Somali pirates

"out of the mouths of babes"
"and the children shall lead them"
Many of the US flag ships running Sumatra Straits have bullet proof glass.
In days of sail, merchant ships carried cannon for defence. Some "mercenary" civillian owned and crewd ships were "Privateers" carrying letter of marque authorizing attack on "enemy" ships. Many "Privateers" turned to piracy in peace time.
Eventually, Great Britain ruler of the seas, and the US following along with other nations under GB influence, outlawed armed merchantmen.
In WWII, merchantmen were armed with a deck gun, BUT, it was navy property on loan, and there was a Navy or Coast Guard officer and gun crew aboard.
Re-arm the ships! Like in WWII. Military, hence ,government controlled guns on civillian ships.
Cost to the ship? The extra groceries to feed the gun crew.
Cost to governments? Just re-assign a few men already in the service. Pull a few guns out of moth balls. I doubt many rounds will be fired, more in practice than battle, I suspect.

 

Great idea, armed Marines or Navy on merchant ships. A well equipped sniper could probably do the job.

As far as cutting the head off the beast, that would disrupt but not eliminate the threat as they would just go back to free-lancing.

 

I was thinking specifically this armanent. An 81 mm mortar piggybacked with .50 cal Browning machine gun.
We had these on the stern of the PCFs in Vietnam.
Why scare off the attackers with rifle fire? Blow their asses to Kingdom Come!

 

Sniper with AP can disable and even sink them. Sharks can finish them off.

 

Ok Hoyt. The trick is convince government to assign gun crews and convince companies to let them aboard. They'll bring their own weapons of choice. Who knows? Maybe the latest "Top Secret" Death Ray Gun!

 

Or white phosphorous shells.

At least they should get stink bombs.

 

I'll relate here a pirate attack in Nigeria I survived.
Fuel selling is big business there. Large percentage of commercial vessels lie about fuel consumption on logs, and sell the gained surplus.
The nigerian crews are addicted to the business. They get paid about $300 US a month in wages. Many have 2 or 3 wives and scads of kids. Legal under Nigerian law and Moslem faith. They are accustomed to making extra $100k a year in clandestine fuel sales.
I've never been popular in Nigeria because I won't do it. So they go behind my back.
My standing orders were not to approach coast nearer than 20 miles, except when inbound port and then parallel coast and turn perpindicular for final leg to seabuoy.

One morning about 2am, I woke up because I could tell from vibration and engine sound, we were running in shallower water. On bridge, I saw we were steering for a small coastal tanker, in lee of a point close inshore. The crew intended to sell fuel while I was asleep. Idiots! Of course I turned vessel out to sea.
About hour and half later, a high speed radar contact from shore was closing on us. Attempted hailing but no answer. There was no AIS so it wasn't an oilfield crewboat.
I took precautions in case it was pirates. All crew were wakened. Cases of water ,spare 6volt batteries for emergency lanterns, and blankets were carried to engine room. All important ship and personal documents, passports, wallets with cash, expensive watches, chains, rings, were collected in private sealed manila envelopes and secured in the safe in my quarters.
Anchors were cleared for dropping. As the gunboat was making final approach, all hands were ordered to engineroom. I dropped 3 shot of chain starboard anchor. Set paul and let a bit more chain out to jam paul. I pressed the automatic distress button on GMDSS and I too went to engine room and we barred the WT doors. We shut off main engines and generators, dead ship.
Pirates boarded, shot up my windows and interior with AK-47s, stole some small electronics, destroyed bigger electronics like my radars. They ransacked all quarters. Tried to shoot open my safe. Didn't work.
They left about daybreak.
We waited 2 more hours after hearing the boat depart, in case it was a trick.
Then, I emerged first, the cook accompanied me with his macheti he used to butcher goats. I gave all clear. We proceeded to port. I reported incident to and arranged for repairs with our West Africa division office in Lagos.
2 days later I recieved inquiry emails from company HQ in Houston and US Coast Guard, why had I sent automated distress? Go figure.

 

"2 days later I recieved inquiry emails from company HQ in Houston and US Coast Guard, why had I sent automated distress?"

Makes you wonder.

 

I fail to understand why there isn't an IMO (SOLAS?) regulation that allows vessels to carry, as part of their equipment, defensive firearms under the control of the captain.

This regulation should be in effect world wide and supersede any local laws, with the provision that the firearms must remain aboard the vessel. Any removal of the firearm from the vessel would result in local gun laws applying and would then become jurisdiction of the local law enforcement agencies.

Why is nothing like this in place?

Why is it illegal for us to defend our boats in many localities, including New York City or Mexico?

Being a charter captain, my primary concern is not real, militarized pirates off Africa, but local thugs that board, beat, rob and/or kill while a boat is at anchor.

 

Catbuilder, it's all a matter of power and conrol. Those with power wants to control. There are many ports that will not receive an armed ship because it challenges their power to control - even if it means the crew may lose their lives underway.

 

Many mariners do not want to be armed. When you're armed...fight back...you raise the level of violence.

Also consider that if vessels were armed ,the pirates could neutralise this defense by simply blowing up any ships that they can get close to. A preemptive warning...do not resist.

At present very few mariners are harmed in the piracy incidents.

 

Defense of your vessel is always a captains right and duty. At the same time, you are the law enforcement officer on board and required to not only obey, but enforce others obey the laws.
The best weapon at your disposal is your head.
How do you make the correct decision in a split second or a few minutes, whatever the situation allows?
Simple. Like a musician called on to play a tune, all captains have a repertoire of previously made decisions. The value of experience is a larger repertoire.
Analyze posible scenarios in advance. Drill to see they work and discover bottle necks. Every captain and vessel will do things differently. Old saying, "Different ships? Different long splices. Different captains? Different rum punch."
Use tactics of others to consider in making your own. The agenda is survival, not victory in battle. Good luck, gentlemen.

 

The French have already assigned military personnel to at least some of their merchant ships in the area; they've been a rude shock to a few pirates.

 

Viva la France! We should do the same!

 

Occasionally the French are ahead of the curve, because they aren't worried about being PC. They don't really care what others think.