What's ahead in the Gulf of Aden's Pirate Zone?

by Nancy Knudsen, Cruising Editor on 24 Apr 2008 The Gulf of Aden has long been a pirate zone for yachts, but the first known case of pirate using guns occurred in 2001 when yacht Daisy Duck was shot at by unknown pirates.

Then in 2005, two US flagged boats, Gandolf and Mahdi, were shot by attacking pirates, Gandolf suffering 14 bullet holes in the cockpit. The two boats fought off the attackers, an event which received worldwide media attention.

After this incident, hopes were high that the Coalition warships who patrol the area would finally give protection, and the US was even given permission by Somali's ineffectual government to patrol their waters.

The only development since then seems to be that the pirates have become more sophisticated, and now go for bigger game – over 25 commercial ships were attacked in the last year. Is this good news for the dozens of mostly short-handed small yachts who transit the area each year? It's anybody's guess.

For sheer good reading(now that we know all are safe) last week's hijack of the French yacht Ponant, and the story of the hostage taking and eventual release of the crew can't be bettered. However, the serious questions remain.

Lots of good reading this week – Sunsail have a new base in the Bahamas; there's a review of Jimmy Cornell's new edition of World Cruising Routes – they just get better and better; there's a gripping video that could stop the faint of heart from ever wanting to to sea again; and you must read the amazing story of the castaway cocker spaniel who has has more experiences in her eight months of life than most of us have in a lifetime.

Do YOU understand your watermaker? You're better able to manage it well if you do, and Mike Hobson makes it as clear as the water produced.

Lots more, so read on, enjoy, and...

Sail safe!