Happy International Talk Like a Pirate Day, everybody, and l'shana tova, tikatevu to our Jewish readers! It's time for the nerdiest, weirdest, and most internet-driven fake holiday of the year (Pirate Day, I mean), so loosen up your vocal cords with some rum and start saying arrr! ]]>
What do you call it when a bunch of pirates get together? Well, call it this fall's Portland Pirate Festival, which needs your help setting a world recARRRRRd for the most fully dressed pirates in one location.
The salty sea dogs will board Cathedral Park September 19th and 20th for two days of kraken riding, sea chanteys and grog. Watch an exhibition of Samoan fire knife dancing or pirate belly-dancing (which we must see to believe), or play a role-playing game called Pirates of the Cursed Seas. Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 at the gate ($6/$8 for children under 12). ]]>
While we were at home watching The Masters and overdosing on Peeps and chocolate bunnies, a dangerous hostage situation was unfolding but fortunately this one had a happy ending. Captain Richard Phillips was rescued from a group of Somali pirates off the coast of Somalia thanks to the incredible action of the US Navy.
The military hit the pirates with a surprise attack on Sunday, with snipers killing three of the buccaneers and taking one other pirate into custody. President Obama had issued the go ahead to use force if the captain was ever in "imminent danger," and apparently he was, as the pirates were holding an AK-47 to his back. ]]>
The Australian cruise ship MV Athena was steaming through the Gulf of Aden Tuesday night when as many as 30 smaller boats surrounded the vessel. Was it totally the biggest scary pirate assault ever? Not according to Classic International Cruises, which operates the Athena: The smaller boats turned out to be tuna fishermen, and the ocean liner "escaped" without incident.
Said a company spokeswoman:
The captain followed all security measures as far as readiness on board for any eventuality by placing fire hoses around the decks and continually liaised with all authorities.
It has been confirmed that the approaching small ships were a tuna fishing fleet.
But at least one passenger insists that the cruise line is staging a cover up and that the Athena was at risk. An unnamed Aussie contacted the Australian Associated Press from the ship, saying:
"Less than an hour later the master of the vessel, Captain Antonio Morais of Portugal, confirmed to listeners that two attacks by pirates had taken place."
Crew members used blasts from high-powered water cannon to drive back the pirates who clearly wanted to board the Athena, the woman said.
Either way, the Athena is probably out of harm's way: It's next stop is scheduled for Saturday in Port Victoria in the Seychelles, and the ship will wrap its 39-day trip on December 20 in Fremantle, Australia.
Related Stories:
· Pirates in Gulf of Aden Actually Fishermen [AAP, via news.com.au]
· Passenger Says Boat Was Attacked by Pirates [AAP, via news.com.au]
· Anatomy of a Cruise Ship Attack [Jaunted]
[Photo: Classic International Cruises]]]>
On Sunday, the luxury cruise ship Nautica got closer to Somali pirates than any ocean liner since the Seabourn Spirit came under grenade attack in 2005. Though bandits fired eight shots at the Nautica, she managed to outrun her attackers, escaping any damage or injuries to the 684 passengers and 386 crew aboard.
How'd it go down? After spotting two small boats on an intercept course, the Nautica accelerated beyond its normal top speed of 20 knots (23 mph) and prepped its defensive long range acoustic device, a gizmo that channels a shrill sound loud enough to rupture eardrums and cause temporary vision loss. As one of the pirate skiffs closed to within 300 yards, a cruise line spokesman told the LA Times, eight shots were fired in the direction of the Nautica. The attackers broke off the assault after all the shots missed.
The next port of call for the Nautica is Salalah, Oman. The ship is on a 32-day voyage from Italy to Singapore, and it continues on to Muscat, which doesn't front the Gulf of Aden, on December 3. Until it gets there, you can help keep watch for further pirate attacks via the Nautica's on-board webcam.
Related Stories:
· Pirates Fire at Cruise Ship Near Somalia [LAT]
· Somali Pirates Strike Again Near Nascent Tourist Hotspot [Jaunted]
[The Nautica in Kobe, Japan: Wikimedia]]]>
These Somali pirates have hijacked everything from a freighter full of tanks to a megacruiser awash in oil. But the latest report out of the Gulf of Aden involves the soon-to-be-hot Yemeni island of Socotra: Bandits overwhelmed the MV Adina sometime in the past few days, Yemeni officials determined, after its shipment of steel didn't arrive on the island as planned on November 20.
Remote Socotra, which was featured in T magazine in 2007, is right in the middle of the pirate-friendly Gulf of Aden, far enough away from all other civilization that it has the most biological diversity on Earth after Hawaii and the Galapagos.
At the time of the T article, only about 2,500 tourists visited annually, though that was 10 times the number of visitors seen just a few years prior. With a UN plan for slow and sustainable development, Socotra is hoping to cash in on expanded tourism while keeping the local culture and environment intact. Sounds terrific, though we could do without the pirate assaults!
Related Stories:
· Socotra Archipelago Conservation and Development Programme [Official Site]
· Somali Pirates Hijack Yemeni Cargo Ship [Reuters, via NYT]
· Keeping up with the Pirates [Jaunted]
[Photo of Socotra: UncleEddy]]]>
If you're like us, you've been having a hell of a time lately keeping up with the rampant piracy off the coast of Somalia. Which supertanker did those guys nab? Whose navy frigate did bandits open fire on? What shipping lanes do we absolutely not want our cruise ship crossing?
Luckily the International Chamber of Commerce, a non-profit based in the UK, has put together a Live Piracy Map, which tracks the latest hijackings, abductions and assaults on the high seas. Predictably, the Gulf of Aden is awash in red Google Maps "pins," solidifying its spot as the world's most pirate-y body of water.
But despite the recent media obsession with the Horn of Africa, you're not necessarily safe elsewhere. The Straight of Malacca, between Malaysia and Indonesia, is still a hot spot, and the coast of Nigeria has its share of danger too. Look alive when sailing your yacht out of Lagos, sophistonauts!
Related Stories:
· Live Piracy Map [ICC]
· Somali Bandits Strike Yet Again [Jaunted]
· Somali Bandits Still Sailing Weapons-Filled Tanker [Jaunted]]]>
