Aussies' ship Oceania Nautica attacked in Gulf of Aden

[matmar]

A LUXURY cruise ship with up to 50 Australians on board has been fired on by Gulf of Aden pirates who came within a few hundred metres of the giant liner.

The Sun online reports that one of two small pirate skiffs got within 300 metres of the six-star Oceania Nautica and fired eight rifle shots at the tourist vessel, which escaped by outrunning the smaller craft. The ship, carrying 690 passengers - reportedly including up to 50 Australians - and 386 crew, was passing fishing boats when the pirate vessels tried to intercept it in the Gulf of Aden, between Somalia and Yemen.

Sky News reports that the ship was readying a high-tech anti-piracy device which can shatter the eardrums of would-be boarders.

The so-called Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD) was readied during the attack, but not deployed.

 

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,24734947-952,00.html

[arxcards]

Thanks for the link. Looks like a near escape.

 

I wonder which paper has the current pic. The Sun shows a black ship, Sky News a white one. She was snow white when she berthed behind Sun Princess in January.

[MargnGrah]

Thanks for that Matmar. At least the pirates didn't get on board the ship and everyone on board is presumably ok. :o

That would have to be one part of the world that I would never travel to.

[Star-Man]

Thanks for the link. Looks like a near escape.

 

I wonder which paper has the current pic. The Sun shows a black ship, Sky News a white one. She was snow white when she berthed behind Sun Princess in January.

 

The picture of her with the black hull is a rather old one from her early days with Oceania after the collapse of Renaissance Cruises (she kept their colour scheme for a while as the ships were literally brand new). So Sky is showing the most recent image.

 

Sky News reports that the ship was readying a high-tech anti-piracy device which can shatter the eardrums of would-be boarders.

 

Does anyone know of these things actually being used? If they were used frequently in that area of the world, where piracy is seen as an occupation instead of a crime, then after a while, they wouldnt have an effect as the majority of the pirates would already be deaf and therefore immune to them.

[Druke I]

One of the Seabourne ships used the LRAD a couple of years ago, when Somali Pirates attempted to seize her, in the Gulf of Aden. In that attack, the cruise ship was hit by a rocket propelled grenade fired by the pirates.

 

Nautica currently has a white hull. We were on her 11-06, Istanbul to Singapore - and there were some passengers aboard who were concerned when we did pass a bunch of fishing dhows in the Gulf of Aden.

 

I do get a kick out of the bold line in the first post referring to Nautica as a "giant liner". She is only 30,200 GRT, a relative baby amongst today's behemoths.

[LuckiePuris]

Extract from Herald Sun:

 

 

December 02, 2008 07:32am

 

A LUXURY cruise ship with up to 50 Aussies on board has been fired on by pirates who came within a few hundred metres of the giant liner.

 

The Sun online reports that one of two small pirate skiffs got within 300 metres of the six-star Oceania Nautica and fired eight rifle shots at the tourist vessel, which escaped by outrunning the smaller craft.

 

The ship, carrying 690 passengers - reportedly including up to 50 Australians - and 386 crew, was passing fishing boats when the pirate vessels tried to intercept it in the Gulf of Aden, between Somalia and Yemen.

 

Sky News reports that the ship was readying a high-tech anti-piracy device which can shatter the eardrums of would-be boarders.

 

The so-called Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD) was readied during the attack, but not deployed.

 

Separate reports said international coalition warships stopped the Somali pirates from hijacking a the Nautica.

 

A Danish navy spokesman refused to name the vessel involved but a Danish media report said the cruise ship Nautica, carrying 400 passengers and 200 crew was the target of the latest attack by Somali pirates.

 

"The (Danish) navy's tactical command on Sunday led a military operation, dispatching a vessel from the coalition to the aid of a civilian ship threatened by pirates, thereby preventing an act of piracy," said Danish navy spokesman Jesper Lynge.

 

Lynge said it was up to the countries involved to give details of the cruise ship involved.

 

According to Danish TV2 News, six to eight armed pirates on two boats were observed speeding toward the Nautica.

 

A French navy warship, alerted by the Danish Navy, scrambled a helicopter to the scene, which sent the pirates fleeing, TV2 News said.

 

On September 15, Denmark took command of the multinational naval force Task Force 150, aimed at combating acts of piracy and weapons smuggling in the northern part of the Indian Ocean.

[NSWP]

I am led to believe that all Princess ships also have LRAD, not sure about P&O OZ, anyone know? Sir Geoff Arxcards, esq. our cruise Guru might know!

 

Well a little pirate attack now and then just adds to the excitement of an ocean cruise. If they attacked Pacific Dawn or Pacific sun, the pirate boats would be bombarded with thousands of VB stubbies !! That will fix them up!

