The Chandlers piracy debacle

[alkira]

Is it just me or have I missed something?

As far as I can tell Mr and Mrs Chandler said at the inquiry that they didn't know they were at risk from piracy in their location and secondly they are slating the foreign office for not allowing the police to help rescue them .

I hope i'm wrong about this but firstly you'd have to be deaf and blind not to realise that sailing east of Africa is pirate safe and secondly if you sail there then you should be most grateful if anybody cares let alone comes to your rescue.

I was interested to buy their book to listen to their story but i think i've just heard enough.

 

[MrCramp]

They made a massive error and paid the price for it. They should be gratefull they have made it back and should stop whinging.

 

[Sandyman]

Sounds to me like the movie producers are not happy with the ending !!!

When they were first taken I had sympathy for them except of course for their stupidity
in being where they were. Now I have little more than contempt as they appear to be blaming everyone except themselves, and no doubt cashing in on it at the same time.

Sod em.

 

[lenseman]

Is it just me or have I missed something?

As far as I can tell Mr and Mrs Chandler said at the inquiry that they didn't know they were at risk from piracy in their location and secondly they are slating the foreign office for not allowing the police to help rescue them .

I hope i'm wrong about this but firstly you'd have to be deaf and blind not to realise that sailing east of Africa is pirate safe and secondly if you sail there then you should be most grateful if anybody cares let alone comes to your rescue.

I was interested to buy their book to listen to their story but i think i've just heard enough.

They had been told directly as they cleared out by the Victoria Coastguard of the dangers and the Port of Victoria had been closed earlier in the year, for a month or two, to all departing yachts and cruisers directly because of the threat from pirates in and around the Seychelles as the pirates, at the time, were using the other Seychelles islands as forward bases.

The Chandlers sailed directly towards the area which has been declared a danger area (for the next 24/48 hours) and were probably taken by the very pirates which had unsuccessfully attacked another ship!

DTG of Mayday from ship: 05:55Z 22 OCT 2009
Location: 04° 8.934'S 052° 34.027'E

DTG from The Chandlers: 01:33Z 23 OCT 2009
Location: 04° 31.430'S 054° 26.100'E

The area was listed as 'High Risk for 24/48 hours'.

Just note the date and information from Noonsite on this very topic:

Report sent by Dominique, Wednesday 6 May 2009

The situation has seriously deteriorated in the Seychelles archipelago during the last three weeks.

According to the EU coordination, the Seychelles are surrounded in a 150NM radius around Victoria in ALL directions. Somali mother-ships are pre-positioned North, South, East and West. The latest reported attacks were in the NE one day ago (Tuesday 5 May).

There is no longer any 100% safe exit/entry route. Several boats underway from the Chagos have already altered their course to Mauritius. More than 20 boats planning to sail to Madagascar and Mayotte have cancelled their passage.

On Monday afternoon (4 May) a mother ship and two skiffs were arrested by the Seychelles Navy near Marianne island, 35NM south-east of Victoria! Our own boat and another vessel doing a 90 degree route last Thursday was informed by the navy that one incident took place 50NM ahead of us. We decided to return to Mahe to assess the situation. The next morning, not only one attack were confirmed but two.

Apparently the mother-ships have ventured too far East because of the very quiet sea and have decided to operate far beyond their usual 400NM radius from the Somali coast. According to military inetlligence the pirates on their skiffs are abandonned on the high sea by the mother ships with one mission: catch a boat, this is your return ticket...

A coordination anti-piracy committee was created last Monday in Victoria by a group of 45 yachts and power vessels intending to travel.

http://www.noonsite.com/Members/sue/R2009-05-14-5

 

[dylanwinter]

reading books you don't agree with

Is it just me or have I missed something?

As far as I can tell Mr and Mrs Chandler said at the inquiry that they didn't know they were at risk from piracy in their location and secondly they are slating the foreign office for not allowing the police to help rescue them .

I hope i'm wrong about this but firstly you'd have to be deaf and blind not to realise that sailing east of Africa is pirate safe and secondly if you sail there then you should be most grateful if anybody cares let alone comes to your rescue.

I was interested to buy their book to listen to their story but i think i've just heard enough.

their royalty will be 10 per cent of the sales

so 90 per cent of the book price will be going towards the lumberjacks who cut the trees down, the papermill workers, the printers, the oxbridge graduates who work for peanuts for the pbook publishers, the truckers who move the books around, the people who work in bookshops or the jiffy bag stuffers at amazon

think of all those other people you are benefitting by you buying their book.

