ANTI-PIRACY ILLUSTRATIONS BY MARK NERYS; TIM WILTSHIRE ILLUSTRATION BY JOEL KIMMELDream Machines | WATER98 OCTOBER 2019
When Pirates
of the
Caribbean Is
More than a
Movie
while literature and cinema
might romanticize pirates on
the high seas, in the world of
superyachts the threat of pirate
attacks is all too real. And in some
areas, such as along the coast of
Africa, in the Gulf of Aden, and
in the Indian Ocean, it’s now
expected, shockingly enough. Even
Latin America and the Caribbean
experienced a 163 percent increase
in recorded attacks in 2017.
But boat owners can arm
themselves with a new raft of
nonlethal anti-piracy
tools, most designed
for early detection
and preventing
pirates from
boarding. For
experienced
yacht captain
Michael
Schueler, at the
top of that list is
the Long Range
Acoustic Device
(LRAD), a sonic
weapon that delivers
earsplitting, high-
volume acoustics via a
tight beam (so neither the LRAD’s
operators nor others nearby areaffected) over long distances. It
“did a good job,” he says, when the
197-foot Linda Lou came under
attack from pirates in multiple
skiffs in 2010 while en route
to the Abu Dhabi Boat
Show. Schueler
says the LRAD
ended up being
one of their
most effective
(and most
expensive, at
about $20,000)
methods of
deterring the
pirates before help
came from the Royal
Navy. In the same
vein, an anti-piracy
laser device, such
as a dazzle gun, uses a nonlethal
laser beam to temporarily blind or
distract pirates. Both devices are
easily operated by crew and can be
used day and night.
More advanced
defensive weapons
include the
Active Denial
System—a.k.a.
the pain ray ($5
million)—which
transmits a
narrow beam of
electromagnetic
energy to heat the
skin and causes an
unbearable burning
sensation, and
spy-worthy security
smoke, which fills the
yacht with a cloud
of dense, white fog that reduces
visibility to less than a foot.Onboard CCTV, door-locking
systems and deck-mounted
pressure sensors that detect
movement and weight on the deck
floor are more common
in standard security
packages, along
with armed
security
personnel on
24/7 watch
in high-
risk zones.
Collapsible
electric fencing
and underwater
sonar detection
systems can also
keep pirates away and
those on board safe.
“The most
important thing we did was
develop a plan, and then drill,
drill, drill with the crew,”
says Schueler. “That
helped us more than
anything. We also
deployed barbed
wire on our
swim platform,
had flare guns
to shoot flares
into their
boats and had
line launchers
to shoot in front
of the approaching
skiffs to ensnare the
propellers and disable
their vessels.” While it
may not be the prettiest solution,
barbed wire is an effective one: It
is rolled out across the beach-club
deck and kept there the entire time
the yacht remains in dangerouswaters. Ideally, no guests are on
board during such risky crossings,
so no one is swimming.
Other possibilities include
metal weather plating putting over
windows and turning off both the
Automatic Identification System
(AIS) and the navigation lights at
night to hide the ship’s presence.
If you do leave the AIS on (some
pirates use it as well), it’s a good
idea to broadcast an “Armed
Security Detail on Board” status
message as a deterrent.
“At the first sign of threat,
before any shots are fired, all crew
apart from the captain gather
in ‘the citadel,’” says another
captain, in Hampton Bays, N.Y.,
about protecting passengers. “The
citadel is chosen for its ability to
be isolated and secured from the
rest of the vessel and to resist
any efforts made to gain
entry from outside.”
For him, this
is usually the
crew mess; for
Schueler, the
engine room.
And if that’s
not enough,
there are
always water
cannons, which
deliver a powerful
and impenetrable
stream of water that
blows away pirates
trying to board the
ship—think the ultimate water gun.
The cannon can also quickly fill the
pirates’ boats to slow them down
while your yacht makes its getaway.
Julia ZaltzmanTim Wiltshire
The managing partner
at Burgess gives
us the insider’s take on
the industry.Q&A
Global superyacht company Burgess
was founded in 1975 by Nigel Burgess,
a pioneering sailor and ocean racer.
