Somali pirates and armed response

Maritime Topics Maritime Security
1

Been on the mechant freighters 20k~50k DWT range from 2008 ~2010 along the east coast of Somalia, never been detected by pirates, always kept the distance at least 24 miles from the dot that appeared on the radar screen, no matter where the ship’s heading, simply kept the distance…

Once, one dot followed my ship for a day, I do not know what that was, fishng boat ? following ocean frighter with 13~14kots of speed for 20 hours?

We were going backward, circle, in order to keep the distance of 24 miles, beyond the horizon, with no electronic signatures going out from the ship, no AIS, LRIT bullshit…

No lights, all blacked out…

usually calling Mombasa, Dae Es Salaam as discharging ports…found out that the Somal pirates are gobbling up the resort real estates,
from Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique…big business men…
Very greedy criminals, sometimes very cruel…

Armed response is the only way to deter the bad guys…
Checked up the possibility of forming the armed guards on the merchant freighter…

There are so many B.S… blah, blah, blah,

Any idea doing that legally?

2

I know that using some steel pipe and compressed air you can make a gun as strong as any small arms. How about running a bunch of HP lines on deck with a homemade arsenal. Or what about some kind of shot line designed to be shot in front of their small boat to foul the prop?? Mace bombs, chemical attacks, pumps that could fllod and capsize thier boat… It just seems like there are so many creative options that are not being explored. Without a doubt the oceans have become like a dictator ran country where only the criminals are allowed to be armed. What about a stationary ship anchored just outside the line of any country that is there for mariners to drop-off or pick-up firearms before and after pulling into ports?

3

My thought would be to trail several 1000 foot sections of heavy mono filament from the fantail, with several pieces of mono strung out from the cargo, hose booms, along the side so the small boats would foul their propellers as they near the ship. ( You want to follow my boat closely, You lose! You want to board my boat, You lose.)

The only concern would be to have the mono on the sides just short of the ships prop, to keep that clear.

I am absolutely amazed at how the NATO forces seem to coddle these guys. This is PIRATE activity. Why are these guys being allowed to return homeor even live? I would imagine when these guys stop coming home the others would figure that pirating is a good way disappear… forever. Harsh? But then again I have never been accused of bleeding heart liberal either!

4

forget the pony…all I want for christmas is a CIWS!!

5

[QUOTE=cappy208;30687]My thought would be to trail several 1000 foot sections of heavy mono filament from the fantail, with several pieces of mono strung out from the cargo, hose booms, along the side so the small boats would foul their propellers as they near the ship. ( You want to follow my boat closely, You lose! You want to board my boat, You lose.)

The only concern would be to have the mono on the sides just short of the ships prop, to keep that clear.

I am absolutely amazed at how the NATO forces seem to coddle these guys. This is PIRATE activity. Why are these guys being allowed to return homeor even live? I would imagine when these guys stop coming home the others would figure that pirating is a good way disappear… forever. Harsh? But then again I have never been accused of bleeding heart liberal either![/QUOTE]

we will be running up to yemen from the south in a few weeks, and plan to run a 600’ hawser off the stern, going from a bit on the port side of the stern, out and around the stern by about 400ft, back up to a bit on the stbd side stern. Off that will be lengths of small stuff going back another 300’. Hard to see even during the daytime at 19kts, the spray from the line isn’t too bad. I’ll see if I can throw up a picture tomorrow

6

I just saw the Maersk Alabama in Salalah, Oman. They had LRAD, rear looking radar,and razor wire along the rails. They also got new windows for the Lifeboat. I bet these ones aren’t bullet proof either. I guess their ready now…