by Barista Uno | Feb 7, 2013 | Piracy and Security
What does it cost to secure a ship against pirates? An estimated $1,500-2,500 per day per person (depending on who one uses and the number of security team members), and the shipowner has to pay for each ship on each transit. For an escort vessel, $20,000 or more per day. The expense could be dizzying for owners with a number of ships to protect, but it need not be so. James Canning Sr, president of FTS-Maritime Security, has an idea that could dramatically reduce the costs. (more…)
by Barista Uno | Sep 10, 2012 | Latest Post
There’s often a whale of a difference between appearance and reality, between what one expects and what actually happens. Sometimes the discrepancy can be huge as to be jarring. However, many of us are so busy with making money and otherwise going on with life that we hardly notice the many ironies, big and small, that are present in our midst. Yet, being aware of them could help us see reality more clearly and probably change some things for the better. (more…)
by Barista Uno | Apr 26, 2012 | Piracy and Security
What is the impact of Somali piracy? Despite extensive media coverage of the subject, not very many people, especially outside maritime security circles, have a clear idea. Travelinsurance.org, an online resource for travel insurance, has employed information graphics (infographics for short) to present a composite picture of the number of piracy attacks and successful hijackings in 2011, where they occurred and the financial and economic cost of this modern-day scourge. Take a look and be enlightened: (more…)
by Barista Uno | Apr 25, 2011 | Piracy and Security
We used to detest the idea of arming merchant ships. Our position has been swiftly eroded. Somali pirate attacks continue unabated, and the pirates have proved to be a ruthless bunch. We now believe that the use of private armed escorts, at least, is necessary for ships transiting the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. Now, not all who are in the business are gung-ho types who would shoot from the hips. One of those who belong to the opposite mould is James Canning Sr, whose FTS – Maritime Security we gladly recommend to shipowners. (more…)
by Barista Uno | Apr 4, 2011 | Marine Products and Technology, Piracy and Security
The armour worn by medieval knights was made obsolete by the invention of more efficient ways of killing people. But the basic idea underlying it – protecting fragile human flesh in warfare – is still very much alive. One company that has taken modern-day body armour technology to new heights is VestGuard UK, some of whose products are now part of the arsenal against Somali pirates. Sir Galahad himself, the greatest of the knights of the Round Table, might don a Vestguard vest if he were sailing today through the Gulf of Aden in search of the Holy Grail. (more…)
