Does This Story Make Sense?

[AJCalhoun]

https://www.coasttocoastam.com/artic...a-films-ghost/

Hi folks, new member here looking for informed opinions about the story shown above. I'm not asking about the alleged ghost, but rather about a couple claims made in the story that accompany the video.

As I read this story, the merchant vessel was cruising off the Somali coast with all lights extinguished and all crew members ordered to stay in their rooms "for safety" due to the pirate threat. Would a merchant vessel sail with no lights at night, even in pirate infested waters? Similarly, would the crew be ordered to stay in the rooms? To me the video appears to show an empty bridge. Would that ever happen at sea, again even in a high pirate threat area?

I'm also curious about the current pirate threat level off Somalia? I did some searching and have only found two reported pirates attacks off Somalia this year.

Thanks for any input.

[Doc Vernon]

Hi AJ
Cannot comment on this , as to me the short Vedio is far too hazy to make out much at all.
But i am sure there will be others that possibly may be able to comment on this strange occurrence!
Thank You

[AJCalhoun]

Thanks Doc. To reiterate, I'm not interested so much in the ghostly aspect of the story as I am the circumstances under which it is alleged to have occurred. The idea of a blacked out ship with no crew at duty stations sounds absurd to me, but I'm an Air Force guy.

[Doc Vernon]

Hi AJ
Well i do hope that others may come up with more info on what you are seeking, there are lots here with vast experience at sae ,so should know a lot more >

I too was in the Air Force at one stage (RAF) Wireless Operator, loved it and spent some some of my time in Aden during what was know then as the small Wars, Great times there!
Also in the UK at Compton Basset, in Wiltshire!
Cheers

[Ivan Cloherty]

The idea of a blacked out ship with no crew at duty stations sounds absurd to me, but I'm an Air Force guy.

Pirate areas have moved from the Somalia area to the WC of Africa and the Malacca Straits, although the Malacca Straits have always been active and were active in the 1950's and 60's during my passage times, all we had as way of defense was high pressure hoses, even to this day that's all a lot f ships have or are allowed. A lot of modern ships have what is called a secure citadel room where crews can lock themselves in and certain aspects of ship controls are duplicated, most of the crew are sent to these rooms when high speed skiffs are seen approaching, with key personnel only going at the last moment, course is set seawards on autopilot and at reduced speed so that your current position is not too much of a variance from your last transmitted position. Navigation lights are not switched off as it helps rescue vessels locate you, it makes no difference to pirates as they have the normal i-pads/phones which can track your AIS before you switch it off, though it is rarely switched off, you are operating a vessel anything from 12 to 25 knots (not many in that latter category) they are operating 40/45 knot skiffs and your high freeboard is no match for air operated grapnel guns, although some vessels have razor wire along all the bulwarks and rails and even automatic high pressure sprinklers, in reality they are no deterrent to determined pirates armed with automatic weapons and rocket missile launchers. Not a lot will deter these pirates as although insurers/owners negotiate, they usually end up paying for release of the vessel. Some 200 seamen have been held hostage so far in the Gulf of Guinee this year and alas some 15 have been killed, the problem has not gone away, but as normal is of no interest to media or the general public of whom 99.9% couldn't give a sh*t anyway, and would only be aware of it, if it disrupted their christmas supplies. A lot of piracy is also in the Singapore regions where small tankers (4/5000 tonnes) are being hijacked, names changed at sea (illegally) and cargoes sold onto countries such as North Korea who have an embargo against them. Then there are pirates in the W.Indies and north coast of South America, alas they are not the cheerful Johnny Depp type

[AJCalhoun]

Pirate areas have moved from the Somalia area to the WC of Africa and the Malacca Straits Then there are pirates in the W.Indies and north coast of South America, alas they are not the cheerful Johnny Depp type

Thanks. So based on what you've said, it sounds like the backstory provided with the video makes no sense. The crew wouldn't have gone into secure rooms unless pirates were sighted and en route, they wouldn't have been sent into the citadel as a precaution just because they were off the coast of Somalia. The idea of turning off the lights stuck me as idiotic immediately.

