Pirates 'seize UK yacht couple'

[rikhall]

Just saw this one on the BBC News this morning

BBC NEWS | UK | England | Kent | Pirates 'seize UK yacht couple'

Rik

[smackdaddy]

I'm sorry - I just don't get it. Why does one choose to sail through those waters? I guess it's always a gamble regardless - but pick a game with better odds.

[legarots]

Interesting, I thought they only went after larger ships...

[DropTop]

Another article about it...
British Couple Hijacked by Somali Pirates - International News | News of the World | Middle East News | Europe News - FOXNews.com

[smackdaddy]

Wasn't there another younger couple a few months ago that got snagged? Maybe French? I think one of them was killed when commandos stormed the boat to rescue them.

Those Soms will go after anything that will bring in a few bucks.

[wind_magic]

Originally Posted by smackdaddy

I'm sorry - I just don't get it. Why does one choose to sail through those waters? I guess it's always a gamble regardless - but pick a game with better odds.

Smack,

I think the answer to this is simply routing. Once you get to certain points in the world it is natural that you will have to make a decision about which way you are going to go, and from the Indian ocean you either have to go around South Africa or through the Suez, you don't really have a choice about it, and the Suez is certainly easier if you're going to the Med. It isn't just hard to go around the waters the Somali pirates are in, it is incredibly challenging to go around, the area essentially covers the route that everyone almost has to go. It is no small area to try to go around and the fact that the route is dangerous causes routing problems as far back across the ocean as Australia when people are planning which way they will sail to get back to the U.S. and Europe from the South Pacific.

[Superpickle]

These Num nuttz are incredably Stupid IMHO.
Why go
ANYWHERE near thos crazy nut balls in Somolia.
These Pirats Know, nobodys going to do anything about it. How many ships are they going to take and How many times has ANYone done anything, a Couple ???
Thing is, they Know where these scumbags are working from. Send a Cruise into their window as a wake up call..
Does ANYbody have a few DDs patroling that area. Hell, reactivate some old PT boats and go in there and Hunt them down till they get the hint.
Untill then, anyone getting taken by these lowlife dirtbags is STUPID.

Natural Selection , id say

[kairetu]

Hmmm, Superpickle, I suspect that this couple's family and friends have another view. They were picked up leaving the Seyshelles which is quite a distance from Somali shores. They probably didn't think the risk was quite as high. Most people tend to organise convoys if sailing through Suez and in high risk waters. This couple were sailing towards Tanzania so they were a little out of the highest risk areas. Not stupid. Very unlucky.

[Moodyjim]

Yes some of the comments above are written without coherent thought. The couple were heading well south of the normal Somalia pirate area towards Tanzania (which is a peaceful country) and were not to know that there was a pirate boat on the hunt not so far from the Seychelles where they apparently failed in an attack on another ship of some sort. Apparently the recent improvement in weather conditions together with the improved protection provided further north is encouraging the assholes to try much further south than before. Superpickle's comments are correct in assessing the humanity of the pirates but worthless and childish with reference to the fairly elderly couple who are not rich.

[yellowwducky]

Dang, thats a bit worrying.

I don't own a boat but I am working on my plan for getting one to do a circumnavigation. My 'plan' for route to avoid the mess near Somalia would be to do Sri Lanka/Maldives then south to Diego Garcia and then over to Seychelles. From there due south to Madagascar - maybe cutting around the west near Glorioso Islands but possibly staying east and just going to Mauritius and then around the southern point of Madagascar.

This I would have thought would be ideal for keeping away from the craziness of Somalia. Now one would almost need to be thinking Diego Garcia direct to Mauritius so you don't get anywhere near the problem - and I bet its not ideal sailing locale but I would rather risk bad weather than an extended 'visit' with Somalian 'hosts'.