Another Pirate Attack on a Yacht

As seven Danish sailors — Jan and Birgit Marie Johansen and their three teenage children Naja, Hjalte, and Rune, along with two unnamed crewmembers — were being transferred yesterday from their Dynamic 43 Ing to a larger ship loaded with others kidnapped by Somali pirates, a couple on the Dutch-flagged yacht Capricorn were saved from a similar fate by a private Dutch security firm. Though details are sparse, it appears the couple locked themselves in a safe room when six Somali pirates boarded their yacht. Six guards on the boat escorting Capricorn exchanged fire with the pirates before retaking the vessel. No casualites were reported.

This uptick in piracy against private yachts is disturbing on many levels, not the least of which is how suddenly it’s increased and the violence that’s accompanied it. Many boats already on their way across the Arabian Sea have limited communications and may not know about the latest attacks, as evidenced by the fact that some are still broadcasting their locations to family and friends back home via the internet or tracking beacons. No one knows exactly how Somali pirates find their prey, but it would seem prudent to ‘run dark’ anywhere near the region.