Modern Day Pirates and we need the UN? Not the People I know!

[twyacht]

As someone in the marine industry,( I work on luxury yachts),watching pirates from Somalia get news time in their junk boats hold supertankers and freighters for ransom is Bullsh**!. Now I hear the US NAVY needs clarification from the UN for engaging pirates? . The India Navy sank one, but $150 million dollars of ransom has already been paid.

What ever happened to maritime law? It goes back several hundred years and has more "balls" in its language than anything the UN could ever come up with. Piracy was dealt with harshly, you attack my boat in International Waters, I can do anything to protect it, including taking your life, by ANY and all means. Period.

These ships can't put a couple of .50's or 20mm guns on the deck? These pirates run around in junk vessels.  C'mon.. what a bunch of (w)ussies. Now we need the UN to clarify?   Give me a Barrett and they won't get within 1000yds.

I made a service call to a large yacht, and had to move "crates" of ammo, (7.62x39 and .223) to access the area for repairs. The owner was onboard and told me, if any attempt is made (which does still happen), in the Caribbean, to board or pirate his ship he has a literal locker, located by the pilothouse. It is filled with all the stuff us gun porn lovers really like. He said he is not holding back, and will NOT be stingy with rounds. His boat had firearms all over it. Than he joked about being the 5th largest Navy.

Good grief. Where's deepwater? I'll bet there's some locker somewhere on his ship...

Alright, rant off.
Thank you.

[MikeBjerum]

Is the issue with the U.S. Navy and the U.N. just over piracy, or are these pirates flying some nation's flag?

[Fatman]

Little shits speed up in the ships wake to make them hard to see and either climb up on the ladders the crew FORGETS to haul up, or they stand off and threaten with an RPG or similar.

One word - Barrett -when you absolutely need to reach out and touch someone. Hard.

[deepwater]

OK kids,
Here's the deal, the bastards are all over the world, but mostly indonesia and red sea, gulf of Aden. also, most companies do not allow firearms aboard their vessels. why? who knows? anyway, the ship I'm on is under gov't contract, so if we go to some of these rough areas (and this is not new, the numbers are the same as the year before) we carry a security force onboard - 4 .50 cal machine guns, two forward, two aft. plua a crew of about ten ARMED soldiers. now, I've worked on other vessels that did not have security, but did take precautions, hell, we can flood a small boat in a few seconds with our fire pumps. we have a high freeboard (from the water to the rail for those of you who live in the mountains) and high capacity pumps. also we have a roving watch (deckies are good for something!) that keeps a lookout for anything out of the ordinary. ALL doors, hatches are closed at night.. all nights. so, if someone were to come alongside all we do is fire up the fire monitors (fixed fire fighting system) and flood the decks. anybody coming alongside gets flooded (I've done this unintentionally while taking fuel, open the scuppers and all the rain water went into the bunkerbarges house. oops) and if they get aboard the ship is buttoned up tight.  we recieve reports of attempts every day, and it hasn't slowed down.the biggest issue is thaty some capt's are not prepared. they don't take these simple precautions. also, the crew doesn't 'forget ' to raise the ladders. these ships raise them as soon as they drop off the pilot, hell if you lose the gangway you aint goin' ashore. this is important.
       so,,,,, this is not new news, just a matter of high profile incidents. I'm glad that it is now public, but it is nothing new, hell it's been going on since man started going to sea! OK, I'm done.

[tombogan03884]

As far back as the Phoenicians, the difference between a merchant and a Pirate was weather they could take the approaching ship, Navies, IE, Government owned armed vessels were not developed to fight other countries, but to protect their own countries merchant ships.ever since the Founding of the US Navy the US has been involved in International joint "Anti Piracy " patrols of one sort or another. Remember, the fact that America HAS a deep water Navy is due to the north African Muslim pirates.
The only difference is that previously Navy Commanders acted on their own initiative, with guidance from Washington, UN involvement has the POTENTIAL to bring wider coordination to the age old fight. (Probably won't though. )

[Sponsor]

[Big Frank]

Some people think the pirates of the Carribean is just an amusement ride and a few movies. We know better. The UN has the potential to screw things up bad if we let them have any authority over us. Nobody I know has needed the UN for anything.
UN + American = UN-American.

[deepwater]

Any vessel outside their own flag stae is considered a sovereign state.. What?? yes, the master of the vessel is the law, what he says goes, if the ship is in danger the crew can figtht. also, anytime a U.S. vessel is in danger they can call U.S. Navy and call for immediate help. (love them Squids) ,, Hopefully they're nearby..
If my ship is in danger we do not need the UN.. just the USN.   anyway, I hope that with al this publicity we can convince the companies to let us arm ourselves. you know what will happen then.
      hell, if this goes right we can use it to justify carry laws   .. the pirates take advantage of the fact that these ships are unarmed.

[twyacht]

Thanks deepwater. Hell, 1 or 2 good rifles just keep shooting holes in their little boats until the priority is "we're sinking" takes over.

There are two times when having guns and RPG's are bad: 1 of them is when your drowning!

These multi, multi million dollar ships with cargo need to hire escort vessels or arm themselves.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/africa/article4677006.ece


This little gang of punks would have many holes at the water line before they got to my ship.

[TSB]

Make the country of Somolia a large crater!  Problem solved....

[ellis4538]

I sure hope this statement is not against "Forum Rules" like it might be somewhere else...Who needs the UN!!!?  I believe they will be more trouble than they are worth in the near future.  We did fine before them and will continue fine without them.

JMRadicalO

Richard