Aa
Pirates
Fox news is saying yet another yacht (Danish) has been captured by pirates off the Somali coast...... Do yacht owners not read news papers or catch a news program, ever? What would make anyone feel as if "yachting" off of Somalia is a good idea?
Maybe it's just me, but I really find it hard to be sympathetic for someone who intentionally put themselves into situations like this..... unfathomable!
Maybe it's just me, but I really find it hard to be sympathetic for someone who intentionally put themselves into situations like this..... unfathomable!
There was a nice belt-fed .50 Browning semi-auto I almost purchased a few years ago.
The difference bewteen the belt-fed weapons and the Barret has to do with inherent accuracy of the barrel. The semi automatics available will do the job, however they are ordinary machine gun barrels designed to create a pattern of impacts, if the machine gun is fired from a fixed position on a tripod. Even with a scope you can't be sure the weapon will be on target.
A Barret with a laser rangefinder and a scope will be approriate to engage pirates accurately at long ranges.
On shipboard, disintegrating ceramic ammunition is appropriate to avoid ricochets within steel hallways. I have some for my .223 manufactured for British Special Forces.
I'm with you Brice, regarding the dules of engagement. And it would be helpful to have several Brownings mounted with interlocking fields of fire.
I have a friend of mine who provides such anti-piracy services for cruise ships, who is always after me to participate. They also do cargo vessels, but some lines have a policy of not permitting weapons on their vessels, relying on fire hoses. I'm getting a bit long in the tooth for that sort of thing. Surprisingly, they employ a number of attractive young females (as well as males) who have sidearms, lots of ammunition and scoped rifles within their cabins and who pose as ordinary passengers out to enjoy themselves.
Margypops - this is your chance for a new career.
The difference bewteen the belt-fed weapons and the Barret has to do with inherent accuracy of the barrel. The semi automatics available will do the job, however they are ordinary machine gun barrels designed to create a pattern of impacts, if the machine gun is fired from a fixed position on a tripod. Even with a scope you can't be sure the weapon will be on target.
A Barret with a laser rangefinder and a scope will be approriate to engage pirates accurately at long ranges.
On shipboard, disintegrating ceramic ammunition is appropriate to avoid ricochets within steel hallways. I have some for my .223 manufactured for British Special Forces.
I'm with you Brice, regarding the dules of engagement. And it would be helpful to have several Brownings mounted with interlocking fields of fire.
I have a friend of mine who provides such anti-piracy services for cruise ships, who is always after me to participate. They also do cargo vessels, but some lines have a policy of not permitting weapons on their vessels, relying on fire hoses. I'm getting a bit long in the tooth for that sort of thing. Surprisingly, they employ a number of attractive young females (as well as males) who have sidearms, lots of ammunition and scoped rifles within their cabins and who pose as ordinary passengers out to enjoy themselves.
Margypops - this is your chance for a new career.
I'd one-up you on the .50 cal. You have a minimum of 2, but more along the lines of 3.... and instead of them having only a 5 round magazine, they are belt fed... semi auto or fully auto and are mounted fore and aft, and the 3rd atop the wheel house.
The rules of engagement are a joke because they do not affect the pirates, and thats the downfall. That policy sux.... When there is a clear and present threat, pirates approaching at a high rate of speed firing their automatic weapons.... man those .50's and cut loose! No warning shots, the pirates fired them. Start sinking these clowns and otherwise removing them from the general populace.... there is the deterrent and will work wonders in keeping the worlds waters free of pirates.
The rules of engagement are a joke because they do not affect the pirates, and thats the downfall. That policy sux.... When there is a clear and present threat, pirates approaching at a high rate of speed firing their automatic weapons.... man those .50's and cut loose! No warning shots, the pirates fired them. Start sinking these clowns and otherwise removing them from the general populace.... there is the deterrent and will work wonders in keeping the worlds waters free of pirates.
Actually, most ships carry no firearms, which are discouraged by the owners.
This is especially true in the case of British flagged vessels.
Plan stupid.
A bazooka is not a practical weapon, and, to my knowledge are no longer manufactured in any event.
