Pirates, how comes somethings don't make the news?
Discussion
Gaspowered said:
Having heard nothing but reports about the Sudan area nice to see that there are some traditionalists still working the Spanish main.Is there still a market for dubloons and rum?
sleep envy said:
Digga said:
I think I'd feel a little differently about staying anywhere coastal in Kenya or Tanzania at present though.
If you don't hear from me after the new year send out a search party, thanks.If word is out about the pirates, you might be lucky. We were only guests at two of the three luxury tented safari camps we stayed at.
As for the other poster's question about Zanzibar, it is effectively Kenya although it's an Omani colony, formerly for the purpose of trading African slaves to the gulf.
ben_h100 said:
OP, what does your dad do?
Always thought about working the rigs when I leave the forces. (Difficult to get into, I know
)
Dad started off as a mud logger (he had geology degrees) and then moved onto directional drilling and now multilateral drilling, sometimes when called upon he becomes the company man for the area in places like Congo, Gabon and Cameroon... They only shipped him to Tanzania because the company wanted to win the contract and when the oil companies hear he's on the job they prefer to work with him than the rivals.Always thought about working the rigs when I leave the forces. (Difficult to get into, I know
)I wanted to join him 13 years ago but he persuaded me not to stating there was not the distance in it for my life time and I still think he was lying so I didn't take the same decision he made and put him self in harms way.
He was at Baroid, then it became Sperry Sun and now its haliburton that bought them as the service team for the main oil companies.
Digga said:
As for the other poster's question about Zanzibar, it is effectively Kenya although it's an Omani colony, formerly for the purpose of trading African slaves to the gulf.
Eh? Zanzibar is part of Tanzania. In fact Tanzania was formed from the union of Tanganyika and Zanzibar in the 1960s.ben_h100 said:
OP, what does your dad do?
Always thought about working the rigs when I leave the forces. (Difficult to get into, I know)
Not so difficult, there are courses during your Resettlement for Oil & Gas work. I was doing some on ROVs when I left the mob but decided instead to work in rail engineering. It depends on what trade you are of course. Always thought about working the rigs when I leave the forces. (Difficult to get into, I know
)Galsia said:
I wonder if the Russians are still catching pirates? I saw a video about a year ago of them catching a pirate mothership. They tied up about 50-100 pirates, then set the vessel on fire, with them still in it. Those Russians don't mess about. 
And do they still attack Russian Ships? Unlikely. In the same way as a story I heard about a Russian diplomat getting kidnapped by some gangsters who demanded money. The Russians found the gangsters mother and brother and killed them, sending the bodies to the gangster (some parts before others IYSWIM). They then provided a list of all the the relatives (which included his two children) who would be killed until the diplomat was returned unharmed Which he was, rather quickly.....Since that point the Russians don't tend to have problems like that.. No idea if it is true, be interesting to see if anyone else has heard the same.
A mate of mine is ex forces and now spends his time as a "deck hand" on oil tankers sailing near east Africa. Seems to get on one in the Gulf, when its full, sail down to it's destination and then sail back to the Gulf to get on the next one.
Says it's quite boring for long periods, followed by brief periods of intense activity
Says it's quite boring for long periods, followed by brief periods of intense activity
Jasandjules said:
And do they still attack Russian Ships? Unlikely.
In the same way as a story I heard about a Russian diplomat getting kidnapped by some gangsters who demanded money. The Russians found the gangsters mother and brother and killed them, sending the bodies to the gangster (some parts before others IYSWIM). They then provided a list of all the the relatives (which included his two children) who would be killed until the diplomat was returned unharmed Which he was, rather quickly.....Since that point the Russians don't tend to have problems like that.. No idea if it is true, be interesting to see if anyone else has heard the same.
It was Islamists in Lebanon or thereabouts as I recall it.In the same way as a story I heard about a Russian diplomat getting kidnapped by some gangsters who demanded money. The Russians found the gangsters mother and brother and killed them, sending the bodies to the gangster (some parts before others IYSWIM). They then provided a list of all the the relatives (which included his two children) who would be killed until the diplomat was returned unharmed Which he was, rather quickly.....Since that point the Russians don't tend to have problems like that.. No idea if it is true, be interesting to see if anyone else has heard the same.
ellroy said:
It was Islamists in Lebanon or thereabouts as I recall it.
Ah, interesting that you have heard it to. I can't recall who it was but the main thing that stuck in my mind was killing the relatives and noting they'd kill more - a proper don't f**k with me boy, we are bigger and meaner than you will ever be message.....ben_h100 said:
OP, what does your dad do?
Always thought about working the rigs when I leave the forces. (Difficult to get into, I know)
Have a look at www.forces4energy.co.uk/Always thought about working the rigs when I leave the forces. (Difficult to get into, I know
)HTH
They do get reported, quite regularly too, they just don't all make the news in the Western world.
As part of my job, I have to keep an eye on security related stories, and we get loads of RSS feeds from all sorts of news channels, papers, media agencies etc, and you find a lot of African outlets report this.
IIRC, there was a ship boarded by pirates today off the coast of Nigeria. (West coast gets some piracy, but the hotspots are on the East coast)
The Intelligence Analysts that work with us produce daily kidnap and ransom reports for around the world; not a day goes by without at least a handful of events falling into that category.
I heard a story from one of the Close Protection guys that work with us about the pirates. He said that one ship had been boarded, crew held ransom, and then the ransom was paid and delivered to the ship.
Some of the pirates then took their share and scarpered, whilst the rest demanded the ship take them to the nearest port to drop them off. Whilst the ship was en-route, the remaining pirates were roaming the deck on anti-pirate duty, as they were terrified other's would turn up and try to steal their booty!
No honour among theives and all that...
As part of my job, I have to keep an eye on security related stories, and we get loads of RSS feeds from all sorts of news channels, papers, media agencies etc, and you find a lot of African outlets report this.
IIRC, there was a ship boarded by pirates today off the coast of Nigeria. (West coast gets some piracy, but the hotspots are on the East coast)
The Intelligence Analysts that work with us produce daily kidnap and ransom reports for around the world; not a day goes by without at least a handful of events falling into that category.
I heard a story from one of the Close Protection guys that work with us about the pirates. He said that one ship had been boarded, crew held ransom, and then the ransom was paid and delivered to the ship.
Some of the pirates then took their share and scarpered, whilst the rest demanded the ship take them to the nearest port to drop them off. Whilst the ship was en-route, the remaining pirates were roaming the deck on anti-pirate duty, as they were terrified other's would turn up and try to steal their booty!
No honour among theives and all that...
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