In reference to the hijacking of the S/Y Quest [“Hijacked American sailors killed by Somali pirates,” A1, March issue], I extend my sincere condolences, and that of the entire Seal Superyachts team, to the families of the four sailors who have tragically been killed.

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the piracy situation in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean in general. Piracy is by no means a new problem in this region and has been ongoing since the late 1600s and early 1700s with such famous pirates as Captain Kidd and La Buse. There has been a resurgence in this dubious activity, which started around the late 1900s and has increased to the point today where piracy is rampant.

There are many differences and also similarities between the glamorized pirate of old and the modern day. While the modern-day pirate does not travel on huge galleons in search of gold, they are still doing it for profit in the manner of multimillion-dollar ransoms.

In reference to M/Y Linda Lou, [“Encountering pirates 'changes you'”, page 3, Triton Today Ft. Lauderdale, Oct. 28, 2010] in my opinion, the critical error made by the yacht was not being armed. A 24-hour look out (visual on bridge, stern and port, starboard, radar and night vision and, if possible, thermal) is essential to provide as much forewarning as possible of a potential attack. Many of the hijacked vessels are not practicing this simple procedure, especially around dusk and dawn when pirates are most active.

Fire hoses and razor wire are a must but are only a deterrent. The LRAD, frankly, is the most useless piece of equipment they could have deployed. They are bulky and need several personnel to move them, potentially putting crew in harm’s way. They can only be directed at one potential attacker and historically pirates use two or three skiffs coming in from different directions. And they are totally ineffective. If their handlers can supply pirates with AK47, ammunition, outboard engines, etc., I am sure they can supply them with $5 ear defenders that will completely nullify the effect of the LRAD.

I have no doubt that the incident of Linda Lou being approached in the Gulf of Aden was a scary situation, and as far as I can see everything else they did was correct to a tee. It is imperative that the authorities (www.eunavfor.eu, www.mschoa.org) are aware of your presence; register your passage and then maintain regular contact via voice or Internet, including updates of position, course and speed, so they can advise of any action in the area you may be headed.

Having a citadel set up that can protect the crew, maintain control of the vessel and continue communications is the single most important security measure they could have implemented. We have seen on several occasions this year that when a vessel has been boarded, if the crew are in the citadel, the pirates will abandon the vessel. And in the event they do not, the military in the region will mount a rescue in the knowledge that there will be no civilian casualties.

In the past, most international experts, advisers and governments advised against carrying weapons on board. However, the trend is changing since it has proven the most effective deterrent. To my knowledge, no vessel that was armed has been hijacked. In general, at the first warning shot the attack group will disengage and return to the mother ship.

It has to be pointed out that pirates are not religious fundamentalists and have no desire to die. They are simply out for profit and are not interested in getting into a fire fight, especially with better equipped, better armed, better trained men on a more stable platform.

I am not advocating that yacht crew use weapons. It is most important that a professional, reputable security company be contracted the take that responsibility.

While the risk of an attack or hijack is real, the quantity of maritime traffic through the region still makes the chance of it happening minimal. Also, as long as the vessel is armed and the security measures followed, the risk becomes even smaller. 

The Indian Ocean and Arabian Gulf are outstanding and largely undiscovered cruising destinations. As long as yachts are fully prepared, there is no reason they should not visit. Financially it may be a more expensive proposal but the benefits far outweigh the negatives.