A scoped .50 Cal Barret with a five-shot magazine. 2000 meter range and armor-piercing incendiary ammo is more than adequate.
The pirates should have been executed on the spot - every one of them -, however modern rules of engagement and attorneys would probably prosecute the naval officers who ordered this.
This is especially true in the case of British flagged vessels.
Plan stupid.
A bazooka is not a practical weapon, and, to my knowledge are no longer manufactured in any event.
A scoped .50 Cal Barret with a five-shot magazine. 2000 meter range and armor-piercing incendiary ammo is more than adequate.
The pirates should have been executed on the spot - every one of them -, however modern rules of engagement and attorneys would probably prosecute the naval officers who ordered this.
Brice, the last part of your comment is much along the same lines I was thinking. Whenever people put themselves in harms way, there is someone out there who must do the same in order to try to save them. I do so admire anyone with that much faith..and I truly respect it. But yes, I agree, common sense should also prevail.
On a side note, but keeping with the same sort of topic, we have a fairly new law here. If you choose to purposely put yourself in harms way (ie; choose to ski a run that is marked closed for avalanche or something like that), and our Search and Rescue Teams have to go in to get you...they will of course rescue you, but you will be billed for their time and resources. I am good with that. It makes people think.
On a side note, but keeping with the same sort of topic, we have a fairly new law here. If you choose to purposely put yourself in harms way (ie; choose to ski a run that is marked closed for avalanche or something like that), and our Search and Rescue Teams have to go in to get you...they will of course rescue you, but you will be billed for their time and resources. I am good with that. It makes people think.
There is a lot to be said about faith. There also is a lot to be said about common sense. In my own opinion, a severe lack of common sense led these people to try their faith. And the end result is, they just may have met their maker. Lack of common sense led them to believe that pirates would consider Christ over the only way they know to survive, and in turn put them in harms way.
Coincidentally, there are people out there trying to stop piracy and trying to protect those sailing into pirate infested waters. These people are risking their lives in order to save someone elses. (Pretty noble if you ask me, far more noble than trying to deliver Bibles to a people who don't care.... I do think missionary work is noble, do not get me wrong. But when you purposely put yourself into harms way, you are risking other lives as well. That's a bit less than noble.
Coincidentally, there are people out there trying to stop piracy and trying to protect those sailing into pirate infested waters. These people are risking their lives in order to save someone elses. (Pretty noble if you ask me, far more noble than trying to deliver Bibles to a people who don't care.... I do think missionary work is noble, do not get me wrong. But when you purposely put yourself into harms way, you are risking other lives as well. That's a bit less than noble.
Just chiming in here about the missionary aspect being dangerous. In their defense, that's what missionaries do. It's part of the job risk, and they put themselves into dangerous situations such as pirate-infested seas because, as a missionary, nothing is more important that trying to save souls by bringing the knowledge and love of Christ to even the worst and most dangerous people. Their faith allows them the courage to go there, and accept that serious injury or death may result. They know this, and they do it because it matters more to a missionary that they reach out to the lost to introduce Christ than their own lives do, since they know their eternal life is saved. It takes an extremely selfless, courageous person to be a missionary.
Yes, some die brutal deaths or disappear and are never seen again. But there are others, who have gone into some of the world's most dangerous places and have turned around entire civilizations to become civilized, prosperous, and moral people who no longer make human sacrifices, canibalize, practice slave trade, and any and all other abominable actions. Without the courageous works of missionaries, where would many of these civilizations be today?
Many missionaries have given their lives to make these changes for people--sometimes it thankfully does change--but they had to take the risk. It may be hard to understand, "why there?" when there's many other places that aren't as dangerous, but...why NOT there? From the perspective of a missionary, not one single person is undeserving to be introduced to Christ, because He died for the sins of EVERY person in the world so that they CAN overcome the sin and live a better life. How would the the "worst of the worst" people ever know that and have the chance to accept it if missionaries never took a chance and risked their lives for those people? They do it because saving the souls of human life is worth the risk.
