Somali Pirate Yacht Hijack.

[stafs]

Sounds like a cracking stag weekend but would it not breach any of our wonderfull health and safety rules ?

[hippyhunter]

It seems nobody could write a sensible reply, by the second post the thread turned into a pisstake.

I'm no bleeding heart liberal but my thoughts go out to them and their nearest and dearset. Stupid or naive they don't deserve that.

Latest is a 4 million quid ransom demand and no heavily insured shipping company to rely on.

I wish them all the best 'Yachties' or not

Jim

[prairie tuber]

[Mollers]

Originally Posted by hippyhunter

It seems nobody could write a sensible reply, by the second post the thread turned into a pisstake.


Jim

That's the Irish for you I'm afraid. When a thread get's dragged into the mire, you can usually look to the West for a culprit.

[willk]

Originally Posted by Mollers

That's the Irish for you I'm afraid. When a thread get's dragged into the mire, you can usually look to the West for a culprit.

Yes Alice - it's a fair cop!

[Bigmuz7]

Originally Posted by hippyhunter

It seems nobody could write a sensible reply

Actually, in a wish to maintain a light hearted tone on what is, a serious subject willk made a valid point, that if your going to go cruising in a private yacht in 'pirate infested' waters, you should kinda know that it might not be a good idea .. so I disagree with your above quote

[m chappelow]

Originally Posted by Blackroady

I agree - why not send a few yachts out with 4-6 heavily armed SBS chaps on them - sail round for a few weeks & they are bound to be approached - when come along side BANG - no more pirates . Then they will think twice about doing it again. Of course deny everything , no record of anything as its 600 mile of the coast - no one will see or hear anything either.

Give them a bit of their own treatment !

thats what happened during the ww1 with the u boats , british were fed up of small unarmed merchant ships getting sunk by u boats that they set up innocent looking merchant ships [ [think were nicknamed x ships ] with no armnament ,,that is until mr u boat comes in close to sink the ship with gun fire ,then the shutters come down and the false superstucture on the ship then reveals a bit bigger gun than the u boot ,,,worked very well for a few months until the german navy wondered why so many u boat were not retuning back ,,down side then was they then sank any ship ,,

[willk]

Originally Posted by m chappelow

that they set up innocent looking merchant ships [ [think were nicknamed x ships ] with no armnament ,,that is until mr u boat comes in close to sink the ship with gun fire

Q Ships or Q Boats, I believe. Odd you should mention it as the Malaysians have done something just like that recently http://www.malaysiandefence.com/?p=599

[Maximus]

Originally Posted by Mollers

That's the Irish for you I'm afraid. When a thread get's dragged into the mire, you can usually look to the West for a culprit.

Indeed,but not THAT FAR West eh!

[hippyhunter]

Originally Posted by Bigmuz7

Actually, in a wish to maintain a light hearted tone on what is, a serious subject willk made a valid point, that if your going to go cruising in a private yacht in 'pirate infested' waters, you should kinda know that it might not be a good idea .. so I disagree with your above quote

What willk actually said was

Originally Posted by willk

I'm not sure that shooting this elderly couple would deter other Yachties from foolishly cruising in Pirate infested waters

Complete with 'winky smiley face thing'. I'm not convinced this constitutes a sensible reply (no offence willk).


I'm not trying to kill the thread or put a downer on things but bloody heck they're in a desperate situation.

That was my point, I'm not trying to lambast anyone that posted but I really do feel for the yachties and their folks back home.

All the best, Jim

[Stoo]

Originally Posted by hippyhunter

That was my point, I'm not trying to lambast anyone that posted but I really do feel for the yachties and their folks back home.

Of course any normal person would feel compassion for them, but surely they must have known that they were sailing into almost certain trouble.

If these people had left harbour and sailed into the face of a hurricane, we would call them idiots and leave them to their own fate. I'm not sure I see the difference.

[chewy]

Originally Posted by Stoo

Of course any normal person would feel compassion for them, but surely they must have known that they were sailing into almost certain trouble.

If these people had left harbour and sailed into the face of a hurricane, we would call them idiots and leave them to their own fate. I'm not sure I see the difference.

Exactly, they knew or should have known what them waters are like and yet still chose to sail them.... whose fault is it?

[Heart-trouble]

what went through their minds when they were planning this trip? they are stupid and ignorant, why did they think they were immune from an attack? cos they were older and didn't have anything to give to them? nothing is still a hell of alot more than what most of the somali pirates have!

[willk]

Originally Posted by hippyhunter

Complete with 'winky smiley face thing'. I'm not convinced this constitutes a sensible reply (no offense willk).

I felt that my reply, tongue in cheek as it was, was a "sensible" response to:

Originally Posted by Mollers

Perhaps an 'accident' with an M16 might deter future attacks on British registered non-merchant craft.

I'm fairly sure that while this might reflect Mollers' gut instinct, he wasn't "seriously" suggesting that this should happen.

So seriously, the couple on the yacht:
Well, it's regrettable. Regrettable that they have caused so much trouble, expense and heartbreak for everyone involved including themselves. What DID they think they were doing? Try plotting their stated course on a chart - they must have had an almost Biblical confidence to think that their action was reasonable in those waters. If they had attempted Niagara in a barrel, I would have felt much the same way.

Would you have felt differently about them if they had been hippies?
_______________________________________

just means "wink". Unless the "Winkee" is a blind horse, the general understanding is that the "Winker" is not being too serious. Mollers will confirm that I'm a habitual Winker

[Mollers]

Originally Posted by willk

just means "wink". Unless the "Winkee" is a blind horse, the general understanding is that the "Winker" is not being too serious. Mollers will confirm that I'm a habitual Winker

Keep digging.

[willk]

Originally Posted by Mollers

Keep digging.

What? Too easy?

[codprawn]

Originally Posted by Heart-trouble

what went through their minds when they were planning this trip? they are stupid and ignorant, why did they think they were immune from an attack? cos they were older and didn't have anything to give to them? nothing is still a hell of alot more than what most of the somali pirates have!

Actually most of the attacks were around the Gulf of Aden - they were well South of that - coupled with the fact that small yachts like theirs are usually left alone as the hijackers are after much richer commercial pickings.

Calling people stupid and ignorant when the exact circumstances aren't know could almost be called......................................

[chewy]

Still rather cruise the Solent than the Somali coast though!

[willk]

Originally Posted by codprawn

Actually most of the attacks were around the Gulf of Aden - they were well South of that - coupled with the fact that small yachts like theirs are usually left alone as the hijackers are after much richer commercial pickings.

http://yachtpals.com/pirates-yachts-4092

[willk]

Reports for 2009 from above link: