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Author Topic: A private navy  (Read 2917 times)

Bryan Young

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A private navy
« on: January 06, 2013, 07:05:04 pm »

A “Private Navy”.

Has anyone noticed (or read) an article in todays papers about a private enterprise scheme to protect vulnerable shipping from Somali pirates?
    Interesting, and probably workable when the text is read. But the Sunday Times produced a graphic (enclosed here) showing a totally misleading scenario. Just shows that journalists often haven’t a clue what they’re writing/drawing about.
Look at the graphic. Particularly at the “white” route shown.
OK…….it shows a rout to and around the Cape of Good Hope almost direct from the Horn of Africa.
Can anyone please tell me just why a ship (especially a large tanker) should be going from the Red Sea down towards Capetown?  Obviously, they’d be coming out of the Gulf which is miles and miles to the East and so will not be anywhere near the course shown on the graphic. So the published figures regarding fuel consumption are ridiculous. As I said, the idea sounds good, but this graphic is total nonsense. BY.
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Notes from a simple seaman

Umi_Ryuzuki

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Re: A private navy
« Reply #1 on: January 06, 2013, 08:51:35 pm »

Perhaps the size of the ship, or the height of the cargo exceeds Suezmax specifications.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suezmax

 {:-{

Bryan Young

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Re: A private navy
« Reply #2 on: January 06, 2013, 09:18:22 pm »

Perhaps the size of the ship, or the height of the cargo exceeds Suezmax specifications.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suezmax

 {:-{
Ha...very amusing (really)....but my point still stands. Bryan.
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ardarossan

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Re: A private navy
« Reply #3 on: January 06, 2013, 09:59:27 pm »

A story broadcast via the media in general, on or around 17/18 December 2012 seemed to suggest that the current anti-piracy provision was doing rather well at the moment.
Below is the version from Yahoo...

"NATO: Somali pirates seized no ships for 6 months

NATO officials say no ships have been hijacked off the Somali coast in the second half of this year, reflecting a sharp decrease in piracy along one of the world's busiest shipping routes.

Commodore Ben Bekkering attributed the success to the continuing efforts of an international fleet along the coastline, combined with better security measures by merchant ships and increased pressure on the pirates within Somalia itself.

About 20 vessels from NATO, the European Union, the United States, Russia, China, Japan, India and other countries regularly patrol Somalia's 1,900-mile-long (3,100-kilometer) coastline.

Bekkering, who until recently commanded NATO's four-warship flotilla in the area, says "This has been the first clean slate for a long time."

Still, he noted, pirates continue to hold five ships and 136 hostages seized in previous years."


http://news.yahoo.com/nato-somali-pirates-seized-no-ships-6-months-162628457.html
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Umi_Ryuzuki

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Re: A private navy
« Reply #4 on: January 06, 2013, 10:51:44 pm »

That might be fine for Somalia, but what of the rest of the world?

Two of the ships crews in Somalia were held for almost, or over two years.
And the longest held, aboard the Iceberg 1, only released in the last month.
http://maritime-connector.com/news/security-and-piracy/crew-of-the-container-ship-albedo-freed-after-20-months/
http://gcaptain.com/crew-of-iceberg-1-freed-by-somali-pirates/

Some reports for December.
http://shipandbunker.com/news/apac/585479-bunker-tanker-pirates-arrested-in-malaysia
http://gcaptain.com/nigerian-pirates-attack-offshore/
http://www.news24.com/Africa/News/Pirates-storm-oil-tanker-off-Nigeria-20121219
http://gcaptain.com/pirates-kidnap-nigeria/

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Can't say why the media thinks fuel consumption should be so high...
Perhaps the proposed route accounts for the fact that pirates have been
caught operating 400 miles out to see in their little skiffs. so that would be
an 800 mile detour if they took the "safest" route. A thousand to be sure, you know ... "sure"

 :o
.

tigertiger

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Re: A private navy
« Reply #5 on: January 07, 2013, 12:26:09 am »


Can't say why the media thinks fuel consumption should be so high...

.


They probably got the figures from the same source that said that WMD could be launched in 40 minutes.
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Norseman

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Re: A private navy
« Reply #6 on: January 07, 2013, 03:16:00 am »

I don't have a valid contribution to the serious topic but an idle thought occurred.
What if the pirates ever seized the armed protection vessel?
Very unlikely but ....
Dave
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Umi_Ryuzuki

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Re: A private navy
« Reply #7 on: January 07, 2013, 04:50:39 am »

I don't have a valid contribution to the serious topic but an idle thought occurred.
What if the pirates ever seized the armed protection vessel?
Very unlikely but ....
Dave

Not for lack of trying... 2010   %)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/mar/28/piracy-somalia-dutch-navy
http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-202_162-6308021.html

ardarossan

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Re: A private navy
« Reply #8 on: January 07, 2013, 08:17:48 am »

That might be fine for Somalia, but what of the rest of the world?