I think that you should be prepared to read a book even though you may not agree with the actions of the authors

you could always ask your local library to get you a copy - that way they will only earn 5 pence for you reading their book.

You could always buy it and get as many sailing friends as you can to borrow your copy.

I do know that I would not be brave/foolish enough to sail in such waters. But I am a tremendous coward

Dylan

 

[Sandyman]

Wonder if they have employed the services of Max Clifford ? or some other PR guru ?

They got themselves into this by not listening to advise. No doubt they thought they knew better. IT WAS THEIR FAULT yet they now want to blame what they see as a slow response to their rescue by the FO by claiming the police should have been put in charge of their rescue. Codswallop. I have no time for such people who's only intention is to cash-in on a situation of their causing. Sod em I say. Should I ever meet them I will tell them the same.

 

[lenseman]

Seychelles clarifies facts of Chandler pirate kidnapping


Sep 07, 2011

Following the story on the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) News website on September 5, 2011, regarding the Chandlers' piracy hostage incident, the Seychelles High Level Committee on Piracy would like to clarify that contrary to what the Chandlers have reported, they were more than adequately forewarned of the dangers associated with piracy in the Western Indian Ocean and in particular with the route they took on that unfortunate journey.

On at least two separate occasions, the Chandlers were advised on the piracy threats associated with the journey that they undertook. Firstly, before departing Seychelles, the Chandlers had to follow certain procedures to obtain Port clearance to sail. During those stages, they were informed by the Seychelles Maritime Safety Administration (SMSA) of the piracy risks associated with their planned journey. Secondly, the Chandlers were also advised by the Providence Marina, which is a Seychelles-based Yacht Charter Company, where they had been keeping their yacht, of the risks of piracy in the surrounding waters.
In addition to media coverage, mariners were continually being informed of piracy risks in the Indian Ocean by the Seychelles Radio Coast Station at Bon Espoir, which provides ship-to-shore maritime communication services.

The Seychellois people sympathize with the Chandlers for the traumatic experience they went through. However, the responsibility for what happened rests entirely with the Chandlers who decided to take the risks anyway.

http://seychellesreality.blogspot.com/2011/09/piracy-flourishing-in-indian-ocean-and.html

..

THE BRITISH couple kidnapped by Somali pirates knew they were sailing into danger.

Paul and Rachel Chandler, who have now been held for more than a year, set sail for the pirate-infested Somali coast despite warnings from fellow sailors they befriended in Port Victoria in the Seychelles.

Two other adventurers called Jean-Louis and Denise aboard a vessel named Alero alerted them to the risks and planned their own route in order to avoid the cut-throat pirates.

Yet the Chandlers, from Tunbridge Wells, Kent, sailed their 38ft yacht Lynn Revival into dangerous waters.

Before leaving port on their final doomed voyage Paul, 61, a retired civil engineer and Rachel, 57, an accountant, posted an internet blog revealing they were aware of the risks they were running.

They said: “Jean-Louis and Denise on Alero finally left for Tanzania a few days ago. They had been planning to leave in May but delayed the trip because of the Somali pirate problem.”

“We will miss them and hope to catch up with them at the end of the year.”

The couple posted the blog, entitled “Another few weeks in paradise”, alongside a picture of themselves with their new friends on June 25 last year.

The Chandlers never met their friends again and their dream trip around the world turned into a nightmare.

They were kidnapped on October 23 last year, just a day after leaving the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean by a 12-strong gang of pirates who had set out from the Somali coast.


An earlier blog dated June 5 read: “Arriving back at the old port we had to pass three warships at the entrance, one French, one American and one Canadian.

“No doubt they are here to deal with the pirates.”

“We also understand that the problem has gone away with the arrival of the SE winds.

“The seas around the Seychelles are now too rough for the pirates to operate in.”

But the kidnappers spotted the Chandler’s yacht 60 miles off the islands and crept on board while the couple slept.

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rc...K48lpJJVQ&sig2=UZEWf76CunVYqcSac5hn8Q&cad=rja


..

 

[Sandyman]

Spot on David. I fail to see why peeps have sympathy for them.

 

[snowleopard]

What a sea change! While they were in captivity so many were saying we should have a whip-round to pay the ransom and slagging off those who were against the idea.

 

[jonjo]

What a sea change! While they were in captivity so many were saying we should have a whip-round to pay the ransom and slagging off those who were against the idea.

Indeed and now would be an ideal time for the great and good of this forum to offer a grovelling apology to me.

