ANTI-PIRACY ONBOARD PRACTICE

ANTI-PIRACY
ONBOARD PRACTICE
The enlarged pirates activity spread out all over the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden, commonly,
pirates prefer hunting the targets with lower freeboard, lower speed, and the defenseless vessels.
They are waiting nearby the traditional sea passages seeking for every chance to highjack vessel
and crews.
Owners and masters still searching a more efficient safety umbrella for his vessel and crew,
according to different ships type, size and structures, seafarers gradually create out different
countermeasures for potential piracy threaten, e.g. stand steel plates around sides, remove
accommodation ladders, weld seal all accommodation accesses and ports etc.
But for tanker most of those methods are not acceptable due to hot work in the vicinity of
dangerous goods carried onboard.
Once pirate boats in sight the first pop-out idea are escaping and hiding from the majority brains
(over 90%), once carefully review this opinion youll realised its unable effectively protect vessel
and yourself, at most of occasions is not works especially far away from coalition warship, so
large the Indian Ocean how many days you can stay safely in the shelter and not been smelled out
by boarded pirates? And how long the warship reach here for a rescuing supposed your
communication system still not had been destroyed?
Analyses every successful escaped vessel we will find always the result of crew effectively
struggle actions taken, no double encourage all of your crew in very limited time fully equipped
for protect your vessel from forthcoming piracy attacking is the best guarantee.
Undermentioned is fire hose against bullets. Every method had been practiced onboard a small
size oil tanker with a lower freeboard about 6 meters, her voyage was from Sri Lanka to Suez
canal on 2011-01-19~2011-01-25.
1. Route selection.
1.1. Foremost of factors is piracy activity area and frequency, all the information obtained from
company should be plotted on a regional sea charts, analyzes high frequency areas, basic
route should be avoid through those regions.
1.2. Prevailing trends of piracy activation, the piracy movement also varying basis the monsoon
and shipment change. Normally the tropical area from 12-00S to 13-00N, mirror like sea
surface becoming piracy heaven. If possible avoid through this area close Somali 700nm,
presently, western of longitude 70-00E be deemed unsafe navigation area.
1.3. Very popular sea routes in the Indian Ocean occupied by pirates since the end of 2009, so
the passage be planed rely on common routes should be erased from our brain at least a
short period.
1.4. My route also consulting those factors keep away from dense highjack dots plotted on the
charts, select best latitude (more easy affect by weather).

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2. Internal protections.
2.1. Our citadel is arranged in xxx compartment, there are 5 access doors through this room, 3
with watertight door, the others all thin steel plate fire doors, through poop deck there are 2
ventilation pipes and one skylight.
2.2. The citadel access doors must be whole covered by steel plates without any gaps/slots on it,
prevent something be threw into by pirates.

2.3.

2.4.

2 accesses from poop deck watertight door, wheel type of hinge gear blocked from inside,
along the inner frame with door case weld with strengthened latch, even if the door spindle
of shaft be detached from outside, the door still effectively adhere on the entrance.
The weakness location is fire door, an additional strong steel structure door installed
parallel on the rear of wall.

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2.5.

The secondary protection created inside at stairway, a steel structure cover installed on the
rest stage, cut off the inconvenient handrails, once crew in citadel the cover will be locked
quickly from internal.

2.6.

Emergency communication phone also installed in the compartment, the antenna on the top
of funnel, a heat-proof shelter around unit. Functional test is ok.
Crews commodity prepared enough for 3 days accommodation, in the shelter you will find
any basic living commodities needed.

2.7.

2.8.
2.9.

All the heavy tools which can be utilized to break into accommodation must be removed,
all external stores also totally locked.
The Co2 system initiate cylinder in accommodation which trigger Co2 extinguish system to
the engine room should be deactivate in control station by mean of remove of pilot pipes
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(the good idea from Mr. Andy), its also can be activated in site of Co2 cylinder store room
in case of emergency.
2.10. Remove all portable extinguishers which pirates reachable.

3. External protections
3.1. Fire hose arrangement
3.1.1. Onboard total fire hose limited quantity, there is only 8 hydrant available on main deck,
each side 4 sets, its not supports effectively defense from forced boarding, but the tank
cleaning connection can be using for this purpose, accumulating all available hydrants
deploy on significant location each side especially the both quarter.

3.1.2.
3.1.3.

Secure all nozzles off the side shell on handrail, adjust the eject mouth toward stern with a
decline spray trace parallel the side shell.
The hose projected off side should be wrapping protected and fast tight on handrails
prevent from break and spray angle change by external force.

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3.1.4.

3.1.5.

All the spray trace overlap a few meters against the attempt to hook nozzle from skiff,
every ladders from every location once putting out must encounter powerful water
strength.
The entire water pump can be starting from bridge anytime, engine always guarantee full
power supplied.

3.2. Abatis wire

3.2.1. The abatis wire should be securely tied once rigged, which should not be apart/off
position by means of hook drag, push and twist, to achieve such a purpose every ring
must be tied at least 2 touching points on handrail, according to recommendation the razor
wire should be cut into shorter length e.g. every 10 meters, avoid entirely fall off by
gravity once been pulled by hook.

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3.2.2.

The abatis wire should be cross seized every quarter between rings, in here, I should
praise my owner supplied Razor wire, its the best than all of I used before.

