Pirate Mercs

'bin sick for a couple of weeks which delayed the start of work, also was finishing up a sailboat that was in the way. The sailboat should go out into the cold after Christmas at which point I will be out of excuses! I'll wake up the other thread when there is something to report.

 

I am the guy who called Boston.

I am Bostons friend who intends to start the naval escorting business. Thank you all for your posts; I appreciate the input, especially form Mark775 who has been on target about almost every thing. The Norwegian torpedo boats wont work because of high operating coasts, the impossibility of rearming it with missiles, the extreme difficulty of keeping high tech weapon systems maintained, and the difficulty of taking one of these into port. These boats were built to wage war against other war boats, not to stop a bunch of bandits in a wooden craft. There were a number of questions raised and I will endeavor to answer them. We have researched this and determined that it can be done legally. The reasons for doing this are simple. One: the think this kind of stuff is fun; you have to be a little twisted to want to serve on the tip of the spear. Two: I suspect we could make a lot of money. Three: someone has to do it. Armament would consist of two .50 calibers in dual configuration on the bow and probably one on each corner on the stern. We would also want a belt fed 7.62x51 for each of the rest of us; not to mention a handful of assault rifles or shotguns for the possibility that we captured prisoners. The M134 minigun is not a possibility due to the extreme coast of purchasing the weapon as well as the difficulty of making port with it. It is much more practicable to arm the boat with M60/M240 machine guns. This is subject to change depending on the configuration of the boat that we eventual buy. I would think that hitting something off of a boat will not be too different then hitting something off of the back of a Humvee with a 50 cal on a dirt road while moving at 45 mph. Several of our guys have trained on ship to ship combat with belt fed weapons. We will probably be operating out of Djibouti.
The boat I am looking at is this. http://commercial.apolloduck.com/feature.phtml?id=108835
Please keep in mind that none of us have much experience with boats and I have none. Boston suggested that I ask you my questions. The first is what is the range of this boat? Is it fast enough to engage the pirates for a short time and then make it back to whatever we are escorting. One of our guys is a combat veteran who also is a master mechanic and rebuilds engines for Caterpillar. Is he going to be able to handle our mechanical issues as they arise. What is the cost going to be to maintain this craft? Also, would it be possible to have one of the ships we are escorting refuel us as part of the contract? Will these engines run on their fuel? None of us have any sort of a nautical license. What do we need? If we need to do some schooling, the new GI bill will pay for it. Would it be better to hire a captain? Thank you for your input on these issues.

 

WHO, WHO,
I think this thread is going a little to far off the "boat Design" intended.
I do not want to hear about armement, guns, amunitions, weapon and other mercenary things.
Please keep you war question, even if its chassing pirate, to other forum, who will be delighted to tell you what boat is the best to kill each other
THIS IS WRONG, and I realy not happy about it.
Groundpowder please ask legitimate questions about your boat.
What you do with, keep it for yourself.
Boston, could you not answer the phone anymore? Thanks
Cheers
Daniel

 

and the abuse begins

Jar head ( that would be you Groundpounder )
be ready for all kinds of answers including everything from "you murdering *******" to "kill kill kill".
hang in and eventually you will get some reasonable answers to reasonable questions. B

personally I kinda like that boat you have picked out

 

Wrong Boston, we ARE abuse not the other way around.
Be ready Groundpowder to be kick off if you continue with your armement crap.
Buy a boat, do what you want, kill who you want, but not here, sorry.
we are not the IQ for some crazy mercenary who play the international police against piracy.
I will, as a member, not perticipate at that kind of childish and dangerous behavior.
I will kindly let Jeff be the judge of that if this thread will continue in that direction.
Boston don't be who you are not. Arms and killing is very serius, you should be a little more aware of that.
Nobody is a "murdering *******", I just think GroundPowder as nothing to offert to the peaceful and sometime heated politicaly forum, in which you, Boston, participate with humour and witt.
So no need to hang on if you don't change your tune Groundpowder.

Cheers
Daniel

 

Hang on a minute here, Ground powder is willing do do a dirty job, a job that you wont /cant do. Killing is wrong but then so is piracy.

Its all very well instructing us what is right and wrong but what should be done about the horrendous organised almost cooperate piracy in the Djibuti area?

yes we could bury our head in the sand and let them control shipping, which will increase insurance and cost resulting in more inflation.

So--I cant wait DS,-- what should we do on Piracy

 

Frosty, mercenary, they can do what they want, mostly be a bunch of low life with a big gun. Stallone is gone. But this is not the place to discuss KILLING, but to discuss in a peacefull way the problem of piracy, the why of piracy, and perhaps before having the gun, to know a little about boat, because piracy is ON THE WATER.
So big gun, big prisonners, big killing, big ********, bad pirate should be discussed not on a forum of boaat design, but on the mercenary forum and with people who love big gun.
Fatigue and camouflage has no place here.
If GunPowder gave a rationale of what he want to do to help the drama of piracy, I will hear him. His guns? I don't want to hear. It's childish, misguided and certainly unlawful. You don't hunt human being, period.
We know what happened when the hutting season opened without rules in Brazil. Everybody forget this very sad evenement 45 years ago.
It is more easy to kill than to check the fact before.
You last sentence Frosty will absolutly not descrive what I was talking about, and you know it.
Cheers
Daniel

 

Like it or not, this is a legitimate thread and I thank God that there are brave men who put their lives on the line so that we can sleep at night, so that YOU can have the freedom to disagree.
We have just had a guest insulted and perhaps embarrassed but we should be the ones in shame for showing ANYTHING but love and appreciation for what these people do. I know where these brave men can get a captain and I've always thought that a shot never need be fired with a show of force - if I am lucky enough to be able to assist, and the situation arises, I will do it for YOU when I squeeze one off.