 

:p

[Star-Man]

One of the Seabourne ships used the LRAD a couple of years ago, when Somali Pirates attempted to seize her, in the Gulf of Aden. In that attack, the cruise ship was hit by a rocket propelled grenade fired by the pirates.

 

Oh yeah, I remember that one now. Didnt remember they used the LRAD but remember hearing about the attack.

 

I am led to believe that all Princess ships also have LRAD, not sure about P&O OZ, anyone know? Sir Geoff Arxcards, esq. our cruise Guru might know!

 

They surely do. There was a photo doing the rounds on here last year of one of the Pac Sun's ones when it was docked in noumea or somewhere like that.

[SeaDog-46]

Hi Les

 

See attached photo of LRAD on stbd. bridge wing of Pacific Dawn last June. It has a cover on & is easily seen from the Dome.

 

It is good that Piracy is getting some publicity - even though it has been going on for decades in modern times.

 

There are several types of piracy - the hi jacking of whole ships & cargoes the most recent & difficult to handle.

 

The vast majority are boardings by opportunistic types that just steal what they can find & retreat when discovered.

Happened to me in Indonesia in 1996.

 

Then there are boardings underway when the crew are held up - robbed & the safe emptied. Mainly in Malacca Straits & off Singapore.

Occasionally in other areas the whole crew disappear & the ship is found robbed & adrift.

 

There are a few instances of ships being targeted for the cargo - Petro Ranger a few years ago with an Australian master is a good example.

He wrote an interesting book before he died recently on the Gold Coast.

 

Information was too hard for the average journo to find - but there are now a few sites on www.

 

Around about 100 seamen die each year at the hands of pirates & very few of them are ever caught.

 

John

[Kiwi Kruzer]

Mainly in Malacca Straits & off Singapore.

 

Thats a bad pirate alley.

I seem to remember a few years ago the dear old Pacific Sky(?) lost power there and either Malaysia or Singapore sent out helicopters and a naval ship to protect it.

[arxcards]

Oh yeah, I remember that one now. Didnt remember they used the LRAD but remember hearing about the attack.

 

 

 

They surely do. There was a photo doing the rounds on here last year of one of the Pac Sun's ones when it was docked in noumea or somewhere like that.

Yes - they all have them - the cruise lines would have difficulty getting insurance without them. Had a close look at the death ray on QE2 earlier this year too.

 

The LRAD affects more than hearing. I know the mythbusters have dispelled the "brown note" frequency on one of their shows, but a similar vibration frequency has the affect of disabling the threat while they are being targeted.

 

VB or XXXX stubbies would work better in Qld, where they are known to throw them when they still have beer inside. The empty NSW bottles might not be as much of a threat to them.;)

[Ela 2]

We have seen the LRAD on both the Pacific Sun and Pacific Dawn, but didn't see one on the Sun Princess although we looked for it several times when we were in port. :):)

Evon.

[arxcards]

We have seen the LRAD on both the Pacific Sun and Pacific Dawn, but didn't see one on the Sun Princess although we looked for it several times when we were in port. :):)

Evon.

Hi Evon,

It is set up on one of the "wings" at the side of the bridge. I don't think it is permanently in place, so they can choose which side to set it up (or have one for each side?).

You will have to look hard - pic is not a close up.

[MargnGrah]

Do these LRAD's affect the passengers on board the ships??:confused:

[Ela 2]

Do these LRAD's affect the passengers on board the ships??:confused:

Apparently not. They are shaped like a satellite dish, and they concentrate a beam of sound on the target. People on the ship would be unaffected, but I do not know if they would hear any sound at all.

 

We got close-up photos of the LRAD on the Pacific Sun & Dawn where it is in the open. We posted one of these on the forum.

 

We thought it would have to be someone on the Sun Princess.:)

Evon.

[Aussie_Kingpin]

Hi Les

 

See attached photo of LRAD on stbd. bridge wing of Pacific Dawn last June. It has a cover on & is easily seen from the Dome.

 

 

John

 

Here's a link to another shot of an LRAD. This one was mounted on the stern of the Pacific Sun as the ship left Brunei back in March.

 

http://img122.imageshack.us/img122/8155/lrad20080321ts6.jpg

[Gratz]

hmmm ok...i got half way down this one and stopped! :eek:

[Rasa Sayang]

Thats a bad pirate alley.

I seem to remember a few years ago the dear old Pacific Sky(?) lost power there and either Malaysia or Singapore sent out helicopters and a naval ship to protect it.

 

We were on board when the Sky was disabled just off the main sea lanes about 8 hours north of Singapore for around 24 hours in March 06..

 

We had the occasional pass of a Royal Malaysian Police patrol boat - just to let any pirates in the area know that they were "on the case" as the saying goes.

 

As for helicopters - maybe in the news, but none to be seen in in real life.

 

Pirates and the Malacca Straits go back hundreds of years.