Just how safe is seafaring these days?

[John Arton]

The recent
Drone attacks off the coast of Yemen in the straits of bar En mandep makes me wonder how safe seafaring is today. Previously it was pirate attacks off Somalia or the gulf of Guinea but these lot have upped the game even using a helicopter to land on and take over a car carrier.
Over the years much have been done to improve safety on board with such as improved radar, electronic digital charts, automated indentification system etc. but all of this stuff is making ships more visible to anyone wants to attack it by any means.
When most of us were at sea most of the time any dangers we faced occurred whilst we were in port, either by over enthusiastic police or by people trying to get on board with the intent of thieving crews personal possessions or to stowaway.
But in this modern electronically computer driven world the biggest threat to the seafarer comes from some asshole sitting in front of a computer either controlling a drone or hacking into the onboard electronics.
Having had an African guy sneak into my cabin in the middle of the night whilst we were alongside in Dunkirk (which scared the shite out the wife who was onboard at the time and who woke up to find the guy going through our belongings), chasing him off without being harmed, or leaving Safi on the chemical tanker I was captain of, only starting up the main engine just as we were singing up to avoid attempting to foil any of the migrants hiding on the dock that we were getting ready to depart and immediately after letting go go going full ahead to clear the dock and harbour. These days aster the introduction of the international ship and ports safety convention most harbours and berths are fenced off so the risk from shore intruders, beyond those in a official position (who can rob you almost as badly as a criminal) has been greatly reduced. So now instead of having to be aware of the dangers of shore leave in certain parts of the world it now seems that even going near land in certain parts of the world exposes today's seafarers to danger.
Rgds
J.A

[James Curry]

When I was on LNG Carriers we would load up the Gulf. After completing loading and dropping the pilot one of the first things the oldman would do was turn off the ships AIS system until well clear of high risk areas. Only time we had a problem was when an RN ship or could have been US Navy started telling the whole world the ships speed and position and demanded we gave the vessels name. They got told to go away in short order and the reasons as to why we were running without the AIS turned on. To late if someone was planning an attack or boarding to high jack the ship.
The guy on the bridge of the Grey Funnel line had already given the ships cousre and speed. I assume the conversation started off on channel 16.

[j.sabourn]

#1 The sea has always been a dangerous place to me and probably others. On going to sea in the 50s the North sea was still not cleared of mines and courses had to be made between the minefields, the same in other parts of the world. The Middle East was a hot bed of heat seeking missiles at times depending which factions were at war. Vietnam going into there once as said in another post thought it was Chinese New Year before realising it was tracer getting closer to the ship. Were nearly fired upon by a Chinese warship going into Hong Kong as the old man couldnt read the lamp at 0200 hrs and just reached the bridge in time.
piracy existed in different parts of the world and we had the honour of being boarded by pirates in the old British Guyana . Just off the cuff then there were the dangers of the job itself re dangerous cargoes. Nothing has really changed . The sea was never a job for the faint hearted. The biggest danger however was when the old man said no subs and no shore leave then the tish used to really hit the fan. Cheers JS.
Ref. The seaman’s strike in 1966 seem to recollect one of the demands being made was retention money when crews were confined to the vessel. Anyone know what happened
to that one, or was it just a smoke screen ? I disappeared off the scene for 5 years or so on foreign flag vessels and saw nothing about it as things just appeared the same as when
left when returned ? JS ..

[Des Taff Jenkins]

I was on the British Fern in 51 alongside ia Abadan when the civil war broke out, I think the yanks where trying to get rid of someone and put the peacock back on his throne. We were fully loaded but no tugs they I think had left for Kuwait, so the old mane got two of us to let go the ropes, I let the bow ropes go and was chased by an Arab wielding a knife, the crew blew him over with the hose. Th skipper turned the ship in the Shatal Arab and we took off hoping there wasn't a gunboat waiting down river.. Plenty of fireworks around then.

Des

[j.sabourn]

Re John in Oz posting Hospital anyone has come out in a format that can’t reply to. So just a quick one on here to say welcome back to the living. Your usual well informed coverage was up to its usual professional standard . You can’t see the likes on here but they are there as I tried a new post but apparently wasn’t successful. myself being much more lazy “ would have just quoted Ghunga Din when he said to the red coated British Grenadier,” Me all same as Queen Victoria Sahib all Red Inside “. All the best . JS

[j.sabourn]

#4 A good few years later Des when Iraq and Iran were lobbing rockets at each other, i was mate on a products carrier and we brought two loads of Naptha out of Banda Mashur to Japan no doubt bound the final destination North Vietnam. After the Shah was deposed I had a hell of a job getting out of Tehran , but have posted this before. I finally got a flight to Sydney NSW and finished up that tour on the Kiwi coast. The lady who was recently looking for anyone who knew her father Captain Dunbaven, this is when I caught up with him for the second time. Cheers JS

[Mo Docherty]

safer without alcohol fellas

[James Curry]

safer without alcohol fellas

Well that would depend if one abused alcohol. Absolutely nothing wrong with having a sociable drink.
Try modern day life at sea , practically no shore leave , little time in port. Better the lads having a drink than turning to drugs.

[happy daze john in oz]

Drugs, the global annual value is about $360 billion.
Between Mexico and the USA it sits at about#30 billion.
But the sea can be a very dangerous place for a number of reasons.
No worse however than the global situation currently.
Look around at what is occurring, and see who is in the wings such as rocket man.
Just enjoy the season and have few stiff ones.