gCaptain - Latest Comments in Avoiding Pirates and Storms – Notes From A Weather Router

Re: Avoiding Pirates and Storms – Notes From A Weather Router

Kennebec_Captain — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 14:18:22 -0000

West bound in July from Singapore to the Suez Canal the weather folks routed me shortest route just north of Socotra but the route recommended by the risk management was longer and further north, it was in very rough SW'ly sea and swell. I send the weather routhing agency the risk management route and told them I was following the safer route not the weather route.

I though it would be very difficult for anyone to board in the Arabian Sea from a small vessel given the rough seas and our motion. The Gulf of Aden was not as rough of course.

Re: Avoiding Pirates and Storms – Notes From A Weather Router

Deep Water Writer — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 09:40:58 -0000

I have not personally dealt with choosing between favorable weather and the likelihood of piracy but I do find some comfort when the swells are steep and stacked closely to one another in the Gulf of Aden. Though dhows tend to disappear in the troughs of heavier seas, making them very easy to get too close to, if they were full of armed Somalis rather than the usual heavy weather fishermen aiming an RPG in a seaway would be much harder. It's the blue sky and glassy sea days that worry me.