3.3. Pirate sweeper(Fully recommended)

3.3.1. Once pirates destroyed fire hose and abatis wire clambered onboard we have to clean
them immediately at the moment of pirates has not totally stabled onboard.
3.3.2. Materials: empty oil drums, long seizing wire, sea water and short eyed pins.
3.3.3. All empty drums flatwise hang offside on the handrail with equal distance e.g. every 7
meters underneath of abatis wire, a quickly release devise set to a pair of drums enable
them same time drop off into sea once draw out locking pin, a long remote wire
connecting to the eye of locking pin, controlled from bridge wings.

3.3.4.

Prepare another single or multiple longer rope/wire, connect both drums with both ends of
ropes/wires, tightly tied with drums, then turn over the entire free parts of ropes/wires
(collector rope) from top of handrail, put on deck, spread out the ropes/wires forming a
square shape from drums as large as possible on deck corridor within 2 drums range and
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painting camouflaged same with deck.

3.3.4.1 Pirates sweeper-Fill in 2/3 sea water into the drums (weight maybe 140kg/drum), once
pirates exposed his head on handrail or already stand onboard, bridge person pull the
remote wire activate the release device, the pair of drums simultaneously drop-off into sea,
the ropes/wires (collector ropes) which spread on deck will following the drums collect
all pirates throw over board in a flush. During drums fall off the heavy weight also collect
ladder into water, if lucky caused damage to the skiff too. Drums not recommends 100%
full, because in such a manner will directly kill the pirate.

3.3.4.2 If the collector ropes be so designed enable them go through same middle gap underneath
of top handrail trapped same way on deck, it will becoming legs cutter, disarming the
pirates once onboard. It looks more venomous, so not recommended practice onboard for
ordinary pirates.
3.4. Accommodation entry barriers
3.4.1. Oil tanker always too many accesses leading to the accommodation, e.g. cat walk,
stairway, on deck piping etc. along with accommodation front wall rigging abatis wire full
spread transverse beam wide with double layer seized tightly, the purpose prolong pirates
entry crew living department give crew enough time run to citadel from bridge.

3.5. Stern protection

3.5.1. Some cases indicating that the pirates also easy force boarding from vessels stern,
vessels stern is more shorter than sides, its more easy to set up defense devises, e.g.
razor wire is the better material, the long waste hawsers also useful when be dragging on
waters around astern, well greased on the most parts which connecting to handrail prevent
clamber, the unstoppable jump parts on the water also supply effective protection.

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3.6. Create dummies

3.6.1. Sometime said the dummy also useful when close Gulf of Aden, pirates monitoring
vessels movement first, judging the probability of success, so dummy only utilized for
threaten purpose
3.6.2. Material only wood plates, waste plastic/rags, then equipped with boiler suit, helmet and
goggles, post in catwalk somewhere (idea from Mr. Jens, material by Mr. Shang).

4. Evacuation drill
4.1.1. Once in emergency the simple method always more efficient, when emergency evacuation
ordered, bridge person only pushed fire alarm button, crew commence muster in the
citadel.
4.1.2. Our principle is prolong the pirates find out the citadel, so all empty rooms; stores; totally
locked, accommodation external doors seized from inside, including living cabins.
4.1.3. At such a request the crew must lock his cabin before escape, the person on duty should
lock it before going to work, when emergency signal sounding, all the duty persons under
master order will directly rushing into citadel.
4.1.4. During the evacuation, one engine person posted in site of engine entrance as a guider,
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when all the crew escaped into engine room, this secondary barrier should be absolutely
locked from inside by the guider.
4.1.5. The drill carried out not even at daytime also in dark, once performed at midnight we
found all the movements quite different with daytime, according to our count the last
person arrive citadel taken place 1 minute max in daytime, but tripled at night, especially
at early morning 4~5 clock, so its necessary for training at night times.
5. Sails in the area
5.1. keep navigation information secret
5.1.1. Turn off AIS system, or edit fake information show to pirates.
5.1.2. Blackout during proceeding into the area.
5.1.3. VHF limited using, for the necessity communication should omit own information.
5.1.4. Turn off navigation light if necessary.
5.2. Keep far away
5.2.1. Anti-pirate watching on each wing.
5.2.2. Radar totally switched on, one set on 24~48Nm and one at 12~24nm scale.
5.2.3. Actually, the pirate mother boats can be identified easily by radar and visual, with a very
small size and course/speed always in unstable, nobody understand what his intention is.
5.2.4. Once suspicious pirate boat find, maintain at least 20 Nm passing. Keep away from 20nm
is the optimal selection, until disappear from horizon.
5.3. Defense battle
5.3.1. If pirate commence chasing, small rudder angle altering course same with skiff, increase
to full speed racing 2 hours more, the skiff probably ceased the race game due to limited
fuel.
5.3.2. For any cause closed to skiff operating distance that is our defense commenced. Alarm all
defense party on the bridge wings, carry all ice-cube (prepared advance) ready for shot,
pirates sweeper operator in position waiting for order, start fire pump.

5.3.3.

Crews designedly show struggle intention to the pirates, make them well know that is not
easy be conquered, simultaneously maneuvering vessel evading.
5.4. Evacuation
5.4.1. In the worst, pirate boarded ship, the final way muster all members locked into citadel,
setting rudder a fixed angle (idea from Mr. Rainer), and waiting for rescuer coming.
End
2011-01-25

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