Another pirate attack and this one is bad

[Betonov]

The captain and an engineer were killed on monday of the coast of Nigeria after a pirate attack on a bulk carrier

The "Fourseas SW" was attacked by pirates 110 nautical miles from the coast of Lagos, Nigeria on Feb 13, 2012. Most of those onboard the cargo ship fled into a secured room as a gunfight raged, while those on the bridge remained at their posts. The captain and chief engineer died of their wounds as the pirates sprayed the ship with gunfire.

http://www.momentng.com/en/news/6536...ip-attack.html

http://www.globaltvbc.com/world/offi...573/story.html

[Penguin]

looks like piracy is also on the rise off Africa's western coast...

This raises two questions - maybe one of you skippers can answer:

- Do all freight vessels nowadays have designated safe rooms as in an secured, lockable room which is somehow resistant to small arms fire?
- Are there rules regarding handguns in international waters - or do the laws of the country under which the ships sails apply?

[Herr-Berbunch]

Not 100% sure on the answers to that.

British PM was considering allowing weapons on British vessels, but so few are registered here nowadays!

I've read of PMC's buying AKs in the Far East and then dumping them overboard in the Mediterranean after a safe passage, don't know how much that is real. - That leads to the question of dumping stuff overboard which isn't allowed...

[August]

I'm certainly no expert but safe rooms just don't sound very safe to me. Give up control of ones ship and hide in a box hoping that the Calvary will arrive in time?

I think eventually they're going to have to allow merchant vessels to arm themselves. It's just not right to keep asking civilian crews to travel defenseless through pirate infested waters without adequate naval protection.

[TLAM Strike]

Originally Posted by August

I'm certainly no expert but safe rooms just don't sound very safe to me. Give up control of ones ship and hide in a box hoping that the Calvary will arrive in time?

A ship's safe room is normaly the engine room so the crew can still maintain control of the ship (or atleast prevent control of the ship).

[August]

Originally Posted by TLAM Strike

A ship's safe room is normaly the engine room so the crew can still maintain control of the ship (or atleast prevent control of the ship).

That makes more sense. Thanks

[Ducimus]

Clearly the risks of piracy, are still not outweighing the rewards.

[BossMark]

Escorts required bring this beast out of retirement

[TLAM Strike]

Originally Posted by BossMark

<snip>
Escorts required

For the merchantmen or the battlewagon?

[BossMark]

Originally Posted by TLAM Strike

For the merchantmen or the battlewagon?

Yeah I should have worded it better

[vienna]

My father was on the S.S. Mayaguez when she was taken by the Cambodians in 1975 at the end of the Vietnam War. He told me that he and some others of the crew went down into the engine room to hide out, but then feared the Cambodians might blow up or torch the ship, so the engine room was not a choice place to be holed up. Even if there is a sort of "safe room", in a prolonged incident (and it appears some crews are held by pirates for months), the crew would eventually have to come out just out of hunger, thirst, or unlivable conditions...

[mapuc]

Danish registered merchant vessel may now have armed guards on board when they move in certain waters. The Danish parliament has given a general authorization.

Markus

[TLAM Strike]

Originally Posted by vienna

Even if there is a sort of "safe room", in a prolonged incident (and it appears some crews are held by pirates for months), the crew would eventually have to come out just out of hunger, thirst, or unlivable conditions...

If some of the crew do not make it to the safe room, then it fails. The pirates has hostages now. If they do all make it to a safe room there is nothing stopping the Marines from bording and retaking the ship because the crew is out of harms way.

[nikimcbee]

Originally Posted by TLAM Strike

If some of the crew do not make it to the safe room, then it fails. The pirates has hostages now. If they do all make it to a safe room there is nothing stopping the Marines from bording and retaking the ship because the crew is out of harms way.

I didn't realize the Enterprise had such a slow computer.

On a serious note, we've had this discussion before, with all of the ships in the World's navies, I'm kinda surprized they haven't started some sort of convoy system. Plus, nothing beats actual combat for training, you'd think every navy would be in their fighting pirates. You getta shoot live ammo and sink stuff.

[TLAM Strike]

Originally Posted by nikimcbee

I didn't realize the Enterprise had such a slow computer.

What did you expect? The thing ran on gameboy cartrages after all.

On a serious note, we've had this discussion before, with all of the ships in the World's navies, I'm kinda surprized they haven't started some sort of convoy system. Plus, nothing beats actual combat for training, you'd think every navy would be in their fighting pirates. You getta shoot live ammo and sink stuff.

They are running some convoys but there are a lot of ships out there and not everyone likes to cooperate.