To be absolutely honest Aimee, I don't believe I know enough about the subject as a whole to engage in the wider debate with any confidence.

In fairness, my previous reply related specifically to the OP which highlighted some 'journalistic anomalies' in the piece from the Sunday Times.

However, from a naive onlooker's point-of-view, and based on nothing more than the odd news reports that I have seen, I do find it irritating that 'lazy' journalists continually label the perpetrators of such crimes as 'Pirates'.
To me, the term dumbs-down the seriousness of the situation, conjouring images of 'ye olde' swash-buckling 'Hollywood-type' anti-heroes with endearing character flaws, when they should be reinforcing the notion that the individuals concerned are very well-armed, 21st century terrorists, kidnappers and murderers.

Andy
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RAAArtyGunner

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Re: A private navy
« Reply #9 on: January 07, 2013, 09:43:27 am »

To be absolutely honest Aimee, I don't believe I know enough about the subject as a whole to engage in the wider debate with any confidence.

In fairness, my previous reply related specifically to the OP which highlighted some 'journalistic anomalies' in the piece from the Sunday Times.

However, from a naive onlooker's point-of-view, and based on nothing more than the odd news reports that I have seen, I do find it irritating that 'lazy' journalists continually label the perpetrators of such crimes as 'Pirates'.
To me, the term dumbs-down the seriousness of the situation, conjouring images of 'ye olde' swash-buckling 'Hollywood-type' anti-heroes with endearing character flaws, when they should be reinforcing the notion that the individuals concerned are very well-armed, 21st century terrorists, kidnappers and murderers.

Andy

Perhaps by bending over backwards to be  politically correct means no longer calling a spade a spade.
Namely, the individuals concerned are very well-armed, 21st century terrorists, kidnappers and murderers.

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Jerry C

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Re: A private navy
« Reply #10 on: January 07, 2013, 10:02:53 am »

Until recently I have passed through the Gulf Of Aden many times, on general cargo, VLCCs and, over the last 25 years, on harbour tugs and supply vessels when delivering them. I remember reading in the Pilot Book for the area in the 60s that the island of Socotra was filled with "vagabonds, theives and pirates". Piracy around the world is not new, it's been a threat in many places around the world during my time at sea and before. What is new however is that it is, in GOA, organised. It's big money. The pirates have backers and intelligence. The participating navies are hamstrung by rules of engagement. A recent TV program about the navy's roll in GOA left me feeling ashamed I'd ever served in the RN, but because I had served I knew what I had seen couldn't be so. We continued to go through the GOA but I cannot descibe how we felt before and during the transit. A Dutch shipmate described it as a large stone in his belly. When a regular shipmate and friend was taken on a Svitzer tug outward bound from The Red Sea to the Far East my attitude hardened. The convoy system wasn't working well enough for me so I decided not to do those jobs any more. When one of the companys that uses me called about delivering a supply boat from Hongkong to The Sea of Asov in the Black Sea, I refused because of the security issues. The company said they agreed with me and that as going via Capetown was unreasonable they and the principal would supply armed guards (ex Brit Paras) from Salalah, Oman to the Red sea. So I did the passage as far as Salalah. (In those days the pirates were not operating from Oman to India so this bit was considered safe). On arrival Salalah three Paras turned up. They were unarmed but had body armour for themselves. They hardened the ship with grease, razor wire, barricades wire mesh pre-detonating sheets and locks. They trained us and organised us but more than that, they gave us the confidence to go through with the voyage. However they intended to leave the vessel in Djibuti. I'd never heard anything more stupid in my life so told the company the ship didn't move until the paras accompanied us into the Red Sea. This was agreed and we did the voyage with the Paras on board all the way to Suez. We were attacked in the convoy area but the hardening and 6000 tonnes per hour fire monitors on 30 second notice secured our safety. The paras were not armed because  Egypt would not permit it. In fact later they even banned body armour and helmets. Seems silly because Egypt was losing revenue from the canal as many ships were going around the Cape. Since that voyage I have always refused those jobs unless I can go round the Cape. The pirates are now operating down as far as Madagascar so I go through the Sunda Strait, then head south to 20 S, to pick up the SE trades, then across south of Mauritius, Reunion and Madagascar meeting the South African coast at Cape Recife. This adds about 17 days onto a voyage to Europe compared with using Suez. I personally don't think a private navy will be much use. I do believe properly armed guards on board will.
Jerry.
 

Bryan Young

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Re: A private navy
« Reply #11 on: January 07, 2013, 01:19:13 pm »

Nice post Jerry.
Guess I was fortunate in transitting that area more than once in an RFA! BY.
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Norseman

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Re: A private navy
« Reply #12 on: January 07, 2013, 02:49:36 pm »

I guess it must be almost suicidal to take private yachts into those waters then.

Dave
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