Either the whole story is BS, or whoever wrote it knows little to nothing about ships and how they operate.

[j.sabourn]

#6. AJ whenever you get boardings by uninvited guests at sea they are usually reported by the media as pirate attacks which legally they are correct. However some of these attacks aren’t all sophisticated attacks as people think, and the amount of death or mutilation varies from bad to just putting the scares into one. Some of the ones years ago were reported by the seamen who were attacked at sea as being off duty Chinese soldiers , judging by their weaponry and partial uniforms , and their modes of transport with serial numbers blanked out . Others where the attacks were well planned and obviously big crime syndicates . I was on a ship in the Guinea area in South America , in the McKenzie river area , were boarded , and although considered a pirate attack by us , was more to the extent of ships thieves which happens all over the world . They had as far as I know only one shot gun between about 8 of them , but that was one gun too many , so we retreated back to the accomodation and just let them help them self’s to whatever they decided to have under the forecastle head. On the other hand I had it by word of mouth , that another boarding in the South China Sea the 2 mate decided to have a go for the vhf with 3 guards on the bridge, he didn’t make it , so they sat him in the pilots chair and blew off both his kneecaps . He survived , never found out if he was compensated or not. Once you have armed men on a ship , unless you are armed in a superior manner. Best to succumb and not be a dead hero. Cheers JS

[happy daze john in oz]

Nothing of late in the news about any, though there has been over the years.
Maybe it is not considered to be news worthy any more.

Recall going through Suez and an Arab skiff came in very close, too close for the liking of the bosun.
Amazing what hot salt water hose can remove when aimed correctly.

[j.sabourn]

John In 1958 ( I think it was ) was third mate on the Hazelmoor and in Buenos Aires in the South Dock area. In 1958 I would have been 21 and not feared of man nor beast. Went ashore for a romantic tryst and didn’t get back to the ship by myself until about 0200 hours . On getting up about 5 hours later my cabin was a mess drawers and wardrobe were empty and I thought the engineers had been playing tricks on me. Going out on to the boat deck I found one pair of grey trousers which must have been the pair I had on the previous night ashore . I finally realised I had been cleaned out by ships thieves , reported it to the old man who said there was little he could do.
After having a good laugh at my expense the mate and second mate found they too had been robbed , but not to the extent I had. I literally had one pair of grey trousers to continue the 11 month trip out . Luckily the engineers loaned or gave me articles of clothing to carry on with. We were sailing a day after this occurrence .The Ships laundryman from ashore an Argentino with an English mother according to him, but to me a half chat, came to me and said someone had offered him a third mates uniform and what did I want to do about him , so in desperation I gave him the few remaining pesos I had , which was Mickey Mouse money in any case and never saw that again either. The one thing positive and happy about over this small part of going to sea life, was that I never woke up while being robbed or I wouldn’t of been writing this now. That same night of the ship thieves a Norwegian seaman was held up on the Quay in the same area and thought he would take them on, it cost him his right arm which they took off with one swipe of a large sharp knife . If I had woke up half asleep I have no doubt it would have been my head , or a least my throat slit. We learn from experiences in our lives myself I would rather someone else had them and just passed them on. I think I joined Ivan’s experiences in the rag bag that trip. Cheers JS

[Ivan Cloherty]

Nothing of late in the news about any, though there has been over the years.
Maybe it is not considered to be news worthy any more.

y.

John it is a constant battle on the WC Africa, most of the victims are now small tankers and Offshore supply vessels and Tom Hanks wouldn't want to be captain of one of those. As in the past if some idiot yachtsman (or person!) sails into such area having been warned not to, and he gets nabbed by said pirates it will be Media front page news and Govts will be asked to intervene.