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Dutch Yacht Couple Leaving Thailand Demand Navy Escort


Buchholz

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Yes, "demand" is a strong word and it is for a flotilla of about 50 boats ... There are also unsafe parts on the west coast of Africa. Going east, you have to be careful in the south of the Philippines and eastern Indonesia. Even the the strait of Malaca is quite dangerous. Btw, the website of Alondra is www.alondrasailing.com

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there are some turds on this forum, they are worried about their safety for a voyage, they have reason to worry, they ask for help, this forum decides that because they are dutch they are pot smokers, another says their child should be taken away (or words that effect), told the thai navy have no obligation when no request has been made to the thai navy. i think some of you need to get something else to entertain yourselves as it seems you have nothing to titillate your brains other than the joy of writing nonsense on a forum.

Edited by random
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But now they have told us there is nothing they can do. It's like asking for help from the police, and being told you are not eligible.

Strange that. I always thought the armed forces were on call for private citizens same as the police.

" Hello? Is that the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment? MCA here. Khon Kaen Thailand. My neighbour sings out of tune karaoke at all hours and refuses to stop when I politely ask him to. Plus he lets his dog crap right outside my gate. It's a poodle and I frigging hate poodles. I mean they're not real dogs are they? Don't suppose you could send a couple of Challengers round to his place and put the shits up him could you? Cheers. "

555

"Oh finally! Is this Central Air Command? Oh my god! Do you have any idea how long I've been on hold??! Look, never mind that now. This is an urgent joint tactical air strike request. I need you to coordinate with our boys in green to deliver simultaneous bombardment onto these exact coordinates: 13.7505,100.5548. Artillery fire, correct. I don't care what payload you send down, just whatever you got lying around, and lots of it. My preference would be napalm. My crazy ex-wife has locked me out of my own house. I have authority to level my own god dam_n house, god dammit.. Yes, I'm hoping for maximum 'collateral' damage. Right, strike has been called in? Roger that, I'll take cover. Hoorah etc."

What would be the point? Accuracy is not their forte. The next village might well be less than pleased. :D

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Perhaps "demand" is too strong a word but I don't think requesting a possible escort it too way off.

Various navies are just steaming round in circles looking for pirates and if by chance they do happen to come across any there seems very little they can do anyway.

If they are patrolling anyway why not escort a vessel through the troubled area, I'm sure this couple are not the only ones wanting to travel this route so perhaps they could organize a convoy to escort.

At least the various navies would be seen to be doing something positive instead of whining that the area too large to patrol effectively.

No. There are clear reasons why this would be an unacceptable deployment of Naval assets; you cannot set a precedent like this - come on, people.

The various navies aren't just 'steaming' around in predictable circles like a Nazi guard in Hogan's Heroes. Their surveillance routes aren't exactly being submitted to the pirates in advance - compare and contrast with the outrageous demands made by the private, wealthy yacht convoy. Is there a light bulb flickering yet?

If you're wealthy enough to make the journey in your yacht - either alone or with a convoy of other wealthy seafaring yacht-owning types - then you are most certainly wealthy enough to pay for your own protection. If you're not wealthy enough, then moor your yacht and / or sell it and fly your asses home. How about ensuring the safety of their little girl by flying her home first - does she absolutely have to make this yacht voyage, huh? Wake up and smell the manure. This isn't a complex 'dilemma' here. These are just rich, cheap pricks who think the Navy should be at their beck and call when they wish to do something unnecessary and dangerous.

A Navy has a specific job to do. That job does not involve escorting private wealthy convoys of yachts. That anyone could think otherwise is stupefying. When the RAN occasionally dabbles in this kind of idiocy, it's infuriating. There should have been an investigation launched into the RAN's decision to send a warship out to rescue the complete twit Tony Bullimore after his yacht capsized during an ocean race.

On 5 January 1997, in the Southern Ocean near 52°S 100°E, Bullimore's boat, Exide Challenger capsized and the 55 year old sailor was assumed lost.

The Royal Australian Navy launched a rescue mission for Bullimore and another capsized competitor, Thierry Dubois.

On 9 January, Thierry Dubois was rescued by an Australian S-70B-2 Seahawk helicopter embarked on the frigate HMAS Adelaide.

HMAS Adelaide then proceeded further south to where the Exide Challenger had been located by a RAAF P-3 Orion. Adelaide dispatched a rigid-hulled inflatable boat to the Exide Challenger where crew members knocked on the hull. Hearing the noise, Bullimore swam out from his boat and was quickly rescued by personnel from HMAS Adelaide.

HMAS Adelaide then returned both Dubois and Bullimore to Perth.

How sweet. What a heart-warming story.

Poppycock! Whomever was responsible for conducting that outrageous SAR mission should have fronted a military tribunal charged with some very serious crimes. I daresay had there been an investigation conducted into exactly why this idiot was deemed worthy of the compromising the defence of the nation at a cost to taxpayers of millions of $...I suspect there would have been further outrage.

The RAN should not be conducting multi-million $, week-long SAR expeditions to rescue idiotic, wealthy, individuals who would be dead 9/10 times - the RAAF P-3's are submarine hunters. To be used to hunt submarines, not freaking scan ocean surfaces for the remains of a wealthy madman who leeches from society, giving nothing back in return. The rescue of Tony Bullimore was a grotesque misappropriation of military assets.

This is a horribly selfish, wealthy individual. If it was known he was alive, and it was my call whether or not I should steer even one degree off course to save his stupid face, I would do so - but only to laugh at him and quickly steam back onto course, churning up some wake for that idiot face of his as I did so.

