Pirates 'seize UK yacht couple'

[Moodyjim]

Things change quite rapidly and as you haven't yet got a boat then it's probably best to just monitor the situation until it's nearer the time to set off on your voyage. It's maybe a bit early to set your route in stone.

[legarots]

Here's a map of their route. Also Brown summoned Cobra today.



Brown summons Cobra as kidnapped couple's yacht found adrift - Times Online

[kootenay]

I guess there are only a few solutions to this problem. The approach taken by the Americans "on the shores of Tripoli" in the 19th century. Invade and kill them all, isolate and starve them into submission, or solve the bloody problem in somalia once and for all which really involves the first approach. In the meantime perhaps escorted convoys might help solve the immediate problem. Arming civilian vessels dosent seem a workable solution but a number of Q ships may help put the fear of god into the pirates. I will be sure to include this couple in my prayers.

[smackdaddy]

Thanks for the route map lega. Seeing that it does seem they everything they could to avoid Somali waters.

So - with this happening, what's the answer to cruisers who have to go through the area? Sri Lanka to Madagascar?

[gafferduck]

I don't think there is going to be a quick solution to somalia pirates if anything It will get worse and could spread to neighbouring countries , look at Afghanistan are we there yet?

Chandlers were very unlucky, I wonder if they had any training or knowledge on this matter. Send the SAS.

[sck5]

There is another solution that doesnt require invasion - Blockade them. Dont let any boats go beyond the 12 mile limit. Sure, that would result in some hardship but that is the price they pay for being a haven for pirates. It would be much easier than patrolling the whole Arabian Sea.

[yellowwducky]

1600 miles of coast and you would need what, a destroyer ever 15 miles. 100 and change military vessels. Who is gonna send all those ships? Who even has that many.

Its easy money for these guys. The money needs to be made much more difficult and risky; so sink any suspected boats and kill all suspected pirates on sight. Predator drones? Popular decision, no but diplomacy doesn't work with thugs now does it?

[tager]

Yellow ducky. I see that you are being reasonable and trying to make a military presence seem impossible. The fact is that the military technology available to powerful nations is beyond most civilians' comprehension. It would be quite easy for the U.S. and other powers to put a stop to this piracy. I think the issue is that there is a lack of will to do so. There surely is no lack of means, military satellite imagery can pinpoint a dinghy nearly anywhere on the globe at nearly any time. The U.S. military is larger than many nations, and has a huge economy wrapped up with it. With a handful of aircraft, satellite surveillance and some solid naval strategy, the pirates would be history in a few minutes. The whole thing could be acheived with a small number of men. The problem is that large nations don't really care. There is no benefit to the United States seen by stopping these pirates. They are less of a hazard to commercial shipping than weather, they are basically petty in the eyes of a large nation, and they don't offer anything as a prize for their extermination. In short, pirates are to militaries as fruit flies are to a restaurant staff. Sure they are annoying, but it wouldn't be difficult to exterminate them, it's just that there are bigger fish to fry.


If I were to sail through pirate alley... well, I hope you have seen the anti-theft flamethrowers on cars.

[yellowwducky]

I do agree, there may likely be that many ships but yes, who would commit them to this task. No real upside like you say and as soon as you uncommitted, the problem would just rise up again.

The shame is, it makes one think about even going to the Seychelles, a place I really would like to go.

[Artz]

If you have to cruise those waters perhaps several boats could get together Asa convoy Maybe the international coalitions that is working in the area could have couple destroyers as escorts.