Pirates fire on US cruise ship in hijack attempt

[DMS]

NAIROBI, Kenya – Pirates chased and shot at a U.S. cruise liner with more than 1,000 people on board but failed to hijack the vessel as it sailed along a corridor patrolled by international warships, a maritime official said Tuesday.

The liner, carrying 656 international passengers and 399 crew members, was sailing through the pirate-infested Gulf of Aden on Sunday when it encountered six bandits in two speedboats, said Noel Choong who heads the International Maritime Bureau's piracy reporting center in Malaysia.

The pirates fired at the passenger liner but the larger boat was faster than the pirates' vessels, Choong said.

"It is very fortunate that the liner managed to escape," he said, urging all ships to remain vigilant in the area.

The U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet, based in Bahrain, said it was aware of the failed hijacking but did not have further details.

Ship owner Oceania Cruises Inc. identified the vessel as the M/S Nautica.

In a statement on its Web site, the company said pirates fired eight rifle shots at the liner, but that the ship's captain increased speed and managed to outrun the skiffs.

All passengers and crew are safe and there was no damage to the vessel, it said.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081202/ap_on_re_af/piracy

[WaterWings]

I personally would have ran over their sorry thievin arses, but that's just me.

It would seem that it has reached a point were physical action is warranted in my humble opinion.
50 Caliber bullets will make huge holes in little wooden boats.

Note in history: The US Marine Corp anthem mentions the shores of Tripoli. This came from a US response in the 1800's to pirate attacks on the Barbary Coast. Same pirates.... different response.

[E_]

Cool Waterwings, never knew that...

[boatfreak]

I couldn't agree more with waterwings. This has been going on too long around there and they are getting bolder everyday. It might just be time we return fire....in a big way.

[Nervous Wreck]

I agree! They wanna play...lets show them some real fire power.

[DMS]

MUSCAT, Oman – Ordered to get inside and stay down, Oregon tourist Clyde Thornburg heard the pirates' rifle shots hit the side of the luxury cruise liner — "Pop! Pop! Pop!" — then felt the ship speed up to escape.

At this port north of the pirate-infested Gulf of Aden, the crew used a device that blasted painful high-decibel sound waves to keep the marauders at bay.

But the assault on the M/S Nautica lasted only five minutes Sunday, and the ship with about 650 passengers and 400 crew members sped away quickly and was not seized.

During the assault, pirates on one of two skiffs fired eight rifle shots at the ship, according to its American operator, Oceania Cruises, Inc. The captain ordered the passengers inside and accelerated the cruise liner quickly, leaving the pirates far behind in their 20- to 30-foot wooden speedboats, powered with twin outboard motors.

"It was like a very large speedboat. It was running alongside the boat."

Alicia Moorehead said they were told the Nautica could outrun pirates and was equipped with high-pressure water hoses and a device that blasts painful sound waves at any bandits. Such devices can emit sounds up to 150 decibels — well above the normal pain threshold of 120 decibels — focused on targets several hundred yards away.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081203/ap_ ... /piracy_30