Captain Philips: Somali Pirates. Any sailors Here?

[murphy1244]

I like the High watt speaker blasting. Play some Bieber or Rap music.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

How about hot tar?

Yeah, my thought also. Looks like 5 gallon of used oil poured down the side of the ship and their grappling line would slow them down a bunch.

 

[techman]

I read a story about some of the crew talking after seeing the movie. The crew members said it was totally inaccurate. That the captain was a complete dick, wouldn't listen to anybody but himself, and wasn't as big a hero as HE'S MADE HIMSELF OUT TO BE.
Could have been sour grapes on the crew's part, but lots of times there's a twinge of truth in the belly aching.

I read this also. But recently I saw a discovery docu that was done within a year of the incident, and the 6+ crew members that were interviewed on the show told a story that was much closer to the movie. I am sure that the truth is somewhere between. However I found it interesting that the crew criticized and sued AFTER the movie was out and a success. So dies money and profit influence memory and opinions ? Perhaps..

paul

 

[grsthegreat]

I like the High watt speaker blasting. Play some Bieber or Rap music.

OH god no...not bieber..that would be cruel and unusual punishment and be subject to the war crimes..

 

[westcliffe01]

Don't you guys realize that arming people on ships is contrary to the master plan of general disarmament, which is the stated goal of every western government and the UN specifically ? Especially if arming people on such ships were to ACTUALLY WORK, that would cause complete confusion, given that guns are BAD and the root of ALL EVIL...

No, everyone needs to go back to cowering under their desk and await rescue by those APPROVED to use force (swat teams, UN, military, alphabet agencies). Those who wait in vain and are killed by the bad guys merely re-enforce the message that GUNS ARE BAD...

(I just got a lecture on the above topic by a German Immigrant worker a few weeks ago...)

 

[farmgirl19]

It doesn't matter now Dave, Captain Phillips=Tom Hanks= big hero now. We have all seen the movie now, and this is how we will remember it years from now.

If the truth is known most "hero's" fall far short of the hype. And there are plenty of hero's that never get any recognition or accolades.
After all a "hero" is in reality just a big Greek sandwich.

As Greg "Pappy" Boyington said; "Just show me a hero, and I'll prove he's a bum!"

 

[Gary Fowler]

It seems to me that even if going into a country that did not allow firearms, on a large transport ship, it would be so easy to carry a vessel large enough to offload security personnel and weapons into international waters while the ship was loading/unloading in port. Then rendezvous back with the security boat, load it back on the deck of the larger ship and be on the way. A 25-30 foot speed boat would be more than capable of staying out in the open ocean beyond the coastal limit for a week while the mother ship was in harbor and easily handled by the ship cranes when ready to disembark or reload onto the ship.

 

[k0ua]

It seems to me that even if going into a country that did not allow firearms, on a large transport ship, it would be so easy to carry a vessel large enough to offload security personnel and weapons into international waters while the ship was loading/unloading in port. Then rendezvous back with the security boat, load it back on the deck of the larger ship and be on the way. A 25-30 foot speed boat would be more than capable of staying out in the open ocean beyond the coastal limit for a week while the mother ship was in harbor and easily handled by the ship cranes when ready to disembark or reload onto the ship.

That is certainly an idea.

 

[bcp]

Some articles from the maritime press:

------------------

Armed Guards Now Deployed on 80% of Container Ships, Tankers

http://www.maritime-executive.com/article/Armed-Guards-Deployed-Container-Ships-Tankers-2013-09-18/

----------------------------------------------

Armed Merchant Ship Crews Will Not Escalate The Pirate Problem

http://blog.usni.org/2009/07/17/armed-merchant-ship-crews-will-not-escalate-the-pirate-problem

-----------------------------------------------

Armed Merchant Vessels

http://misunderstoodmariner.blogspot.com/2012/03/armed-merchant-vessels.html



Bruce

 

[houstonscott]

I just watched a documentary on the Discovery Channel the subject of which was the hijacking of the Mersk Alabama by Somali pirates. It was very interesting, and of course as you all know, the pirates were killed, except for the leader, who was aboard the ship getting medical treatment for his injured hand. I know nothing about ships and sailors, but after it was all over, I had a question or two that I thought maybe some of you seafaring folks might be able to answer. It seems to me that "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" applies in this instance. My question: Why can't they do something to prevent the pirates from boarding the ship? It seems to me that they could arm and train the crew to repulse an invasion. These ships have radar, and so they would have some forewarning. Why couldn't 10 or 20 men armed with M-16s repulse a small crew of pirates who have to attach a grappling hook and climb a rope to get into the ship? Am I missing something? At the end of the documentary, they said that pirates had attempted to take this same ship 4 or 5 times since the incident with Captain Philips.

Answer to your question is yes, problem is when a commercial ship calls on a port or country, and that ship falls under their laws regulations about being armed. You simply couldn't enter those ports. You just could not do a world wide business with an armed ship. HS