Another pirate attack and this one is bad

[CCIP]

Originally Posted by August

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.

As far as I know, that's not an eventuality but something that's been happening for a while. It's far from universal, but from what I understand a lot of merchants in hot piracy areas already have armed guards on board.

[August]

Originally Posted by CCIP

As far as I know, that's not an eventuality but something that's been happening for a while. It's far from universal, but from what I understand a lot of merchants in hot piracy areas already have armed guards on board.

I was under the impression there were issues with armed merchant ships getting docking rights. That has been resolved?

[Stealhead]

Originally Posted by August

I was under the impression there were issues with armed merchant ships getting docking rights. That has been resolved?

I do not think that it has there are a few PMCs that provide the service but the problem is the sea of legal issues(no pun intended) that arise dealing with the laws of the nations of various ports.Another problem is numbers I am not sure about other regions but pirates in the South China Sea and other south east asian waters have been known to pull raids with as many as 100 people that is really too large of a force for a handful of mercs to deal with and what of a tanker vessel not really an ideal place for firearms at the same time the PMCs can be costly to all but the largest shipping companies.I think arming the crews is a bad idea the crewmen are sailors not fighters they are just as likely to take their chances in a good hiding place as they are to fight back plenty of good hiding places on a large vessel.

[RickC Sniper]

Originally Posted by CCIP

As far as I know, that's not an eventuality but something that's been happening for a while. It's far from universal, but from what I understand a lot of merchants in hot piracy areas already have armed guards on board.

I would think that because of the monetary loss of even one ship by the shipping company this would be an easy decision.

Perhaps for now, insurance is still more cost effective for them?

[nikimcbee]

Speaking of cost effectiveness, I wonder what the cost would be to re-route ships away from there?

[Herr-Berbunch]

We need to get ourselves a...


Convoy


It's worked before, against a greater enemy and unemployed (?) Somali fishermen.

[Penguin]

About safe rooms: the second article talks about an incident on Sautday where "the crew hid inside a safe room as pirates shot at the ship, though they left after about 25 minutes, the bureau said."

It also worked for the crew of the German ships Beluga Fortune, MS Taipan and Magellan Star, who were fred by the British, Dutch and Americans - somehow it's always other country's cavalry who safe our ships

Here is an interesting interview with the captain of the Magellan Star, who talks explicitely about the ship's panic room: http://www.spiegel.de/international/...717133,00.html - always useful to have a plan B...

Originally Posted by nikimcbee

Speaking of cost effectiveness, I wonder what the cost would be to re-route ships away from there?

The problem seems to be that Lagos is a mayor shipping port for western Africa, so no re-routing for ships which have to sail to or from there. Sadly the articles don't state where the ship in question came from.