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SBD
Admiral
Joined: 19 Aug 2004
Posts: 1022
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 Posted: Sun Nov 06, 2005 4:28 am Post subject: Cruise liner Seabourn Spirit attacked by pirates |
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' | Quote: | Cruise liner Seabourn Spirit attacked by pirates off coast of Somalia
15:46:41 EST Nov 5, 2005
LONDON (CP) - Eighteen Canadians and permanent residents were among more than 300 passengers on board a luxury cruise liner Saturday when pirates fired a rocket-propelled grenade and machine-guns off the coast of the east African country of Somalia, Dan McTeague, the parliamentary secretary for Canadians abroad said Saturday.
One crew member was slightly injured before the attackers were repulsed, Seabourn Cruises said. The 10,000-tonne vessel was only slightly damaged.
The Seabourn Spirit was 160 kilometres off Somalia when the attack took place early Saturday, said Seabourn Cruises spokesman David Dingle.
"The ship's crew immediately initiated a trained response and as a result of protective and evasive measures taken the occupants of the small craft were unable to gain access to the ship," Dingle said.
McTeague said there were no reports indicating any Canadians were injured in the assault.
One of the Canadian passengers, Mike Rogers, of Vancouver, said the shooting started at about 6 a.m. and all the passengers were asked to move to the centre of the boat.
"The captain tried to run one of the boats over . . . he said he was going to do anything to stop them from getting on board, and after trying to run one over he decided the best thing to do was to outrun them," Rogers told radio station CKNW in Vancouver.
Rogers suggested the attackers may have been connected to a nearby cargo ship. He said it was unlikely the men who attacked the Seabourn Spirit could have made it so far off shore in their small boats.
Another passenger who said she was on the ship sent an e-mail to the British Broadcasting Corp. saying that at least three rocket-propelled grenades hit the ship.
"Our captain . . . and the rest of his crew did a wonderful and amazing job getting us out of the area as fast as possible. We had no idea that this ship could move as fast as it did and he did his best to run down the pirates," she said.
Press Association, the British news agency, said passengers were woken by the sound of gunfire Saturday as two 7.5-metre inflatable boats approached the liner and started shooting as their occupants tried to get on aboard. The injured crew member was reportedly hit by flying debris.
Seabourn Cruises said the Seabourn Spirit was on a 16-day cruise out of Alexandria in Egypt and was on its way to Mombasa in Kenya when it was attacked.
Dingle said the crew managed to remain calm, but "the passengers were somewhat surprised and shocked because it happened at 5:30 in the morning and they were woken," he explained.
"The passengers were mustered in a public room, told what was going on and reassured that we were fighting off the attack. They were shocked but no passengers were injured whatsoever."
The ship will no longer stop at Mombasa and will end the cruise in the Seychelles on Monday, he said. |
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GM Strong
Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy
Joined: 18 Sep 2004
Posts: 1579
Location: Penna
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| Posted: Sun Nov 06, 2005 1:33 pm Post subject: |
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What these ships need are some highly trained crewmembers or hired guns who can pick off the pirates with sniper rifles (.50 Cal would do) and sink the boats with some well aimed ordanance as in shoulder fired missles or RPGs.
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8th Army Korea 68-69 |
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GenrXr
Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy
Joined: 05 Aug 2004
Posts: 1720
Location: Houston
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| Posted: Sun Nov 06, 2005 1:50 pm Post subject: |
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| GM Strong wrote: | | What these ships need are some highly trained crewmembers or hired guns who can pick off the pirates with sniper rifles (.50 Cal would do) and sink the boats with some well aimed ordanance as in shoulder fired missles or RPGs. |
I believe American cruise ships do carry large caliber weapons for defensive purposes and have since the 70's, but this was a politically correct European cruise liner. Windjammer Bare Foot cruises which consists of sailing vessels about half the size of this cruise ship and operates mainly in the carribean carries a pretty significant arsenal.