Those with long memories will recall the lengthy and vicious thread where I questioned the knee-jerk empathy for the Chandlers. I pointed out their reckless behaviour but facts and rational thought were not palatable to the angry Scuttlebutt mob at the time.

were saying we should have a whip-round

I think I supported this mainly because I wanted to hear the firsthand account of the gross failure of Royal Navy during the incident.

 

[Deleted member 36384]

Spot on David. I fail to see why peeps have sympathy for them.

I have sympathy from them. They chose to sail round the world with associated risks which they accepted. They did not deserve to be kidnapped, irrespective of what they knew or did not know, when they made the decision to sail the passage that they were kidnapped on.

The situation that they found themselves in I imagine would be terrifying and distressing to say the least. As fellow human beings, and British sailors (yes that's lame), I identify with them and therefore have sympathy for their plight.

Its also well known that perception of risk is very subjective with experience of risk taking tending to lessen a cautious approach. The Chandlers were probably used to managing risk by the nature of their RTW experiences. Consider this against an armchair sailors experience whose perception is entirely based on news reports and you will two very widely differing opinions on the probability of the risk of kidnapping occurring.

With regards to them profiting from the experience: so what; it's their call to tell a story and make comment.

 

[snooks]

Spot on David. I fail to see why peeps have sympathy for them.

So you Haven't you met them?
You haven't heard what they have to say first hand?
You're relying on press reports and hearsay to form your opinion?

Impressive

I went to their lecture at the Cruising Assiciation with an open mind, well as open as someone as cynical as me can be, they admit they made a mistake, they were aware of the pirate problem, they had come down though the red sea, and sailed via india to the Seychelles where they had been for sailing for 6 months.

What were they supposed to have done when they wanted to leave? Get the boat air lifted out or put her as deck cargo, or maybe sail her?

They were aware there had been pirate attacks earlier in the year, but these were 2 attacks in the hundreds of yachts that pass through the Seychelles each year. They assessed the risks and went for it, the same way loads of other yachts have. The difference was they get caught.

No one is immune from error, some of us mis judge the weather and get pasted, others mis judge their approach and ding their boat, they mis judged the situation and were kidnapped for over a year.

I'm a yachtsman, I make mistakes, so I have sympathy for them.

 

[jonjo]

they admit they made a mistake, they were aware of the pirate problem

No they did not, at least not on a prime time TV studio interview. A very weak line of interview questions allowed the Chandlers to paint themselves as random victims.

they admit they made a mistake, they were aware of the pirate problem, they had come down though the red sea, and sailed via india to the Seychelles where they had been for sailing for 6 months.

What were they supposed to have done when they wanted to leave?

If you had read their travel blog then you would know they elected not to leave the Seychelles at the optimum time, they noticed the exit of yachts had started, they then visited the UK, they returned to a noticeably quieter cruising ground, they decided the Seychelles were such a fab place they continued to cruise and made a belated decision to leave just when everyone knew pirate activity was cranking up.

 

[alkira]

[h them and therefore have sympathy for their plight.

Its also well known that perception of risk is very subjective with experience of risk taking tending to lessen a cautious approach. The Chandlers were probably used to managing risk by the nature of their RTW experiences. Consider this against an armchair sailors experience whose perception is entirely based on news reports and you will two very widely differing opinions on the probability of the risk of kidnapping occurring.

With regards to them profiting from the experience: so what; it's their call to tell a story and make comment.[/QUOTE]



Dont get me wrong , i too feel sorry for the experience they had to endure.
I have sailed through the Gulf of Aden in my boat and that was scary enough.

What i do object to though is how ungrateful they sound during the inquiry - (which by the way i cant cope with the additional cost to the public purse this would also incurr)
They got rescued whenransom was paid and still they have the audacity to finger point.On top of that their boat was salvaged by the Navy and stored back home presumbly free of charge. I remember at one point during their ordel Paul was pleading with David Cameron to do more- like he doesn't have a country to run!
Lets not forget these people were notforeign aid workers they were on a sailing jolly.

If yachtsmen venture into pirate country they should not EXPECT to be rescued and be very grateful to all concerned if they do get rescued.
What would Tilman say about all this bleating??!!

 

[snooks]

No they did not, at least not on a prime time TV studio interview.

