Somali Pirates to World: You Brought This On Yourselves

Where: Somalia

October 31, 2009 at 2:39 PM | by Victor Ozols | 0 Comments

If you're like me, you can't wait for the winter yachting season to begin, but before you don your monocle and climb aboard your megayacht, you'd better plot your sun-seeking itinerary carefully. Just last week, pirates kidnapped a British couple from their yacht, the Lynn Rival, as they sailed off the coast of Somalia. As the AP points out, Paul and Rachel Chandler had been sailing to Tanzania when they activated their yacht's emergency beacon on November 23, 2009, and the British navy found their empty yacht on Thursday.

Somali pirates have since demanded $7 million for the couple's release, justifying their violent actions by claiming that ships from other countries continue to illegally plunder fish from Somali waters, creating vast unemployment among local fishermen.

A pirate spokesmodel named Ahmed Gadaf said by satellite phone from Haradhere - a coastal town in the Mudug province - that the kidnapping was done so Western forces could "taste the consequences" of their actions. Fortunately, the couple appear to be unharmed, but it could be a while before an agreement is reached for their release.

This is just the latest of a string of pirate attacks in the area, so where are we (aspiring) megayachtsmen and megayachtswomen supposed to cruise this winter? I guess we'd best stick to the Caribbean, where the pirates are confined to the 16th and 17th centuries, and the odd pirate-themed beach bar.

[Photo: Rockpile Rant]

Related Stories:
· Somali Pirates Ransoming U.K. Couple Speak Out [AP via USA Today]
· Megayachts [Jaunted]

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