Wow. I didn't know that they made these things.

[JacksonDevilDog]

Saddawg might need to invest in one.

http://www.mercfire.com.au/files/pirate.pdf

 

[JacksonDevilDog]

Saddawg might need to invest in one.

http://www.mercfire.com.au/files/pirate.pdf

 

[TheBigBadDawg]

And I think getting hit with a stream of water at 273 ft/sec (off a little quick math) probably stings more than a little bit.

Edited:
Since my knowledge of such things is very minimal, here's what I could find for comparison - "A typical fire hose can shoot a stream of water 35 feet in the air. That translates to a nozzle velocity of 49 feet/second." So, I think it's fair to say, that would hurt like hell.

 

[beachbumdawg]

And I think getting hit with a stream of water at 273 ft/sec (off a little quick math) probably stings more than a little bit.

or 186.1 miles/hour but what is the volume of this?

 

[msudawg12]

seriously? this vs armed pirates. Good way to get killed

 

[graddawg]

Speaking of pirated, I just do not understand why these shipping companies don't employ a few ex-special forces types to keep lookout on each ship while they operate in this area. This would be much cheaper that the cost of a hijack. Maritime treaties be dammed, just arm yourselves.

 

[cowbell9]

...and one dude manning it at all times. Pirates would be externminated with extreme prejudice.

 

[Optimus Prime 4]

[No message]

 

[TheBigBadDawg]

It'd be private companies employing private security, right? These companies are risking hundreds of millions of dollars in cargo, insurance claims, and god knows what else, and paying millions in ransoms to get their ships back. I don't get why they don't pay "ex-special forces" types $80k, put 2 on each boat, and not have to worry about losing their cargo. That Saudi boat that got jacked a couple of months ago was carrying, what, $100 million of oil? I don't see why it's even a question.</p>

 

[Optimus Prime 4]

They have rules saying you can't use their ports with guns and weapons, etc. on your boat.

I think it's stupid too, but I suppose they think you could stage a takeover or something. Or maybe then pirates themselves would pull into port looking like a normal boat. Who knows.

 

[TheBigBadDawg]

I think it's dumb, especially under these circumstances, but I can see why they think that. What about doing what CB said though, and mounting .50s on the ship? You can't remove them to carry them onshore, so no risk of a siege or anything...

 

[futaba.79]

is that arming the boats would start an arms race, one that the pirates would win. They have lots of money and piracy is so profitable they wouldn't back down - so the arguement goes.

 

[TheBigBadDawg]

FoxNews cover story:

"The maritime unions, shipping companies and the International Maritime Organization all agree that ship's crews should not be armed," says Capt. George Quick, vice president of the International Organization of Masters, Mates and Pilots, based in Linthicum, Md. "It would only escalate the situation The [Somali] pirates are pretty well funded, and they'd just get bigger weapons."</p>http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,515986,00.html

Also pretty cool some of the "weapons" they've come up with to deter piracy.

 

[Bdog9090]

against shooting at a person with a .Ma Deuce. You can, however, aim and fire at the equipment they are carrying/wearing.

 

[SwampDawg]

4 more ships got hijacked yesterday. If other countries don't want our ships sailing into port armed, take the guns off by helicopter and take them to a US ship. Expensive? Sure, but better than paying ransom every 17n time you go through the gulf. As I said in a previous thread, the pussification of the US continues. We can't fight because it might escalate things? ********.

 

[lawdawg02]

as long as you first say "with all due respect."

 

[Pony Express.sixpack]

Why not send out slow moving, "apparently" unarmed vessels with huge American flags and Japanese-made mechanical women on deck...but filled with Marines...you start killing some skinnies, they will go back to raping and pillaging villages instead of commerce. I know this won't happen, with all due respect, Obama probably has cousins and half-brothers among the pirates. Maybe the sub-saharan pillagers need a bailout too, with declining commodity prices and lower demand for jewelry, blood diamonds are just not as lucrative anymore.

 

[Conman90]

No such rule in the Geneva Convention. Hell I can shoot 25mm at troops if I want to. Just would make sure it's a large enough group to make it worth the ammo. Just another persistent urban legend.

 

[Xenomorph]

We would sit off the coast in international waters and board your vessel once you've left port. Once clear of the laws of any country we would board your ship and vow to see you safely through your voyage. We would disembark before entering territorial waters of your destination. Have a world-wide network with hundreds of teams ready to go at a moments notice when the shipping companies called. Convince Lloyds of London to reduce the rates for companies that contract with us.

The training, equipping, maintaining and insuring costs of such a company would be incredible. But... so then would be the profits.
I'm sure someone with knowledge of international laws could punch countless holes in that plan, but in some form I bet it's feasible.

 

[Optimus Prime 4]

How sad is that

 

[MaroonInNashville]

As I found out during my Shellback initiation many years ago...

edit to clarify: That was with 1.5" hose at 160psi. One of you engineers can do the actual math on that...

 

[DawgMedic]

The 1.5" hoses are for quick knock downs... As a MS certified firefighter (having gone through the MS state fire academy in 2000), i can tell you that a 2.5" hose can kill you. There is no person on the planet that could hold one by themselves. It took a team of four of us to hold one, and we were spraying water up to 250 feet... Nothing to play around with...

I'd still rather have some kind of cannon or rifle... Lol!

 

[MaroonInNashville]

was just getting various nasty concoctions and assorted two-week-old trash being cleaned off of me courtesy of the ship's fire main...hell, it wasn't even full stream...and it friggin' hurt...

 

[RocketCityDawg]

Awesome.
Totally non sports, except Pirates vs. Patriots.

See Y'all at the six pack tailgate on Saturday.

RCD

 

[Bdog9090]

nm

 

[Conman90]

Why would we have the Barrett .50 cal sniper rifle? Again, it is an urban legend. No such provision in the Geneva Convention. Read it if you like.

 

[Bdog9090]

with a .50 caliber weapon. Just not the Ma Deuce. "They" would be the guys that were giving the Rules of Engagement class in Kuwait before we went in. I think the way they explained it was that it fell under the part about no one being subjected to "cruel and degrading treatment"

Of course, it's all moot because they then went on to explain that you can shoot whomever the hell you wanted to and say you were aiming at their canteen or belt.

 

[jbulldog]

serve a nice helping of a few thousand volts. A simple switching system could be put in place and would absolutely re-introduce them to the ocean.

 

[3000lbchicken]

My next door neighbor is a contract marine engineer and works for the same company that owns the Liberty Sun. He just got back from that area Saturday. His vessel was 30 miles from one of the attacks that hit the news. Anyway, he is safe and back just in time.

I asked him about employing security on the boat and he said they don't want to do that. The company has an image and they want to maintain it. Once you start carrying arms on your boats, your perception as a company changes. I told him about the water cannons mentioned here and he said you don't want to be standing there shooting a water gun while they are firing automatic weapons. The best thing to do is hide and out maneuver. I told him they had remote control and he said, "Oh. But how affective could they be at aiming them when they have small but faster boats?".

I don't know.

He did say that pirates have more rights on the seas now and they can get away with anything. Back in the old days, if you caught a pirate, you hung them right then and there. You can't do that anymore.
He suggests, and I agree, that the best thing to do is blow up all the mother ships. No more pirates.