Piracy on the high seas

[Scottish]

After reading the article in today's paper, I think we need to secretly man a tanker with a group of well-armed Marines and let 'em try to take that one!!!

JM

hmmm.... was it a Clive Cusseler series that had that? A mercenary group that ran a large tanker that was a camo for basically a battleship?

Can't do that.
It's entrapment.

As for that... if they ain't pirates they don't gotta worry now do they? You board a ship at sea you deserve whatever happens. Let God sort 'em out.

[the_Journeyman]

Can't do that.
It's entrapment.

Only if they make specific efforts to lure them to that particular ship.  If they're simply manning it and pirates attack that particular ship, it's simply unfortunate for the pirates.  No more entrapment than the bait cars they use on theft rings or the police officer dressed like hooker catching people hiring hookers ~

JM

[Slide Panda]

And who says the out Entrapment rules apply here?  I've got no clue really...

And there's been a number of instances in history where ships have been made to look unarmed as bait for attackers who found out that that particular ship wasn't what it seemed.

[the_Journeyman]

I kinda didn't think it would matter if it was entrapment or not...  The pirates are obviously not overly concerned with what the law says 

JM

[Popeye the Sailor]

Dead men tell no tales.

[Triple J]

Indian Navy is trying to do something. 

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2008409194_appiracy.html

...and why not be a pirate if you live in Somalia? 

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2008410174_apafpirateboomtown.html

According to the 1st article, one major shipping line has already instructed it's 90 ships to bypass the Suez Canal and go around Africa instead to eliminate the pirate risk. This issue will likely come to a head if more ships stop using the Suez Canal. That's a lot of money being lost.

[Slide Panda]

Time for the Q Ship to make a come back
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Q-ship

[Kopfjäger]

Some buddies of mine just got back from doing security work on a Cruise ship. They have been hit recently as well.

[the_Journeyman]

Time for the Q Ship to make a come back
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Q-ship

That's cool, and would be great to surprise pirates with! 

Some buddies of mine just got back from doing security work on a Cruise ship. They have been hit recently as well.

I'd sign up for a cruise if I was gonna get the chance to man an anti-pirate gun for a few minutes 

JM

[hbliam]

Can't do that.
It's entrapment.

Only if they make specific efforts to lure them to that particular ship.  If they're simply manning it and pirates attack that particular ship, it's simply unfortunate for the pirates.  No more entrapment than the bait cars they use on theft rings or the police officer dressed like hooker catching people hiring hookers ~

JM

Wrong x2.

Entrapment is enticing someone to do something illegal that they normally wouldn't do. Pirates normally take over ships. Enticing them with a bait ship so they can be captured is called a sting not entrapment. Luring them to a paticular ship is simply a smart sting.

[squidwood]

I worked on many tankers many years ago. The largest i  worked on was the Litiopa (Shell Tankers UK Ltd) and she was about the same size as the vlcc that was recently taken over by pirates.VLCC is a classification of tanker meaning very large crude carrier, not to be confused with ships like the Batilus which was an ULCC, ultra large crude carrier(500,000 tons plus)You can google pics of these ships and they readily come up.
When we left Kharg Island ,Iran we had orders to take our cargo to Pula Bukom in Singapore to discharge.To get there we had to go through the Malacca Straights, which was well known for Piracy.To counteract the pirate threat we had strict instructions on how to deal with them.We had lookouts 24/7 posted on various points on the deck and we had knives(to cut ropes,used by the pirates to climb up over the gunwhale) and pickaxe handles to clobber them with as well.We had roving patrols of three guys 24/7 to reinforce any other crew member that needed help.We also had the ships monitors(high pressure fire systems turned on ,and in the event of pirates making it past the crew members we were to turn the fire monitors on the pirates.
If you have ever used one of these things you would know just how much water and or foam they can put out at several hundred PSI.I was hit in the back with a jet from a monitor at 200 feet and it knocked me flat on my face..........you don't stand a chance against one of these things.
In my experience, ships that are taken by pirates have two things against them. The first is a totally inexperienced Master(Captain) and secondly a very poorly trained crew.
The goal is to keep the pirates from getting on board. Its easy enough to do if you are vigilant and do what you must to prevent them from climbing up the ropes. The least they will have to shin up a rope is 30 feet..........and its not easy.I have climbed 4 inch rope ladders 80 feet to reach the decks of supertankers when joining them or leaving them at sea to be dropped off into a small boat like the pirates use.

In this particular part of the world where maritime lawlessness is rife the UN needs to get involved to secure the merchant mariners lives. Remember merchant seafarers are civilians and carry no weapons on ships.
I would expect that most civilised countries would do their best to protect their citizens especially in this region.
There is a cure for maritime piracy its called the SBS the naval arm of the SAS .
sbs =special boat squadron.
I am not for violence but I am also not for being killed, taken hostage or robbed while at work.I spent many good years at sea and worked on different ships all over the world sailing thru both canals round the capes,in war zones, and foul (bad beyond belief) weather ,thru ice fields in the frozen north sea, to blistering heat in the Persian Gulf.I saw war, death, beauty , humility,met truly wonderful people, saw great things and lived a full life in a short time,I would not have changed a thing and am glad for the experience!

[Porsche Monkey]

That was beautiful. Think I shed a tear.

[the_Journeyman]

Wrong x2.

Entrapment is enticing someone to do something illegal that they normally wouldn't do. Pirates normally take over ships. Enticing them with a bait ship so they can be captured is called a sting not entrapment. Luring them to a paticular ship is simply a smart sting.

Thanks for the clarification, I knew it wasn't entrapment but not sure how to define it.  Either way, lets sting the crap out of these pirates 

JM