BS: American captain rescued from pirates

Subject: RE: BS: Pirates capture Saudi oil tanker
From: Charley Noble
Date: 11 Apr 09 - 03:15 PM

Pepper spray would probably be ineffective given that Somalis are fond of spicy foods.

I'm not sure about LSD but Somalis are very fond of Chat, a mildly narcotic leaf that they chew.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Pirates capture Saudi oil tanker
From: Sandy Mc Lean
Date: 11 Apr 09 - 03:13 PM

I guess you can no longer hang 'em from the yardarm like in the days of sail.

Subject: RE: BS: Pirates capture Saudi oil tanker
From: Donuel
Date: 11 Apr 09 - 02:05 PM

ps
the magazines and counterfeit money are soaked in LSD.

Subject: RE: BS: Pirates capture Saudi oil tanker
From: Donuel
Date: 11 Apr 09 - 02:00 PM

laughing gas bombs over the side

Those sticky balls as seen in The Incredibles by Pixar

Microwave projectors that would heat the pirates internally until they passed out.

The Homeland Security riot weapon that uses sub sound bass notes that induce instant nausea.

Blinding lasers.

Animatronic swimmers that they would try to take hostage

The best songs of Paris Hilton at loud volume.

oil cast overboard and set ablaze.

A bale of old Hustler and Playboy magazines tossed over the side.

Subject: RE: BS: Pirates capture Saudi oil tanker
From: Donuel
Date: 11 Apr 09 - 01:49 PM

Charlie, its amazing that I thought of two of your suggestions.

some more ideas.

There is a chemical that is used in riot control that is super duper slippery. It might be of help.

Cannon ejected netting with a anchor that is dropped once the pirate boat is snared.

Call to muslim prayer music can be played at the correct hours.

Large hinged plates can be released from the side of the ship that would sandwhich pirates climbing up the sides.

localized electrical shocks can be discharged on the hull.

Throw counterfeit money over the side.

Put diamonds in smoe commercially valuable fish to increase the fisherman to fish instead of pirate.

Project holograms of muslim Clerics telling them to go away.

Subject: RE: BS: Pirates capture Saudi oil tanker
From: Charley Noble
Date: 11 Apr 09 - 12:59 PM

Donuel-

How about making all commercial transport ship double-enders?

How about big kettles of boiling oil?

How about full pig bladders (very effective assuming that Somali pirates are practicing Moslems)?

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Pirates capture Saudi oil tanker
From: Donuel
Date: 11 Apr 09 - 11:35 AM

Inventions for making ships pirate resistent should be arriving shortly.

Bear in mind:
The easiest access to a ship is from the stern.
the cost needs to be low
the device should not be overtly lethal.

Subject: RE: BS: Pirates capture Saudi oil tanker
From: Donuel
Date: 11 Apr 09 - 11:23 AM

Sarcosi of France was so sick and tired of Jokes about the French such as, " France has raised their terror alert level from run to hide", that he sent his navy after pirates who boarded a French yacht with guns blazing. They killed two pirates and the owner of the yacht.

I applaud the measured approach of the US at this time.

I do wonder what McCain would have done. Afterall he is an old navy man ... McCain's NAVY

Subject: RE: BS: Pirates capture Saudi oil tanker
From: Charley Noble
Date: 11 Apr 09 - 10:23 AM

Evidently one Somali pirate mother ship has returned to port after failing to locate the lifeboat and the Bainbridge: click here for report

Communications between the lifeboat and the pirate home bases has become more complicated since the pirates aboard the lifeboat decided to deep-six their satellite phone and radio; the pirates may have feared that their communications gear served as listening devices for the U.S. intelligence. Somali pirates are not so dumb, evidently. However, now their only recourse to communicating with their home base is by shouting, or via CNN or Mudcat.

Interesting.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Pirates capture Saudi oil tanker
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 10 Apr 09 - 09:44 PM

The Somali piracy is said to have been started by fishermen who no longer could make a living from the fish.

They have been supplanted by professional pirates who are much more difficult to deal with. Attacks are taking place 300-500 miles off the coast, in a one million sq. mi. sea.
Once pirates have boarded, there is the fear that if their demands are not met, the crew is at risk and the ship might be scuttled.
A Maersk container ship (over 600 belong to that company) costs many millions to build, and its cargo is worth many millions.

