. Apparently there is a stock exchange of sorts in one of their cities where shares in these companies are traded just like shares in legitimate stock exchanges in major cities around the world. That being the case punishing individual pirates will have no practical effect at all. One will need to make the industry unprofitable to stop it. The cost of having this industry must have a significant negative effect on the life of everyday Somalies if it is to stop. It would seem that most governments consider themselves too civilized to do what is needed to stop it so it will go on.

[timbenner]

Piracy was out of control in the 1700's, until Spain, England and France got together and promoted arming all merchant ships. Merchant ships were instructed to kill pirates and not expected to bring them to any trial, since merchant ships don't have jails on board.

Piracy was wiped out with this policy until the mid 1900's when International Law prohibited merchant ships from being armed and most ports followed, prohibiting arms. History is repeating it's self.

When the pirates come with their RPG's, they should be turned into ashes with longer range "Light Anti Tank" (LAW) weapons. Promoting pirates by paying ransoms and disarming all of their victims is insane!