Risk and Likelyhood of Pirate attacks!

[mikeodude]

Hi folks , I would like peoples views and opinions on the Risk and likelyhood of coming into contact with pirates in the Indian Ocean, with a company such as Maersk? I am aware that this is a risk at being at sea, are there any measures being taken to reduce the threat?

Thanks

[GuinnessMan]

Depending on your level of prepared-ness will determine whether a piracy attempt is actually successful or not considering the entire Indian Ocean is no longer safe (buggers were trying it on near Iran a few months back).

If you follow BMP4, suitably harden your vessel and keep a good look-out then you will most likely be ok should pirates attack. Don't bother thinking the navy will come to your rescue, because they probably won't be in the area and chances are you'll have been hijacked before they've finished filling in the risk assessments for shooting the buggers (thats if your thinking Royal Navy, Russians will just shoot them and the Indians will shoot anyone). The actual chances of you being pirated are pretty slim, especially in the IRTC. Chiefy can probably answer this better than I can, but some companies do use Armed Guards but I've not heard anything about Maersk doing it.

Take a look at the MSCHOA website as that has lots of recommendations on it for how to protect your ship, but if Pirates do get on board and you don't have a citadel to run to then don't be a hero. Put your hands on your head and surrender. They won't harm you as you are effectively a great big wack of cash to them and harming you will force the company to cut contact with their negotiator. Also, I was speaking to a security specialist the other day and he was telling me not to believe all the torture stories as about 5% of them are actually true! Do what they say, stay calm and you will come back ok if you get pirated.

[mak]

Maersk have started using armed guards http://www.economist.com/blogs/schum...2011/10/piracy, obv. that article is slightly out of date, they may be on more ships now. And it's now definitely legal on UK flagged ships now.

[Chiefy]

You rang?......

Hmmm to the best of my knowledge APM have NOT yet put armed guards on CONTAINER vessels (not so sure about tankers), however there are things in place and EVERY crossing of the area is monitored and risk assessed to within an inch of it's life. Various procedures are in place (which wont be discussed on an open forum for obvious reasons) to minimize the risk, but minimize is NOT the same as remove. Box boats dont seem to be a favorite thing to attack as they dont know for sure the value of the vessel, where as a fully loaded tanker has an obvious street value as do loaded bulkers, where as a box boat could be carrying "anything"

The use of armed guards is fraught with issues, as evidenced by the Italians v Indians a few weeks ago. Who has jurisdiction, how to get the arms on and off the vessels etc etc, many companies want to use them at random not as a matter of course, this also keeps the pirates guessing as they wont know until it's too late whether they are armed or not.

You will also receive on board training in the form of exercises and briefing and some companies also use "e-learning" with various courses for you to do about dealing with security and piracy (APM-M use the Seagull System now).

The short version is it is dangerous, but not so dangerous that you should be put off. I would be more worried about the reports of theft / burglary from vessels at anchor or alongside in various places.

To date large box boats haven't been taken, that includes all carriers (M Alabama is another story / special case) they have been fired upon and chased however normally their size and speed play a huge part in keeping them safe. In short I wouldnt worry overly much, but proceed with caution

[mak]

To date large box boats haven't been taken, that includes all carriers (M Alabama is another story / special case) they have been fired upon and chased however normally their size and speed play a huge part in keeping them safe. In short I wouldnt worry overly much, but proceed with caution

However it's not unheard of for cadets to be on tankers, although it is rarer.

[Chiefy]

True, however I can only really comment on "stuff I know about" never even been on a tanker in port yet alone sailing on one

[GuinnessMan]

However it's not unheard of for cadets to be on tankers, although it is rarer.

Not really. All the Maersk lads I knew were on tankers. Generally Chemical/Product tankers...

[mikeodude]

thank you guys for answering , really useful and helpful info !!!
I feeel much more re-assured now cheers !

[GuinnessMan]

thank you guys for answering , really useful and helpful info !!!
I feeel much more re-assured now cheers !

Bear in mind we were only really discussing Somalian piracy. There are pirates all over the place, not just Somalia!

[mikeodude]

Yes cheers . I saw the piracy map for 2012, all attacks are south of the equator. Even attacks in the med and gulf of mexico, a little suprised.
Governments need to act of this tbh.

[GuinnessMan]

Yes cheers . I saw the piracy map for 2012, all attacks are south of the equator. Even attacks in the med and gulf of mexico, a little suprised.
Governments need to act of this tbh.

How would they go about this in places like Bangladesh, Argentina, Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria, Benin, etc where corruption is rife and the military is generally being used to shoot their own civi's? Also, how would the government go about catching people in a small boat, that doesn't show up on radar, in large areas like that?

Bear in mind that the term "Piracy" covers a lot of things, it doesn't just cover killing of sailors and hijackings and what not. If someone sneaks on board and buggers off with a mooring rope, that's piracy as well.

[waverider]

I can't comment on Maersk specifically but I have worked for another large container ship operator in the Indian Ocean. The majority of container vessels are quite low risk in terms of pirate attack, they are usually quite fast and have higher freeboards making them more difficult to board and therefore a 'tougher' target for the pirates. Coupled with anti-piracy measures, which should be followed, would act as a further deterrent. There is increased military presence in the Gulf of Aden (although it's debatable how effective the are) and many companies are now choosing to employ armed guards onboard.

I could go on forever but the bottom line is do not let the threat of piracy put you off a career at sea!