Robert Young Pelton:
Travel Advice
|
/robert-young-pelton/resources.html
|
|
 |
Travel Advisory: The Pirate Primer
Peg legs and parrots are so passé. Robert Young Pelton dives into the
dangerous world of modern-day sea wolves.
|
 |
|
Illustration by Asaf Hanuka |
|
The pirates paddled up silently, their faces wrapped in black scarves, AKs slung across their backs. When they reached our ship they threw their padded grappling hooks over the rails, and with knotted ropes they shinned up to the decks. In moments a dozen grim-looking men had us surrounded and then...they began slapping high fives.
It was only a demonstration. You see, I'd run into this band of seaborne assailants while filming a television series in the southern Philippines. For a chunk of change and a shot at superstardom, they had offered to give me a course in Shipjacking 101. The segment never aired but the experience was instructive—only not in the way my motley friends intended.
I'd always imagined pirates as one-eyed buccaneers hardened by heavy doses of rum and occasional bouts of scurvy. And I'd also imagined that they'd gone the way of the clipper ship. Unfortunately, that's hardly the case. Reports from the International Maritime Organization (IMO) indicate that global piracy is up 350 percent since 1994. Unless you understand the issues, the hot spots, and the tactics of folks like my swarthy Filipino companions, your pleasure cruise could quickly turn into a vacation to die for.
THE BOATJACKERS' PLAYBOOK
In general, piracy can be boiled down to two categories, commercial and private. In commercial incidents, by far the most popular, attackers sidle up to their prey in speedboats, then spring on board when the moment is right. Once on deck they'll administer a few harsh words (and often a few gunshots) and commandeer the ship. Often the attack stops at the ship's cash box. But more organized pirates will hijack freighters, off-load the cargo to sell later, and put the crew out to sea.
While less common, attacks on private yachts and cruise ships do happen. In a widely publicized event last winter, a band of RPG-armed pirates attempted to board a 440-foot (134-meter) Love Boat–like cruise ship off the coast of Somalia. The attack was fought off but made it chillingly clear that luxury craft are far from safe havens. "Floating treasure chests" might be a more accurate term.
In recent years piracy has been recorded in all of the world's oceans but the vast majority of incidents occur in traditional danger zones such as Indonesia's Strait of Malacca, the eastern and southern islands of the Philippines, the South China Sea, coastal Somalia, and off the Caribbean coasts of Central and South America. Lately Iraq's Persian Gulf and the waters from Liberia to Nigeria have deteriorated to dangerous levels.
THE REAL PICTURE
So should you pencil in piracy on your next travel watch list? That's debatable. The risk is very real: In 2001 Sir Peter Blake, the two-time America's Cup champion, was gunned down defending his ship from Brazilian pirates at the mouth of the Amazon. Still, the IMO recorded 266 incidents of piracy and armed robbery in 2005—not a lot considering the millions of vessels afloat worldwide. My opinion? Don't go canceling the bareboating trip to St. Vincent just yet. The cruise to the Sulu Sea is another matter.
ROGUE REPELLENTS
According to my buddies in the private security business, the solution to piracy is either large-scale social welfare programs or heavy weaponry. On commercial boats high-pressure hoses stand ready to wash away predators, 9,000-volt barriers circle ship perimeters like cattle fences, and sonic horns are poised to deafen menacing visitors.
On smaller boats, some old salts advocate a 12-gauge shotgun as adequate protection. I would caution that approach. These days tough gun laws will almost ensure that your boat will be impounded and you'll be incarcerated in a foreign prison for illegal possession of firearms.
No, I'd much rather dodge a bullet beforehand than have to fire one. For someone considering an epic around-the-world jaunt, it may be worth taking a course in maritime defense. The London–based firm Maritime Asset Security & Training, known as MAST (www.mast-yacht.co.uk ), offers hands-on antipiracy protection services and instruction. For the rest of us, staying informed is probably insurance enough. The IMO (www.imo.org) issues a monthly piracy report that will keep you up to date on hot zones. As well, there are a handful of well-informed yachting sites out there—www.yachtpiracy.org is probably the most comprehensive—that post reports, maps, and information for private boaters. If trouble does find you, remember my first rule of the sea: Compliance always tops confrontation.
Robert Young Pelton is the author of The World's Most Dangerous Places.
Adventure's September 2006 issue features 31 amazing adventure towns; chaos at the top of Mount Everest; an inside look at surfing California's Lost Coast; 11 fall weekend getaways near you; the best high-tech footwear, world class adventure travel; hiking the Alps, and more!
Subscribe now and save!
|