To a missionary, it's not like a suicide mission such as ignoring avalanche signs for nothing more than seeking or gaining a thrill. It's more like ignoring the avalanche signs because someone is trapped and needs help beyond that sign in the danger zone, or they WILL die. Is that life not worth trying to save, not worth risking your own life to help save?
Quite honestly, if I didn't have a family that needed me at home each day, but was rather a single person and had my life established on my own and not really tied down to anything like family, or like the American missionaries who were murdered by the pirates, was living my life in retirement and wanting to do something worthwhile--I'd go into the mission field. I've always wanted to do something like that. It's important to how I personally live and display my faith.
Yes, some die brutal deaths or disappear and are never seen again. But there are others, who have gone into some of the world's most dangerous places and have turned around entire civilizations to become civilized, prosperous, and moral people who no longer make human sacrifices, canibalize, practice slave trade, and any and all other abominable actions. Without the courageous works of missionaries, where would many of these civilizations be today?
Many missionaries have given their lives to make these changes for people--sometimes it thankfully does change--but they had to take the risk. It may be hard to understand, "why there?" when there's many other places that aren't as dangerous, but...why NOT there? From the perspective of a missionary, not one single person is undeserving to be introduced to Christ, because He died for the sins of EVERY person in the world so that they CAN overcome the sin and live a better life. How would the the "worst of the worst" people ever know that and have the chance to accept it if missionaries never took a chance and risked their lives for those people? They do it because saving the souls of human life is worth the risk.
To a missionary, it's not like a suicide mission such as ignoring avalanche signs for nothing more than seeking or gaining a thrill. It's more like ignoring the avalanche signs because someone is trapped and needs help beyond that sign in the danger zone, or they WILL die. Is that life not worth trying to save, not worth risking your own life to help save?
Quite honestly, if I didn't have a family that needed me at home each day, but was rather a single person and had my life established on my own and not really tied down to anything like family, or like the American missionaries who were murdered by the pirates, was living my life in retirement and wanting to do something worthwhile--I'd go into the mission field. I've always wanted to do something like that. It's important to how I personally live and display my faith.
brice ..bar as in booze bar or Lawyer bar ? sorry I am being facetious ...I like your style el-em I have sailed the Mediterranean or part of it I have come through storms and been injured and I was never afraid , we always carried arms , we knew that once we crossed through the Panama canal we would also be in pirate/drug runner waters connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans , several pirate attacks in The Caribbean in 2008 ...
I also heard that they were missionaries. So in accordance.... this was either a self fulfilled prophecy or God hit the snooze button. This does say wonders about their faith but doesn't say a thing about their common sense.
When I was in the bar business..... I had to throw myself into some situations to protect others. I did this knowing what my strengths were and knew that my experience would probably prevail. In 20 years I never got my hind end handed to me! I managed to stop a lot of needless beatings and saved I don't know how many people from trips to the emergency room. (Diplomacy was a strength and more often than not... diplomacy prevailed.)
When I was in the bar business..... I had to throw myself into some situations to protect others. I did this knowing what my strengths were and knew that my experience would probably prevail. In 20 years I never got my hind end handed to me! I managed to stop a lot of needless beatings and saved I don't know how many people from trips to the emergency room. (Diplomacy was a strength and more often than not... diplomacy prevailed.)
I should start a business providing on-board protection for those wanting to venture into pirate infested waters.
I could employ ex-para military types and farm them out to each and every ship that wants to venture into pirate-waters, arm them with bazooka's, machine guns, hand-grenades, etc, etc (ie: all the latest "blow pirates out of the water" equipment), and I could make a fortune.
Why hasn't someone done this yet?
Small ship full of pirates pulls up beside HUGE tanker or transport/cargo ship, ex-navy seal looks over the side of the ship and points a bazooka at the small ship full of pirates, pulls trigger, BOOM ensues... no more pirates.
Seems easy enough to me.
I could employ ex-para military types and farm them out to each and every ship that wants to venture into pirate-waters, arm them with bazooka's, machine guns, hand-grenades, etc, etc (ie: all the latest "blow pirates out of the water" equipment), and I could make a fortune.
