SV Quest reported hijacked by pirates
Four Americans on the S/V Quest were seized by pirates this afternoon 240 nautical miles off the coast of Oman in the Indian Ocean. Jean and Scott Adam, owners of the S/V Quest, have been sailing around the world for more than seven years. With their two crew, they will join the over 815 sailors now being held hostage by pirates.
Somali pirates hijack US yacht: NGO
The range of pirate activities now stretched from the Horn of Africa across the Indian Ocean and into the Arabian Sea. Last week, the Panama-flagged ship Yuan Xiang was hijacked with 29 Chinese sailors aboard in the Arabian Sea, while on Wednesday the International Maritime Bureau’s Piracy Reporting Centre reported of pirate operating operating less than 30 miles off the coast of India.
Piracy continues to be a high reward, relatively low risk endeavor. Last year of the 400 pirates captured by EUNAVFOR, the multi-national naval task force, most were simply released. Only 15 were held to stand trial.
Sailing a yacht 240 miles from Oman is a very bad idea.
Scott and Jean re our beloved friends whose life has been dedicated to providing bibles to people who have little or no access to these.
We are all praying for you!
Why were they anywhere near Somalia???
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They were reportedly on their way to Salalah, Oman from Cochin, India.
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There are currently about 800 mariners being held hostage by Somalia pirates, perhaps you could pray for them as well.
They all deserve, at least, our prayers.
Many of the mariners held hostage under terrible conditions were on ships carrying cargo bound for the United States. The VLCC Irene L hijacked earlier this month was such a ship. She carried 270,000 tons of oil bound for the US. Her crew was Italian and Indian.
As American, I know that it is easy to focus only on American hostages. The Adams put a face to the victims of piracy and we hope they are returned safely and without harm. We should also not forget the other seafarers and their families, who directly or indirectly help keep the lights on and deliver the goods and services we all need and use in this country and around the world. Piracy is not someone else’s problem. It effects us all.
I will now step down off the soap box.
The real story is not that American’s have become victims of this problem, it is that the problem has been allowed to continue this long. Over 800 people are being held at this time, and the people that have been touched is global. They are causing a pullback of aid to the countries in that area the world and, they are causing significant costs to the transport of goods and services around the globe. Not to mention the cost of keeping the almost ineffective naval protection force at sea.
The UN needs to be allowed to set up a court and holding facility for the captured pirates. They need to feel the consequences of their actions and be given the a chance at rehabilitation and training. The prosecution and holding of these people would give the world a chance to help the region become stable again.
The potential for significant environmental catastrophe and continued downward spiral is a global problem. The United States should work with the UN and the EU to bring this whole mess to a controlled end. This is what the US Coast Guard and the US Navy were created for. The defense of our county and our maritime interests.
The longer this goes on the more expensive in lives and treasure it will be to get under control.
Off the box now.
I agree the UN should setup trials for the pirates if the countries involved refuse to prosecute them. The current policy of catch and release is a disaster.
A few days ago the HMS Cornwall captured another pirate mothership and freed their hostages then turned around and carried the pirates back to Somalia where they released them to go pirating again. It is simply lunacy.
Even Al Jazeera picked-up this story (below).
I just don’t understand this or the reasoning.
I have a real nice market on the other side of town, good fresh Ohio meats and special offers, but people have been robbed and shot in that part of town, so I no longer go there.
Did the people aboard the S/V Quest no have communications or read the news about what happens in that area or did they think they were invincible?
I’m sorry that they have gotten themselves into a bad situation, but one has to wonder just what the heck they were thinking?
Then again they could have headed East and ran into pirates in the Strait of Malacca and be in the same situation?
*Pirates seize US vessel near Oman
Fifty-eight foot American-owned yacht seized off the coast of Oman with four US citizens on board, officials say.
Last Modified: 19 Feb 2011 09:54 GMT
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2011/02/201121991647312822.html
UN now should take actions to it because this is alarming for the sea travelers..