Today, it has its hands in every
aspect of the yachting world, helping
clients buy, build, manage, charter
or sell their vessels. Robb Report
interviewed Tim Wiltshire, the usually
media-shy executive who joined
Burgess (burgessyachts.com) as a
broker in 1996 after a career in the
Royal Marines, where he specialized
in amphibious warfare. He became
a company director in 2000 and an
owning partner in 2005. D.C.How stable is the market right now?
It’s actually in very good health. Following
a three-year hiatus after the globalfinancial crisis, the market has been on
an upward trend since about 2013. That
said, there are headwinds on the horizon
generated by nervousness over trade
and geopolitical situations. However, the
industry is arguably more prepared and
more professional than it was in 2007,
and there isn’t nearly the same leverage of
assets that we had before the crisis.What are customers asking for
these days, inside and out? While the
explorer-style-yacht trend has had several
false dawns, there’s undoubtedly some
momentum for owners to build boats
that can explore safely off the beaten
track, and this doesn’t just mean robust
styling but practical in-built features.
With interiors, it’s rare now to see classicstyling, and for owners and charterers it is
all about lifestyle—light, big glass, comfort
and elegance.If you were setting sail tomorrow,
where would you go? Having just
returned from the west coast of Corsica
on my own boat, I think that currently tops
the charts for scenery. The waters around
Phuket have to be one of the top new
superyachting destinations—and the food
is amazing as well—but my all-time favorite
is the Norwegian fjords for the drama,
space, light and sense of adventure.What do you love about yachting?
Seeing a well-run yacht whose crew are
absolutely on the ball and a happy owner
who is thrilled and proud to be on board.Engage the electromagnetic pain
ray if pirates get too close.Disable thieves with the
LRAD’s sonic beam.Confuse interlopers with a
cloud of security smoke.ANTI-PIRACY ILLUSTRATIONS BY MARK NERYS; TIM WILTSHIRE ILLUSTRATION BY JOEL KIMMELDream Machines | WATER98 OCTOBER 2019
When Pirates
of the
Caribbean Is
More than a
Movie
while literature and cinema
might romanticize pirates on
the high seas, in the world of
superyachts the threat of pirate
attacks is all too real. And in some
areas, such as along the coast of
Africa, in the Gulf of Aden, and
in the Indian Ocean, it’s now
expected, shockingly enough. Even
Latin America and the Caribbean
experienced a 163 percent increase
in recorded attacks in 2017.
But boat owners can arm
themselves with a new raft of
nonlethal anti-piracy
tools, most designed
for early detection
and preventing
pirates from
boarding. For
experienced
yacht captain
Michael
Schueler, at the
top of that list is
the Long Range
Acoustic Device
(LRAD), a sonic
weapon that delivers
earsplitting, high-
volume acoustics viaa
tight beam (so neithertheLRAD’s
operators nor others nearby areaffected) over long distances. It
“did a good job,” he says, when the
197-foot Linda Lou came under
attack from pirates in multiple
skiffs in 2010 whileenroute
to the Abu Dhabi Boat
Show. Schueler
says the LRAD
ended up being
one of their
most effective
(and most
expensive, at
about $20,000)
methods of
deterring the
pirates before help
came from the Royal
Navy. In the same
vein, an anti-piracy
laser device, such
as a dazzle gun, uses a nonlethal
laser beam to temporarilyblindor
distract pirates. Both devicesare
easily operated by crewandcanbe
used day and night.
Moreadvanced
defensive weapons
include the
ActiveDenial
System—a.k.a.
the painray($5
million)—which
transmitsa
narrowbeamof
electromagnetic
energytoheatthe
skin andcausesan
unbearableburning
sensation,and
spy-worthysecurity
smoke, which fills the
yacht with a cloud
ofdense,whitefog that reduces
visibility to less than a foot.Onboard CCTV, door-locking
systems and deck-mounted
pressure sensors that detect
movement and weight on the deck
flooraremore common
instandard security
packages, along
with armed
security
personnel on
24/7 watch
in high-
risk zones.