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"An activist is the person who cleans up the water, not the one claiming its dirty."
"All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to stand by and do nothing." Edmund Burke (1729-1797), Founder of Conservative Philosophy |
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SBD
Admiral
Joined: 19 Aug 2004
Posts: 1022
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| Posted: Mon Nov 07, 2005 7:28 am Post subject: |
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| GenrXr wrote: | | GM Strong wrote: | | What these ships need are some highly trained crewmembers or hired guns who can pick off the pirates with sniper rifles (.50 Cal would do) and sink the boats with some well aimed ordanance as in shoulder fired missles or RPGs. |
I believe American cruise ships do carry large caliber weapons for defensive purposes and have since the 70's, but this was a politically correct European cruise liner. Windjammer Bare Foot cruises which consists of sailing vessels about half the size of this cruise ship and operates mainly in the carribean carries a pretty significant arsenal. |
The Seabourne is owned by Carnival Corporation which pretty much owns the market on the industry.
Carnival Corporation & plc is a global cruise company with a portfolio of 12 distinct brands comprised of the leading cruise operators in both North America, Europe and Austrailia. Carnival Cruise Lines, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Seabourn Cruise Line, Windstar Cruises, AIDA Costa Cruises, Cunard Line, P&O Cruises, Ocean Village, Swan Hellenic, and P&O Cruises Australia are all included in this group.
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GM Strong
Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy
Joined: 18 Sep 2004
Posts: 1579
Location: Penna
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| Posted: Tue Nov 08, 2005 12:49 am Post subject: |
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I was glad to see this AP article. Decibel #s are logarithmic, not arithmetis, so 150 dB is truly earsplitting. Like standing next to a jet taking off.
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Ship Blasted Pirates With Sonic Weapon
MIAMI
The crew of a luxury cruise ship used a sonic weapon that blasts earsplitting noise in a directed beam while being attacked by a gang of pirates off Africa this weekend, the cruise line said Monday.
The Seabourn Spirit had a Long Range Acoustic Device, or LRAD, installed as a part of its defense systems, said Bruce Good, a spokesman for Miami-based Seabourn Cruise Line. The Spirit was about 100 miles off Somalia when pirates fired rocket-propelled grenades and machine guns as they tried to get onboard.
The subsidiary of Carnival Corp. was investigating whether the weapon was successful in warding off the pirates, he said. The ship's captain also changed its course, shifted into high speed and headed out into the open sea to elude the pirates, who were in two small boats, he said. He had no further details.
Device maker American Technology Corp. said earsplitting "bangs" were directed by trained security personnel toward the pirates. That, combined with ship maneuvers, caused the attackers to leave the area, the company said.
The LRAD is a so-called "non-lethal weapon" developed for the U.S. military after the 2000 attack on the USS Cole off Yemen as a way to keep operators of small boats from approaching U.S. warships.
The military version is a 45-pound, dish-shaped device that can direct a high-pitched, piercing tone with a tight beam. Neither the LRAD's operators or others in the immediate area are affected.
American Technology, based in San Diego, compares its shrill tone to that of smoke detectors, only much louder. It can be as loud as about 150 decibels, while smoke alarms are about 80 to 90 decibels.
The devices have been deployed on commercial and naval vessels worldwide since summer 2003, the company said.
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8th Army Korea 68-69 |
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wwIIvetsdaughter
Captain
Joined: 02 Sep 2004
Posts: 513
Location: McAllen, Texas
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| Posted: Tue Nov 08, 2005 1:22 am Post subject: |
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Pirates, my a**! This were in all probaility Islamo-facists (it was off the coast of Somalia, for goodness sake!) bent perhaps on taking western hostages or repeating the attack on the USS Cole. I am sickened by the PC that fails to call a spade a spade, note also the MSM refers to the ongoing riots/jihad in France as being done by "youths" avoiding the word "muslim". I guess "youths" are supposed to conjure up images of James Dean type rebels without a cause.  |
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