They did in front of the crowd at the CA, something along the lines of Paul saying....In hindsight it was a mistake to leave when we did

That was them speaking, unedited with no intervention from interviewers or producers....But if you would rather believe the telly's account of events, you go for it

If you had read their travel blog then you would know they elected not to leave the Seychelles at the optimum time, they noticed the exit of yachts had started, they then visited the UK, they returned to a noticeably quieter cruising ground, they decided the Seychelles were such a fab place they continued to cruise and made a belated decision to leave just when everyone knew pirate activity was cranking up.

In hindsight, yes the activity was cranking up, at the time there had only been a couple of reports of attacks to yachts much earlier that year, (more or less the same time they had arrived) and as far as I'm aware there had been no attacks on yachts around the Seychelles during their stay there.

The say they had been monitoring the situation, they also said they could be waiting 45 seconds for the google homepage to open, so the information isn't as easy to come by for them at the time as it is for us with our superfast broadband in the comfort of our homes.

Yes there was an attack just before they left, but they had left before the news of that attack got to the Seychelles, and was widely reported.

May be they saw everyone else leave before them, with no reports of attacks and considered that although there was a threat it was a calculated risk, much the same way that there is the threat of falling over board or hitting a container. We take chances every day, and with the gift of hindsight, it's easy to say we shouldn't.

 

[Seajet]

[h them and therefore have sympathy for their plight.

Its also well known that perception of risk is very subjective with experience of risk taking tending to lessen a cautious approach. The Chandlers were probably used to managing risk by the nature of their RTW experiences. Consider this against an armchair sailors experience whose perception is entirely based on news reports and you will two very widely differing opinions on the probability of the risk of kidnapping occurring.

With regards to them profiting from the experience: so what; it's their call to tell a story and make comment.

Dont get me wrong , i too feel sorry for the experience they had to endure.
I have sailed through the Gulf of Aden in my boat and that was scary enough.

What i do object to though is how ungrateful they sound during the inquiry - (which by the way i cant cope with the additional cost to the public purse this would also incurr)
They got rescued whenransom was paid and still they have the audacity to finger point.On top of that their boat was salvaged by the Navy and stored back home presumbly free of charge. I remember at one point during their ordel Paul was pleading with David Cameron to do more- like he doesn't have a country to run!
Lets not forget these people were notforeign aid workers they were on a sailing jolly.

If yachtsmen venture into pirate country they should not EXPECT to be rescued and be very grateful to all concerned if they do get rescued.
What would Tilman say about all this bleating??!![/QUOTE]

+1 !

 

[snooks]

What i do object to though is how ungrateful they sound during the inquiry - (which by the way i cant cope with the additional cost to the public purse this would also incurr)
They got rescued whenransom was paid and still they have the audacity to finger point.On top of that their boat was salvaged by the Navy and stored back home presumbly free of charge. I remember at one point during their ordel Paul was pleading with David Cameron to do more- like he doesn't have a country to run!

A couple of points:

If I'd been paid my taxes all my life, been kidnapped and transferred from my hijacked yacht to a container ship while the Royal Navy stood by watching, and had a year to think WTF?, I'd be a bit ungrateful too to be honest

The ransom was raised/paid by their family who have not told them the amount and have basically told them not to worry about it, and to put the ordeal behind them, and get on with their lives.

I believe the insurance repaid the cost of salvage and her storage until they were released. Paul described that the captain of the ship had to watch them being abducted, so he thought he would do what he could for the couple, and rescued Lynn Rival. Paul seemed very emotional when he was telling this story, because they love their yacht.

Finally, if someone pointed a gun at me and told me they would kill me if I didn't beg the Big Foot and the Abominable Snowman to do more, I'd do it.

 

[RichardS]

Finally, if someone pointed a gun at me and told me they would kill me if I didn't beg the Big Foot and the Abominable Snowman to do more, I'd do it.

You're likely to get more joy from those two well-known philanthropists than you are from some members of this forum!

Richard

 

[clyst]

What a sea change! While they were in captivity so many were saying we should have a whip-round to pay the ransom and slagging off those who were against the idea.

Absolutely ! I was slated by the "pack" when I suggested that they were fools way back . It turns out that they were after all .

 

[Heckler]

Wonder if they have employed the services of Max Clifford ? or some other PR guru ?

They got themselves into this by not listening to advise. No doubt they thought they knew better. IT WAS THEIR FAULT yet they now want to blame what they see as a slow response to their rescue by the FO by claiming the police should have been put in charge of their rescue. Codswallop. I have no time for such people who's only intention is to cash-in on a situation of their causing. Sod em I say. Should I ever meet them I will tell them the same.

They posted on this forum, so probably still read it, so I expect they will read the message!
Stu