Collapsible
electric fencing
and underwater
sonar detection
systemscanalso
keeppiratesawayand
thoseonboardsafe.
“Themost
importantthingwedidwas
developa plan,andthendrill,
drill,drillwiththecrew,”
saysSchueler.“That
helpedusmorethan
anything.Wealso
deployedbarbed
wireonour
swimplatform,
hadflareguns
toshootflares
intotheir
boatsandhad
linelaunchers
toshootinfront
oftheapproaching
skiffstoensnarethe
propellersanddisable
theirvessels.”Whileit
maynotbetheprettiestsolution,
barbed wire is an effective one: It
is rolled out across the beach-club
deck and kept there the entire time
the yacht remains in dangerouswaters. Ideally, no guests are on
board during such risky crossings,
so no one is swimming.
Other possibilities include
metal weather plating putting over
windows and turning off both the
Automatic Identification System
(AIS) and the navigation lights at
night to hide the ship’s presence.
If you do leave the AIS on (some
pirates use it as well), it’s a good
idea to broadcast an “Armed
Security Detail on Board” status
message as a deterrent.
“At the first sign of threat,
before any shots are fired, all crew
apart from the captain gather
in‘thecitadel,’” says another
captain,inHampton Bays, N.Y.,
aboutprotecting passengers. “The
citadelischosen for its ability to
beisolatedand secured from the
restofthe vessel and to resist
anyefforts made to gain
entry from outside.”
For him, this
is usually the
crew mess; for
Schueler, the
engine room.
And if that’s
not enough,
there are
always water
cannons, which
deliver a powerful
andimpenetrable
stream of water that
blows away pirates
trying to board the
ship—thinkthe ultimate water gun.
The cannon can also quickly fill the
pirates’ boats to slow them down
while your yacht makes its getaway.
Julia ZaltzmanTim Wiltshire
The managing partner
at Burgess gives
us the insider’s take on
the industry.Q&A
Global superyacht company Burgess
was founded in 1975 by Nigel Burgess,
a pioneering sailor and ocean racer.
Today, it has its hands in every
aspect of the yachting world, helping
clients buy, build, manage, charter
or sell their vessels. Robb Report
interviewed Tim Wiltshire, the usually
media-shy executive who joined
Burgess (burgessyachts.com) as a
broker in 1996 after a career in the
Royal Marines, where he specialized
in amphibious warfare. He became
a company director in 2000 and an
owning partner in 2005. D.C.How stable is the market right now?
It’s actually in very good health. Following
a three-year hiatus after the globalfinancial crisis, the market has been on
an upward trend since about 2013. That
said, there are headwinds on the horizon
generated by nervousness over trade
and geopolitical situations. However, the
industry is arguably more prepared and
more professional than it was in 2007,
and there isn’t nearly the same leverage of
assets that we had before the crisis.What are customers asking for
these days, inside and out? While the
explorer-style-yacht trend has had several
false dawns, there’s undoubtedly some
momentum for owners to build boats
that can explore safely off the beaten
track, and this doesn’t just mean robust
styling but practical in-built features.
With interiors, it’s rare now to see classicstyling, and for owners and charterers it is
all about lifestyle—light, big glass, comfort
and elegance.If you were setting sail tomorrow,
where would you go? Having just
returned from the west coast of Corsica
on my own boat, I think that currently tops
the charts for scenery. The waters around
Phuket have to be one of the top new
superyachting destinations—and the food
is amazing as well—but my all-time favorite
is the Norwegian fjords for the drama,
space, light and sense of adventure.What do you love about yachting?
Seeing a well-run yacht whose crew are
absolutely on the ball and a happy owner
who is thrilled and proud to be on board.Engage the electromagnetic pain
ray if pirates get too close.Disable thieves with the
LRAD’s sonic beam.Confuse interlopers with a
cloud of security smoke.