Absalon by Hebster. Click on the photo to get to Hebsters Photo stream in Flickr
From the Scandinavian Shipping Gazette I read about the Danish frigate Absalon capturing boats and pirates in the Gulf of Aden. The Absalon’s helicopter spotted the boats and a navy seal detachment boarded and found equipment and weapons. Read the full story on Shipgaz.com.
The piracy in the gulf of Aden is on the almost out of control level. It used to be enough to keep away from the coast but now the pirates have powerful speedboats with long range and are equipped with sophisticated weapons and boarding equipment. Not bad coming from a country that has had no effective government since 1992. Where are all the weapons and gear coming from? Where does one shop for ship boarding equipment and sundry items, useful to the pirate trade? Unless there is some tacit official backing, which is understandable enough I suppose for a country with no industry or infrastructure, they need money too. This could be part of a toll system ? I also read that some shipping companies are employing private “security” firms when transiting these pirate infested areas. Someone pointed out that it might not be so good to have armed guards shooting at pirates who could retaliate with rocket propelled grenades, which tend to have a negative effect on ships like chemical tankers or oil product tankers, the resultant explosion produced by an RPG could destroy the whole ship, not really that great for the cargo, or the owners, or not least the poor unfortunate crew!
The Pacific Pintail has 3 x 30mm cannons onboard, but then again she is carrying plutonium waste, not the sort of shit you want pirates to be getting hold of. But this piracy lark seems to be a growth industry, ships are captured brought to the coast of Somalia and the owners pay ransoms, which they later deny and the pirates release the ships stripped usually and the crew mostly unharmed. How does that work I wonder, brokerage for ransom paying, how does one get into that line of business. Ex CIA with contacts with unscrupulous Swiss bankers trying to launder Nazi money? Who knows, I am just amazed that these pirates have turned piracy into an international business.
Back in my deep sea days we had no guns. On the LNG ships going up and down the Malacca straits and the South China Sea we just had a few fire hoses rigged over the sides and the anchor washers full on, not extremely effective but something to do, wet the pirates before they board you. If they were fired up and aggressive beforehand a good soaking will be sure to improve their mood. We used to joke about painting large dollar signs with direction arrows towards the old mans safe. Real thigh slapping stuff.
Now I’m the old man……
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