Here, this will make even a Buddhist monk feel better about these cockroaches; According to the Dalai Lama, “If someone has a gun and is trying to kill you, it would be reasonable to shoot back with your own gun.” (Seattle Times, May 15, 2001). (“Dalai” means “oceanwide” and that makes this applicable).

 

Agree, piracy is wrong, these are lawless waters off a lawless coast. If someone's willing to do a dirty job that needs to be done good for him, I say. He's come to us for help not for judgement.

However, this is not a gun forum, it's a boat forum. lots of people here who can offer advice based on knowledge of the area, the weather and sea states, and boat design and use. That's the area where these guys need help.

It's a pity the gun issue was raised in the first place. Let's forget all that and get on with telling them what they need to know about the boat.

Once the pirates are chased back to the land, the work on their hearts and minds can begin.

 

I concur with AK and have some ideas about how to work on their hearts and minds...
What it (IT) all boils down to is this way of thinking; "the why of piracy". It started in the sixties, nay, it started with Charles Darwin...but it really started with President Johnson in the sixties, where a child rapist or a serial killer was deemed a product of society. We started having empathetic judges decide cases, rather than judges who are actually understanding the rule of law and the Constitution. We don’t need some judge sitting up there feeling bad for Jeffrey Dahmer because of his life circumstance and short changing our opportunity to get fair treatment under the law. These people forgot what a Supreme Court Justice's job was and started melding words like "empathy" and phrases like "product of society" into our laws. Starting then, it was our fault. Instead of dispatching these genetic mistakes, these makers of wrong, easy decisions, we want to cure them.
It's the same people that bleat about overpopulation that have a problem with taking a few of the worst examples out. Impossible for reason to jibe with liberalism. Absolutely impossible. Can we get back to shepparding?

 

you might want ot check on the rules for the vessels flag state to know what you can and cant do re pirates
I would have thought a successful mission would be a vessel escourted without a shot fired and no pirates.
I'm sure they will do like common theives, take the easiest not the hardest target

 

Hi Groundpounder and welcome to the board.
I am sorry about the reaction of one of the members so far. Expect a few more. I suggest you just ignore all of it and I am sure you are no stranger to controversy. This falls under the same category of saying killing the cow is wrong yet eating the stake and wearing the shoes is OK. Again just ignore the bull and take home the information you need.

I am glad one of the link I posted was useful to find the ship you need. I must say that I would go with you guys if it wasn't for some other unavoidable prior commitments. . I have been following the piracy in Somalia for years and have been twisting my hands every time thinking why on earth are they tolerating this ******** who send their money to Alkaida? Why not just sink the lot systematically? I am really happy that something is starting to happen.
I am sure you know the ship escort services are already been offered. I posted a link to one of them. It is always important to know what is on offer and how much they charge and how they operate.

As for your choice of boat, all I can say is that Germans and dutch build the best steel ships ever. You got two 1000 HP engines, that should speed things along. The more experienced here will be able to tell you the hull speed according to length and weight.
You Cat mechanic should be able to work on the MTU however once at sea it is more the experience in preventing problems than fixing them that counts. Acquiring some marine engine experience will be very useful.
Your engines look in good nick from what can be said from two photos. If they are in good shape they should burn about 170 gram of diesel fuel per HP per hour. If you cruise along at half speed then it is 1000x170=170,000gr/850gr= 200 litres per hour or 50 gallons per hour. If you go full blast it is twice as much if you go slower less, that soul give you a rough figure. I am sure others will correct me if I am wrong.

I would think that if you can go into a course and get your seaman legs, I wouldn't blame you. As for hiring a captain...If you can find one and it fits in the budget, it is not a bad idea, just don't sing any long contracts and review it as you go one trip at the time. The more experience you gain the more independent you can become. If your business is successful, you will then need to delegate others to man other boats.

I can not say much about your choice of guns, since you must know more than me. All I know as a hunter is that the cost of ammo is usually not the problem rather the availability and you can not go past the 7,62. Cheep as chips and available anywhere. Would the .50 outreach the RPG? If not Steyr makes a nice .50BMG sniper gun for long pot shots.

All the best and keep asking questions I like your choice of boat, just make sure it is still available and don't forget to bargain and bargain some more, those things are hard to sell.

 

re illegal activity
except for yachts I would have thought most development in powerboats was either from the navy or drug runners or smugglers

 

you mean like the guy with the concrete submarine out of Columbia
great plan eh

I think that thing will do about 37 knots or thereabouts at full throttle

holds 8000 liters and burns 200 pr hour at half speed so that ends up being 40 hours of cruse time at half throttle
not to good for a boat that needs to go at least a week
they will have to add fuel storage and find a way to reduce consumption although one of the big questions is can they write it into the contract to be refueled from the boat they are escorting and whats all involved in that procedure

although speed in a boat is a function of resistance so half power will yield better than half full speed
my bet is something like 3/5 of full speed
or about 23~24 knots in this case
which I think is just about right to keep pace with a tanker or container ship

cruse speed is likely less than half throttle and more like 1/4 or even less

 

why does the navy have fast boats?
to catch the crims in their fast boats
the whole fast boat/engine business in Florida is what it is today due to drug running and then the government needed boats to chase them and so on.
Cats were perfect as you could drop your booty in the tunnel if being chased
I'm sure Jack Kennedy had the fastest boats he could get running alcohol to the US