Yacht hijacked in the Med

What a horrific experience for the owner and crew. I cannot even imagine. Thanks for getting the word out Judy. Here is a photo of the yacht:

Can't the authorities find it and the hijackers with a helicopter......The thing only does 8 knots, they couldn't get too far too quickly in it.

What a sad situation to happen for the owners.....they are extremely lucky they washed up on a beach and are around to talk about it.

This is an early report from the local newspaper.

Un yacht attaqué par des pirates au large de Roccapina en Corse | Sartène | Corse-Matin

They made a fast getaway in a boat that barely breaks 10 knots.

Here's a link to Judy's YF review of Le Trawler....

http://www.yachtforums.com/forums/g...-review-garcia-yachtings-gt54-le-trawler.html

Judy, As personally distressing and stressful this news is for you a special thanks for bringing this calamity to our attention!

Please keep us posted as events unfold.

I can only guess which web site you are referring to...

I can only hope someone spoke up to those joking about it. I honestly found myself shaking when I first heard about it imagining if it was Belle and me. Mostly the thought of her ever being put through something like that. And while we will try to avoid the "trouble" areas as well as possible, it can always be us. That thought is just horrifying to me. Sea conditions, boat troubles, even accidents, I take a bit as part of boating. But piracy I have a very difficult time dealing with emotionally. It's not something any of us signed up for. It's stealing a part of you that you will never get completely back.

Distressing...

Perhaps useful to discuss future mitigation?

Did that boat not have a transmitting AIS? Would the hijackers have had to track that down through the electronics systems to disable? (Not that it would be terrifically difficult, but would they have thought of that?)

Probably not impossible to hide it, at least for finite periods, but OTOH it wouldn't have been the fastest thing around. Coast watch?

What does a pirate actually do with a (relatively slow) hijacked 54' vessel these days? Ransom?

I wonder if maybe there's a "rest of the story..." -- like perhaps some grudge against the owner's shipyard? Or...?

-Chris

You can shutdown your AIS in less than a minute by simply going into the menu on the radar or shutting off power to the AIS box....either or....

The hijackers immediately shut the AIS down. They held those aboard for three hours in a cabin and then put them in the lifeboat.

There are some updates including the Maritime authority not liking the use of the word, "Piracy" in this case. They stated too that there was no ransom demand and that it had nothing to do with what went on off the coast of Somalia, that they deemed it more like a luxury auto theft. Talk about trying to spin the story.

Further statements said various authorities had been notified to be on the lookout for the vessel. While it has plenty of fuel it will have to stop somewhere sometime and it is an easily identifiable vessel.

What happens now, who knows? It is a strange incident and very fortunate they hurt no one. Were they after the contents of the vessel? Hoping for money to be on board? Or thinking somehow they could sell the vessel, not realizing it's one of a kind?

Now whether there has been any subsequent contact or attempt to ransom the boat, the authorities wouldn't disclose that if it happened.

I guess until solved it could be anything, but hardly fit the norm of a political attack. As you said, movements known for bombings and attacks. Not steal boat and place on life raft.

Still, regardless of how it turned out it had to be the most terrifying experience ever. I might have made it through the three hours covering my emotions, but I imagine later it would have hit with full force. And you never get completely over it. You move on and forward, but the memory always is there.

Not to mention sitting in a liferaft watching your yacht steam away from you at 10 knots for over an hour.......maybe that was a sign of relief....I think I'd rather take my chances sitting in a liferaft, than trapped on a 58' yacht with 4 gunmen.

I think by that time just seeing them go would be relief. Only then would you start to wonder how you were going to get rescued or to land. To me the worst part would be seeing my wife put through it. I know she's tougher than I am, but still just the thought and not being able to do anything.

Would seem GOOGLE is still experiencing a search loop.


https://www.google.com/search?hl=en.....0...1ac.1.34.heirloom-hp..1.0.0.PS9Yf4h1aKA