The crews are technically trained professionals, but are not trained in defense, nor should they be. Their job is care of the ship and its cargo.
As Charlie notes, it is lucky that no hostages have lost their lives.

Not every ship can be escorted, and it is impossible to put a trained defense unit aboard each vessel.

Perhaps a convoy system would reduce the frequency of attacks. But I can forsee a pirate ship threatening to launch a 'fish' if demands are not met, and other escalations since so much money is involved. Charlie has mentioned the use of pirate mother ships, which can be fitted out to do a lot of damage.

No easy solutions. A difficult situation that is going to take a long time to correct and improve.

Subject: RE: BS: Pirates capture Saudi oil tanker
From: Charley Noble
Date: 10 Apr 09 - 08:14 PM

Evidently Captain Phillips attempted to escape from the pirates in the lifeboat, but was recaptured: click here for report

In addition two Somali pirate mother ships, one loaded with hostages, are heading toward the lifeboat as well.

The hostage situation is getting much more complex.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Pirates capture Saudi oil tanker
From: Charley Noble
Date: 09 Apr 09 - 01:03 PM

Bubblyrat-

The attack took place far south of the Gulf of Aden where the anti-pirate patrol ships are focused, off the coasts of southern Somalia and Kenya.

The Somali pirates do demonstrate an ability to adapt, and so far they have not indulged in any gratuitous murderous actions.

I was watching the CNN broadcast of this story yesterday evening while dining at a Somali restaurant in Portland, Maine. It was interesting to watch the reaction of the kitchen crew and the Somali dinners; their attention was certainly riveted to the screen. One wonders if they're now considering intercepting one of the big tankers that makes its way into Portland Harbor on a regular basis.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Pirates capture Saudi oil tanker
From: Sandy Mc Lean
Date: 09 Apr 09 - 11:38 AM

Well a few days ago the Canadian forces stopped a pirate attack. The pirate boat withdrew when the Canadian chopper approached. Of course we let them go because, shucks, it just wouldn't have been nice to blow the whole bunch strait to Hell.

Subject: RE: BS: Pirates capture Saudi oil tanker
From: bubblyrat
Date: 09 Apr 09 - 11:20 AM

I just cannot believe it !! The idea of pirates EVER keeping their word about ANYTHING is bordering on the insane !!Apparently,the "Maersk Alabama" was under attack for several hours by "pirate skiffs" ( The Times newspaper, today,Thursday 9th April) before being boarded------so where were the much-vaunted multi-national anti-piracy vessels and their helicopters ,including those (helos) from USS Bainbridge ?? How can anyone ,anywhere,have any confidence in US military & Naval tactics if they can't stop FOUR MEN in sandals and dressing-gowns from succesfully capturing a sodding great big container ship after attacking it for FIVE HOURS ! ?? How much notice does the Captain of the USS Bainbridge, or any other US ( or British,come to that )hi-tech,attack-helicopter-equipped, modern,heavily-armed,troop-carrying warship require before actually DOING SOMETHING ?? How on EARTH did we ever win WW 2 ???

Subject: RE: BS: Pirates capture Saudi oil tanker
From: Charley Noble
Date: 09 Apr 09 - 08:56 AM

It seems timely to refresh this thread:

"Pirates hijacked the 17,500-tonne Maersk Alabama early Wednesday about 640 kilometres east of the Somalian capital of Mogadishu, but the 20 U.S. crew members later retook control of the ship. The crew had also captured one of the four pirates that hijacked the ship, and held him for 12 hours.

A later attempt to swap the captive pirate for the ship's captain went awry — the pirate was freed while Captain Richard Phillips wasn't. An officer aboard the Alabama, Ken Quinn, told CNN that the pirates had reneged on an agreement to release Phillips in exchange for one of their own.

The pirates instead made off with Phillips on a small lifeboat."

Here's a link to the most recent report: Click here for report

Interesting!

Charley Noble

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Our general policy is to have one thread active on any given subject at a time. I combined all the April messages into one thread, and closed the earlier threads and deleted the other April threads.
-Joe Offer-