You have a lot of talent at turning any topic into a contentious discussion.

It all depends on the subject and the particular arguments being made in the discussion
Post#12 had no bearing on reality and the suggestions of adding 18,000(+extras) a day per ship to the cost of shipping does nothing to address either the problem or the underlying problem coming out of Somalia(and Yemen)which we are all paying for.

I love my ignore list. It keeps me out of so many damn pointless arguments with people who are simply not worth the time to bicker with and need to be dropped into the "phuckit bucket". Originally said list had but one name on it. Over the years said list has grown to ten names of varying stripes; and has saved me from countless forum infractions. I would encourage it's use to others.

Glad that is cleared up. I did hear the movie was not that bad.

Convoys aren't feasible due to the nature of modern commerce. The same goes for putting armed guards on every ship. If it was suggested to have an armed guard on every freight truck, I'm sure the cost objection would come up sooner - yet it's exactly the same principle here!

Shipping companies operate on very tight schedules and very tight profit margins. Because all of us like free Super Saver Delivery (use the SUBSIM link!).

The insurance aspect is also frightfully complex - it often is simpler and cheaper to pay a ransom. You might say that it makes the problem worse, and you'd be right.

Here's the thing - the problem of piracy is not for the shipping companies to solve. Take precautions yes, and be safe. But correcting the issues of a failed state with rampant piracy isn't your issue. It's for the wider community.

If we're posting armed guards on ships we may as well hand out letters of marque.


A note for the thread and forum at large - increasing your textual levels of visceral hatred doesn't count as argument. There's a reason "shoot 'em all and let God sort 'em out" isn't carved in the halls of academia.

Jim, we can always try!

One aspect of that is if the mercenaries and their weaponry don't have all the correct paperwork for all the states involved(which the vessel must verify itself) the ship is technically smuggling illegal weapons, it is also criminally liable for any use of those weapons during passage, plus the ships insurance is declared invalid.
People are wanting simple solutions, but the truth is that there are not any.
It would be slightly less complex if a nations ships sailed under that nations flag, but more that half the worlds ships sail under foreign flags to reduce costs and avoid their own countries laws.

Well, my tolerance level is starting to diminish and that may lead to 'actions speaking louder than words' if that is the only way to get through to some people.

Just thought of this, how many ships have been taken that had armed crews on them? (more than just small arms)

So I had two ideas (one of them is old)

I want to add to my Q-ship idea. First, if I was a admiral in [insert navy here] and I wanted my special ops troops to get some real life training and do some good at the same time I would get a Q-ship operation going and start taking these guys out.
Now, first off, this would be a black ops mission.

As I understand it, the Somali pirates monitor shipping traffic, ports in the region, so I would make sure everybody knew I had valuable cargo on my ship, then let them attack me.:Kaleun_Binocular: The idea would be, pirates go out to sea and never return. The poor sods, their boat must have capsized.

Now part two of my idea, so the pirates will figure out something is up at some point, so I think there is someting the shipping companies could do that would be easy and inexpensive. Make the pirates think they are armed. (Maskirovka) mount dummy guns, advertise your ship is now armed.
Now, my idea doesn't work for random attacks, but if they were approaching a ship and thought it was armed to the teeth...:hmmm:

Something like this:
http://bugguide.net/images/cache/XLB...4LWZZLGZXL.jpg
Is that a wasp or a fly? I'd bet if you saw that black and yellow, you'd think twice about messing with it.:know:

Hopefully, you create just enough dought in that pirate ship captain's mind to leave you alone.

Just silly ships are not armed and crews not trained to engage pirates.Should be up to each ship and company.Each crew member should have advanced small arms training, should have .50 cal machine guns and even an RPG for extreme emergencies.This is same idiotic concept some gun control loons have about not owning a gun, just calling the police.Well much like the police, the US Navy etc can't always be there to save the ship.Captain Phillip's was lucky it worked out for him, some pirates dead, he lived, world is a better place.

What the pirates do is wrong but it's a symptom of a broken country.Honestly, if the US east coast was in the shape somalia is and had billions worth of shipping cruising up and down the coast, you don't think there would be "Carolinian Pirates?" or "Georgian Pirates"? There would be.Does not mean we cut them a break etc or try to save them, but understanding why is a key part.They are not the manifestation of evil for most part, just impoverished desperate people trying to survive.Does not excuse it, but explains it.

So as anyone seen it yet?

I'm willing to bet: none.

It's really simple, as you suggest, just carry and small security party and the risk diminishes greatly. Seems daft to send a billion dollar ship and crew anywhere near these waters without some common sense security.

You would think this would be "Happy Times" :Kaleun_Cheers: for every private security firm or mercenary service hunting pirates there.

Do something along the Flying Tigers idea.
http://www.sofmag.com/

Vessels like the QM2 must be very tempting when you take into account the amount of high cost merchandise they carry, not to mention the millions of pounds/dollars onboard and the potential ransom for such a huge ship and literally thousands of crew and passengers.

If my source is correct there is usually a detachment equivalent to a platoon 20/30 personnel carrying concealed sidearms and a cache of automatic weapons stored out of sight of the passengers in a secure location which can quickly be utilised in an emergency situation.

I was walking between buildings at work the other day, and I was thinking, is this still a rampant problem there (around Somalia).