Pirates Shatter Dream

[Ex-Calif]

It is easy to second guess other people's choices. Who knows if the person in question investigated shipping to Alexandria, Cypress or somewhere else in the med?

OTOH - It looks like slim pickins off of Somalia at present. Two outcomes - pirates go back to fishing or anyone who transits is the only "game" in town.

I certainly would not be in this area...

[Alan N Crichton]

Having lived and sailed in Richards Bay on the east coast of South Africa for 22 years we have seen and welcomed many sailors traveling from east to west - RB is the first port of call on the east coast - in fact the ARC stops here after proceeding across the Indian Ocean so it does seem rather excessive to ship a vessel from India to USA - but everyone has different views on safety from pirates and the affected areas.

[mausgras]

Originally Posted by capn_billl

Hold a young couple with small children hostage for a year, while raping and torturing them, and their children, is no biggie, but kill one of these animals, and world opinion is on their side. "they are just inocent fishermen, trying to feed their familes".

Gnashing of teeth !!!!!!!! stop it, dont give in ..... !!!! oh damn ... I'm like a fish to a lure .........

Captain Bill ... could you please cite your source. Exactly what young family, where and when was captured raped and tortured?

[sailstoo]

Eww, eww, eww...is this gonna turn into a gun thread soon?! Or how about a "HAG" thread (Hunters, Anchors, Guns)? Like someone tried a Bruce anchor off Somalia in their Hunter 43 and they had a .357 Mag and they shoulda had a 9mm semi? C'mon, take the bait!

[Jane.Joy]

Originally Posted by Alan N Crichton

Having lived and sailed in Richards Bay on the east coast of South Africa for 22 years we have seen and welcomed many sailors traveling from east to west - RB is the first port of call on the east coast - in fact the ARC stops here after proceeding across the Indian Ocean so it does seem rather excessive to ship a vessel from India to USA - but everyone has different views on safety from pirates and the affected areas.

Looking forward to visiting Richards Bay in a few years!

[Justpushplay]

My thoughts exactly, Joe.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by sailstoo

Eww, eww, eww...is this gonna turn into a gun thread soon?! Or how about a "HAG" thread (Hunters, Anchors, Guns)? Like someone tried a Bruce anchor off Somalia in their Hunter 43 and they had a .357 Mag and they shoulda had a 9mm semi? C'mon, take the bait!

what type of load in that .357?

[CarinaPDX]

Probably a load of BS...

[simonmd]

Originally Posted by jeremiason

I don't understand why he didn't ship it to Cypress or Turkey and continue on...

Probably would have been cheaper too.

I was going to say the same thing, if he had enough cash to ship it to the US, then why not? Surely someone wanting to and willing to sail around the world would have wanted to do at least as much as possible. I understand and agree with his choice not to enter those waters but to give up and ship it home seems like he was looking for an excuse to end the trip.

[rebel heart]

The vast majority of vessels transiting around Somalia have zero problems. 18,000 ships transited the Suez Canal last year: Suez Canal Traffic Statistics

Attempted piracy (successful or otherwise) worldwide was 544, 222 of which was in East Africa. So that's 1%.

To say that a 1% chance represents gross negligence is a little bit of a stretch.

[SimonV]

Originally Posted by rebel heart

The vast majority of vessels transiting around Somalia have zero problems. 18,000 ships transited the Suez Canal last year: Suez Canal Traffic Statistics

Attempted piracy (successful or otherwise) worldwide was 544, 222 of which was in East Africa. So that's 1%.

To say that a 1% chance represents gross negligence is a little bit of a stretch.

I for one would not take those odds given the prospect should you win....or lose .

[sailstoo]

Originally Posted by Don Lucas

what type of load in that .357?

Thanks Don...I was beginning to worry.

I figure you could get the job done with a 110 gr bullet with 7 gr of #2 powder. Now if you chose to do your reloading on a Hunter 43 while at anchor (Bruce or Rocna do you figure), who knows what the outcome would be.

[Lake-Effect]

From the UK:

We advise against all but essential travel by yacht and leisure craft on the high seas (more than 12 nautical miles from shore) in the Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea and part of the Indian Ocean bounded by the following latitude and longitude: 15°N in the Red Sea, 23°N in the Arabian Sea, 78°E and 15°S in the Indian Ocean.
...

Attacks of piracy and armed robbery against vessels in and around the Gulf of Aden and Somali Basin continue to affect only a very small proportion of overall shipping. However, these are frequent and continuing, proving successful almost exclusively against shipping which has not complied with agreed shipping industry best practice on self-defence measures. ...

Sailing vessels are particularly vulnerable to attack due to their low speed and low freeboard. All mariners intending to sail through high risk areas should consider the necessity of their travel and alternatives, such as transporting the vessel by yacht carrier.

[SailingwithSoul]

We're definitely not getting the whole story. It seems like this article is trying to evoke some sympathy, when this sailor just wants to (needs to) stop sailing and and he wants to save face by saying its because of piracy. He could have just simply turned around, cruised east, rounded the Americas and reach Europe that way. $20,000 would have given him some comfortable cruising.

I'm not judging, and wish him all the best in his endeavors, but I'm not buying the article.

[cwyckham]

I don't get it. There are two routes from where he is, one is too risky due to pirates. Surely the article should have addressed the other route. Should the article have been titled "Reputation for Rough Seas in Indian Ocean Shatters Dreams"?

I'd rather do the Red Sea too, but if I were to head out tomorrow, I'd just go around the Cape. A different trip, to be sure, but do-able.