Somalia: Cruise ship outruns pirates

[Sapiens]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081202/ap_on_re_af/piracy

NAIROBI, Kenya – Pirates chased and shot at a U.S. cruise liner with more than 1,000 people on board but failed to hijack the vessel as it sailed along a corridor patrolled by international warships, a maritime official said Tuesday.

The liner, carrying 656 international passengers and 399 crew members, was sailing through the pirate-infested Gulf of Aden on Sunday when it encountered six bandits in two speedboats, said Noel Choong who heads the International Maritime Bureau's piracy reporting center in Malaysia.

The pirates fired at the passenger liner but the larger boat was faster than the pirates' vessels, Choong said.

...

They grown fat, they cannot even catch a cruise liner.

[D-Mack]

Re: Somalia: Cruise ship outruns pirates

The liner, carrying 656 international passengers and 399 crew members, was sailing through the Gulf of Aden on Sunday when it encountered six bandits in two speedboats

...

In a statement on its Web site, the company said pirates fired eight rifle shots at the liner, but that the ship's captain increased speed and managed to outrun the skiffs.

All passengers and crew are safe and there was no damage to the vessel, it said.

Either speed boats are slower than a cruise liner and pirates are unable to hit a target that is probably not small, or something doesn't add up.

[seanm123]

Re: Somalia: Cruise ship outruns pirates

The liner, carrying 656 international passengers and 399 crew members, was sailing through the Gulf of Aden on Sunday when it encountered six bandits in two speedboats

...

In a statement on its Web site, the company said pirates fired eight rifle shots at the liner, but that the ship's captain increased speed and managed to outrun the skiffs.

All passengers and crew are safe and there was no damage to the vessel, it said.

Either speed boats are slower than a cruise liner and pirates are unable to hit a target that is probably not small, or something doesn't add up.

I doubt those little pirate skiffs with a single outboard can keep up with a cruise ship. Modern diesel electric cruise ships can move at speeds of 30+ knots loaded with crew and guests, and if empty have been know to do 40+ knots.

They usually have armed and trained security staff as well, so I would think that the pirates would have been repelled if they could catch a large crusie the ship and attempt to board it.

I would also think some of the passengers filmed the attack and will eventually send the footage to the media, infact you can see a few of them typing away now, they have a web cam on the ship and stream from it.

http://www.oceaniacruises.com/T_Main...b34&CamLoc=ON1

[D-Mack]

Re: Somalia: Cruise ship outruns pirates

I doubt those little pirate skiffs with a single outboard can keep up with a cruise ship. Modern diesel electric cruise ships can move at speeds of 30+ knots loaded with crew and guests, and if empty have been know to do 40+ knots.

They usually have armed and trained security staff as well, so I would think that the pirates would have been repelled if they could catch a large crusie the ship and attempt to board it.

I would also think some of the passengers filmed the attack and will eventually send the footage to the media, infact you can see a few of them typing away now, they have a web cam on the ship and stream from it.

http://www.oceaniacruises.com/T_Main...b34&CamLoc=ON1

I thought it was something like a powerboat doing 70 knots or more, I didn't know speedboat was the English word for motorboat

[don]

Re: Somalia: Cruise ship outruns pirates

Questions:

One, what are they charging for security upgrades on the Princess Line?

And two, can they guarantee a "Pirate Adventure" in my booking?

[santafe2]

Re: Somalia: Cruise ship outruns pirates

Questions:

One, what are they charging for security upgrades on the Princess Line?

And two, can they guarantee a "Pirate Adventure" in my booking?

First it's the security upgrade and the pirate adventure and next you'll want a PKM or an M2 or some shoulder mounted assault weapon. How's a pirate supposed to make a living?

[Tim T]

Re: Somalia: Cruise ship outruns pirates

Seems we could get all the hunting and gun owning folks here in the US to go on pirate killing cruises. Free market solution to piracy. Cruise lines probably will need the revenue now that the home equity atm is broke so this could be their new customer. They are going to need to redecorate their ships to appeal to this crowd...

[mikedev10]

Re: Somalia: Cruise ship outruns pirates

it would be even better if after you shot a pirate you got to keep their gold! arrrr!

[GRG55]

Re: Somalia: Cruise ship outruns pirates

it would be even better if after you shot a pirate you got to keep their gold! arrrr!

But what the hell are you going to do with that damn parrot?

[Sapiens]

Re: Somalia: Cruise ship outruns pirates

But what the hell are you going to do with that damn parrot?

Trade it for Rum! ;)

[GRG55]

Re: Somalia: Cruise ship outruns pirates

Seems we could get all the hunting and gun owning folks here in the US to go on pirate killing cruises. Free market solution to piracy. Cruise lines probably will need the revenue now that the home equity atm is broke so this could be their new customer. They are going to need to redecorate their ships to appeal to this crowd...

Stuffed animal heads over the bar perhaps?


Maybe time to bring back the Q-ship too?

"...When the U-boats [German submarines] were at their worst in World War I, the British Admiralty approved and authorized the conversion of merchant vessels to heavily armed raiders which would have her guns disguised or concealed in such a way that the merchant vessels might serve as decoys which would encourage U-boats to attack them..."

[GRG55]

Re: Somalia: Cruise ship outruns pirates

Trade it for Rum! ;)

Or maybe a [Jack] Sparrow?

[Sapiens]

Re: Somalia: Cruise ship outruns pirates

Or maybe a [Jack] Sparrow?

[Nicolasd]

Re: Somalia: Cruise ship outruns pirates

Stuffed animal heads over the bar perhaps?


Maybe time to bring back the Q-ship too?

"...When the U-boats [German submarines] were at their worst in World War I, the British Admiralty approved and authorized the conversion of merchant vessels to heavily armed raiders which would have her guns disguised or concealed in such a way that the merchant vessels might serve as decoys which would encourage U-boats to attack them..."

Think the brits still have one floating on the Thames in London

[GRG55]

Re: Somalia: Cruise ship outruns pirates

Think the brits still have one floating on the Thames in London

Ya gotta admire the Brits. They really do love their history. Last summer when I was sailing in the Solent, I made a stopover to tour Nelson's Trafalgar flagship, Victory, which the Brits, bless their hearts, have in permanent drydock at Portsmouth.

The whole time I was walking the decks I kept thinking to myself that the foreshore behind the ship would make a fabulous site for exclusive [read: expensive] luxury waterfront condos, if only they would clear out that 19th century derelict with all its masts and rigging impeding the seaview. ;)