Posts by David Corkish

Why the sudden interest?

We seafarers have been subjugated to piracy since, well, forever. This year alone there have been over 263 attacks on merchant vessels, involving (amongst others), assault against crew, murder, hijackings, theft from ship and crew, kidnapping and mutilation. Of these attacks around 64 have been off the coast of Somalia, particularly in the Gulf of Aden, and 11 (1 of which has involved my ship as the target) have been in Tanzanian waters, particularly around Dar Es Salaam Roads. Why has it taken so long for the western public to get off it's obese behind and realise that actually, seafarers aren't the lazy, no-good evil people who single handedly cause world pollution (yes, I have actually been told to my face that maritime transport accounts for all the worlds transport pollution, therefore we must be shot. So it's not the lazy 4x4 urban drivers then?), and that actually we are employed in the 2nd most dangerous job in the world (1st position goes to deep sea fisherman incidently) who are major contributors to keeping the world economy from collapsing more than it is already? We go out into the seas risking life and limb to feed your insatiable appetites and to provide you with the latest luxuries, and all we get for it is comments like "But don't you think it's immoral that your ship is causing lots of pollution?". Has it never occured to you lot that its YOU that cause the pollution by your wrong headed attitudes in areas like what car you drive or how often you forget to switch the lights off? Why has it taken something like 33 stolen tanks to make you all WAKE UP!

So, if the Royal Navy fancies going out there and pummelling some pirates into a pulp and making our lives that little bit safer and relaxed, then yes, I'm all for it, and I would like to thank all serviceman and women of HM Royal Navy for probably saving the lives of my crew and myself and of my sea-going brethren, not forgetting the lives of cruise ship passengers. I thank the Navy from the bottom of my heart, on behalf of any merchant seaman who's ever had to face a pirate attack. God bless you all!

P.s. I apologise if I seem a bit rant-ish earlier in this document. Talk of piracy gets me a tad agitated. I don't really hate you land-dwelling types :-)