nice one US navy

art b · April 13, 2009, 06:02:48 AM

excellent work by the us special forces....

bring on some more scum pirates....

http://news.aol.co.uk/navy-kills-pirates-to-free-captain/article/20090412233438692342440\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">http://news.aol.co.uk/navy-kills-pirates-to-free-captain/article/20090412233438692342440

F Body · April 13, 2009, 06:48:32 AM

3 less refugees to worry about

Gator · April 13, 2009, 06:56:13 AM

bout time

well done americans again

art b · April 13, 2009, 07:05:06 AM

lets hope that pirate hunting season has started with a vengance...

there nothing but cowards...maybe a chance encounter with some navy seals will put em off....

Fieldy · April 13, 2009, 05:22:09 PM

This is worrying, my old man works for Maersk on a ship basically exactly like that one, only bigger.

He does that run a few times a year, he actually gets 'danger pay' for it

Big Mouse · April 14, 2009, 09:05:07 AM

Why don't ship owners just bolt half a dozen .50 cals on board and pay for a couple of 'minders' to operate them.

If someone gets within half a mile of the ship and doesn't introduce themselves nicely? then its bye bye time and say hello to the bottom of the sea for us

HardRockCamaro · April 14, 2009, 09:10:33 AM

How do they even get onto the boat?

I've been right alongside one of those container ships in a small boat and it's a long way up!!!

FUBAR · April 14, 2009, 12:40:09 PM

Quoting: HardRockCamaro

How do they even get onto the boat?

They put on the Rocket powered Jet Pants and junior birdman their way up!!

thing is tho, the crews are not legally allowed to retaliate unless fired at.

Gator · April 14, 2009, 02:55:25 PM

Quoting: FUBAR

thing is tho, the crews are not legally allowed to retaliate unless fired at.

and who is gonna believe the pirates didnt and it didnt stop the yanks

Fieldy · April 14, 2009, 03:26:07 PM

Quoting: HardRockCamaro

How do they even get onto the boat?

One of the issues is that the pirates pull up alongside on speed boats and the container ships go a hell of alot slower....

HardRockCamaro · April 14, 2009, 04:06:46 PM

Well yeah, but seriously, a container ship is lile...

way up there!

How do they get onto it?

Gator · April 14, 2009, 04:14:06 PM

aint they got ladders built into the hull

HardRockCamaro · April 14, 2009, 04:39:32 PM

Here's a video I took of one from a powerboat (no I'm not a pirate!) in Miami Harbour, matey whizzing past on the jetski is barely tall enough to reach up to the top of the red waterline... And obviously the hull is, well, hull shaped, so curves out to the top...

I'm not saying it's not possible (they seem to have no difficulty with it), or even easy, I'm just curious as to how they approach and get on board...

Fieldy · April 14, 2009, 05:41:29 PM

ok, well, this is how.....

they simply use ropes and ladders.

They aim for the low freeboard ships (the height of the size of the ship from the waters level to the deck).

The ship they last aimed for was a small, food aid carrying ship. Maresk (well, all container companies) will only use a large ship, like the one Andy has posted, when neccesarry, obviously. For this, it would be too difficult to do a quick capture. Yes, they are still in danger, but just simply not as much as they stick to the wider shipping lanes and don't hug the coastlines as much.

Fieldy · April 14, 2009, 05:44:54 PM

This is the ship my dad is chief on, it is the largest ship on the books (as far as i am aware), and houses the largest working engine in the world (as far as i am aware) ..... As a capture, it would be up there with the big boys, the diesel on it alone is worth it.... But the risks are too high.

(remember each of those containers is the size of a large HGV)

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

IMO number: 9299927
   1st name: MAHLER STAR
   flag / nationality: Liberia

owner: Blue Star Ship Managment GmbH
   operator: Maersk
   completion year: 2006

engine type: 12RT-flex96C
   power output (KW): 68.400
   maximum speed (Kn): 24,5

overall length (m): 335,00
   overall beam (m): 42,80
   maximum draught (m): 14,00

maximum TEU capacity: 8452
   container capacity at 14t (TEU): 6105
   reefer containers (TEU): 701

deadweight (ton): 97.612
   gross tonnage (ton): 94.724
   handling gear: None

HardRockCamaro · April 14, 2009, 05:53:22 PM

Now that's, erm, large!!!!

Awesome job, travelling the world on one of those...

Fieldy · April 14, 2009, 05:58:43 PM

Quoting: HardRockCamaro

Awesome job, travelling the world on one of those...

He's worked damn hard dude, had a monthly paycheck from the same company (or who-ever owned it at the time lol) for about 32 years

Pros, he's now chief, top of his game...

Con, having to go to sea for about 4 month stints

Try capturing that ship! the captain is a big scots man, my old man is 6'4, 20 stone.....

art b · April 15, 2009, 08:58:29 AM

feck being at sea, for 4 months...

sounds worse than working at GM...

Andy · April 15, 2009, 09:26:48 AM

I know its not good for people like your dad, but our company is profiting from it.

We make parts for defence companies in Japan and they're being called in by the UN to send their ships out there to patrol the lanes. Because of this they're buying up any spares they can get.

Still not a good place to be right now. Wasn't there a story that some of these pirates tried boarding a US Navy ship and got what for?

Fieldy · April 15, 2009, 10:18:57 AM

Quoting: Andy

I know its not good for people like your dad

At the end of the day mate, it's his choice, no-one is forcing him.... But i'm glad someone is profiting from it instead of the pirates.

F Body · April 15, 2009, 01:53:42 PM

Quoting: art b

feck being at sea, for 4 months...

sounds worse than working at GM...

GM is for life

That is one big ship

Titsy · April 15, 2009, 02:05:42 PM

Quoting: F Body

GM is for life

They believe in

rather than redundancy then...

Gator · April 16, 2009, 12:56:06 PM

Quoting: F Body

GM is for life

your not institutionalized or anything then