hiJack Sparrow
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Published November 19th, 2008
I’m ashamed to admit it but I am completely fascinated by the hijacking of so many ships by Somali pirates. How is this realistically happening? I thought this was so 200 years ago. With over 80 ships attacked by pirates already this year, don’t you think the Saudi’s would spend less than $5M to pay Blackwater to safeguard their ships? Even a ship carrying Russian-made tanks is being held for $20M in ransom. And these pirates are bringing goats and chickens on board the ships they are hijacking for long-term food. I just wonder what is going through the crew member’s heads when a speedboat pulls up next to a supertanker with livestock in the backseat.
on 
Yeah, it’s been really strange listening to the reports of pirated ships. I’m like, “Pirates? Time machines?”. The visual of Jack Sparrow piloting an oil tanker is definitely a source of amusement.
Unfortunately, piracy today is no laughing matter…just as it wasn’t hundreds of years ago.
Often, these unprotected tankers have no choice but to allow the hijackers to board, due to the armament that the pirates carry and the sophistication of their maneuvers.
Once the pirates gain control of the ships, they bring them into Somali territorial waters, where it becomes a difficult international situation as to what action any modern navy can take….not to mention the risk of handling a hostage situation. More often than not, it ends with the ship’s owners paying the ransom as it is cheaper than the loss of cargo and insurance.
The Somali pirates are really impoverished people who began this enterprise due to perceived violations on their fishing grounds by commercial fishermen. They started taking fishing vessels hostage as purported members of the Somali coastguard, eventually graduating to a larger class of merchants as they got better at it.
It is also postulated that there may be an interesting relationship among the pirates, terrorists, drug traffickers, and some regional governments.
All in all, it’s a very delicate situation…and not the Hollywood of Jack Sparrow in the slightest.
However, I am glad that people are starting to take notice. This is as basic as freedom of the seas and that all nations have the right to traverse it.
[looks to the right column, looks back . . .]
Wait a minute, Amit. Uh… Are you telling me that you built a pirate ship…
out of a DeLorean?…