Why hasn't someone done this yet?
Small ship full of pirates pulls up beside HUGE tanker or transport/cargo ship, ex-navy seal looks over the side of the ship and points a bazooka at the small ship full of pirates, pulls trigger, BOOM ensues... no more pirates.
Seems easy enough to me.
I agree as a sailor its not a place I would venture round, it was a pretty gruesome death ..
Yes, I also heard they were basically missionaries. I caught it on the news. Still...there are so many places in the world this can be done. I truly do admire their devotion but it ended so very tragically. It's just hard for me to understand why there? Then again, I also tend to avoid dangerous situations. If a ski hill say's closed for avalanche activity, I pick another run. But every year many choose to ignore the warning, and guess how it ends? I tend to believe the warnings in every situation and adhere to them. I love an adventure, but I guess I have a strong sense of self preservation as well. So no Brice, not just you. I wouldn't walk through those neighborhoods either.
I have been talking about this to a colleague and appparently these folks and the ones who were murdered,were spreading their word about Christianity so the reason they were in that place was for religious reasons .I dont have a link for this as it was some actual person telling me the story ,apparently they were handing out bibles .
I don't know if anyone remembers about a year ago when special forces guys shot and killed a few pirates on board of a ship/boat they over took??? The deal is, the pirates aren't taking things serious enough. 2 things can be done here.... treat every case of piracy like the one mentioned above and blow them off the face of the globe or avoid the region. (I understand that commercial activity needs those waters, but recreational sailors should stay the hell out of there!)
I'm not the brightest flashlight in the hardware store, but I have spent a life time evaluating and then avoiding dangerous situations. From kindergarten until present day, I look at every situation I am trying to get myself into.... I look at it from all angles. I know that there is an inherent risk to everything we do... like crossing the street, but I look at the situation at hand, look both ways and cross when it is safe.
People need to start taking some responsibility for themselves. I'm not big on being pirated, so guess what? I float my boat in an atmosphere where that is least likely to happen! I'm not a big fan of being mugged, so I don't walk around with tons of cash on me in horrible neighborhoods...in fact, I avoid horrible neighborhoods at all costs. Apparently that's just me though.
I'm not the brightest flashlight in the hardware store, but I have spent a life time evaluating and then avoiding dangerous situations. From kindergarten until present day, I look at every situation I am trying to get myself into.... I look at it from all angles. I know that there is an inherent risk to everything we do... like crossing the street, but I look at the situation at hand, look both ways and cross when it is safe.
People need to start taking some responsibility for themselves. I'm not big on being pirated, so guess what? I float my boat in an atmosphere where that is least likely to happen! I'm not a big fan of being mugged, so I don't walk around with tons of cash on me in horrible neighborhoods...in fact, I avoid horrible neighborhoods at all costs. Apparently that's just me though.
Brice, my husband and I were saying the same thing just tonight. I cannot for the life of me understand why someone would want to take a pleasure cruise in such a known to be dangerous area. Personally, I might choose another location for boating. It makes not a bit of sense.
Now that makes sense doesn't it, actually most sailors do carry arms ,obviously not the right kind ,as you say a bazooka would do the trick Lol
Why don't these yachts and tankers and ships that are getting hijacked start arming themselves with bazooka's, or rocket-propelled-grenades, or heat-seeking-missiles, or 50cal. Machine guns or something like that.
Seems to me that it'd be a lot cheaper to have 2-3 trained soldiers on board each and every vessel, rather than have to fork over 10's of millions of dollars each time one of their ships is hijacked.
2-3 ex-Navy Seals would deter almost ANY pirates that try and take a ship by force, and would cost a far-cry less than $20Million in ransom.
Seems to me that it'd be a lot cheaper to have 2-3 trained soldiers on board each and every vessel, rather than have to fork over 10's of millions of dollars each time one of their ships is hijacked.
2-3 ex-Navy Seals would deter almost ANY pirates that try and take a ship by force, and would cost a far-cry less than $20Million in ransom.
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