01/11/10: TONY Bullimore, famously rescued after five days in a capsized boat in the Southern Ocean in 1996, has seen another of his yachts turn turtle. Bullimore's 33m racing catamaran Spirit of Antigua capsized off Cape Finisterre in the bay of Biscay and the seven British-based crew members were safely winched off by a French Air Sea Rescue helicopter.

It is the fourth time that Bullimore has suffered a calamity at sea.

  • In the 1980s he was competing in the Route du Rhum Race when his 60ft trimaran Apricot hit an unknown object. It survived the initial collision but was destroyed on the rocks when attempting to limp back to port.
  • Spirit of Apricot, his next boat, capsized during sailing trials in the Bristol Channel and one crewman was tragically lost in the incident.
  • Exide Spirit capsizes in the Southern Ocean during the Vendee Globe and Bullimore is saved by the Royal Australian Navy thanks to a massive rescue operation.
  • Spirit of Antigua capsizes during delivery run to Bristol.

Nauseating.

there are some turds on this forum, they are worried about their safety for a voyage, they have reason to worry, they ask for help, this forum decides that because they are dutch they are pot smokers, another says their child should be taken away (or words that effect), told the thai navy have no obligation when no request has been made to the thai navy. i think some of you need to get something else to entertain yourselves as it seems you have nothing to titillate your brains other than the joy of writing nonsense on a forum.

I couldn't care less where they were from. I couldn't care less whether they smoked pot or not, did cocaine, worshipped pagan gods or even if they were Catholic.

Their child should be taken away because they are clearly unfit parents; who are gratuitously and shamelessly attempting to leverage her into manipulating public opinion in order to avoid paying for an armed escort. They're cheap, wealthy, nauseating, foul individuals attempting to save some Euros; hoping to avoid some of the requisite expenses for their unnecessary voyage. Wake up, man!

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Definite over the top arrogance!

Many options for them, this is NOT one of them.

A judgement, coming from an assumed intelligent man, based upon an article in a British Sunday newspaper, not exactly famous for it's well balanced unbiased news and an article meant to be sensational -lazy Sunday afternoon- food for their readers. Success guaranteed. ;)

Since the OP gathered and posted so much information and photos of the couple and their baby it would have been more chique to write the couple and ask them for their opinion and their side of the truth and story, instead blindly following the article and make such a big fuzz of minor news.

The couple seems to have a lot of worldwide ocean sailing experience and are probably intelligent and wise enough to realise that they can't DEMAND any Navy for an escort ship to safely guard them to the Suez Canal.

As I understood from articles in non-English, the couple was in The Netherlands in October/November to prepare for their journey to the Mediterranea (from Phuket) and organise the dangerous trip with a large flottilla of other yachts. Not just their own.

Whether such a trip with a convoy of many other private yachts through the waters of the Gulf of Aden, passing Somalia shores, has been done and guarded before; I don't know.

I question if there are any Yacht Carriers (large -dock- ships, transporting private yachts) who would do this dangerous trip and/or an insurance company, willing to insure such a trip.

:unsure:..I wonder how all these (mega) yachts from Kuwait, Abu Dhabi and Dubai sail to the Mediterranea and back during the summer ? Would they ask for an escort (being important oil suppliers) or do they have Navy Escort of their own or maybe Somalian pirates don't attack these Arab private yachts ? I don't know.

What a world :lol:

LaoPo

Edited by LaoPo
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Fly home if you are so bloody worried. I wouldn't expect the tax payer from any country to provide 100's of 1.000's of dollars just for two people who knew what they were doing when they left holland. What else do the want the Thai's to do, pay all there personal expenses as well. What arrogant dipsticks.

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Fly home if you are so bloody worried. I wouldn't expect the tax payer from any country to provide 100's of 1.000's of dollars just for two people who knew what they were doing when they left holland. What else do the want the Thai's to do, pay all there personal expenses as well. What arrogant dipsticks.

What's wrong with your reading abilities? :coffee1:

LaoPo

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He should go in a convoy with several other yachts, and keep the authorities aware of their positions, and progress. Once they are closer to the Horn of Africa, they might be able to get an escort, if they ask nicely..? But knowing Rene, that is not very likely..! :annoyed:

Edited by paulbrun
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The dangerous pirates are in the Indian ocean.... they should just go around the other way....

via Indonesia...South Africa...did they not used to occupy some of that.....the Dutch are famous for short arms deep pockets ....always want to be on the winning side

.....tough...Go ask YOUR queen guys ....your courts thought 15 yo Laura Dekker was able to sail alone ...so can you!!! Yerra Mon!!

No... I meant completely the opposite way... Pacific ocean - Bering Straight - Arctic ocean - North sea - Denmark....

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He should go in a convoy with several other yachts, and keep the authorities aware of their positions, and progress. Once they are closer to the Horn of Africa, they might be able to get an escort, if they ask nicely..? But knowing Rene, that is not very likely..! :annoyed:

Well, if you know him you probably know more than we do, although he seems to know what he is doing by (co)-organising a convoy*, doesn't he?

They started organising a convoy way back last year and there were already 13 yachts in September 2010 who signed up for the convoy**.

http://www.alondrasa...ttt/Convoy.html (link as supplied by member SerpentSea)

* http://www.sail-worl...id=74098&rid=11

** http://www.noonsite....e/R2010-09-02-2

EDIT:

January 31, 2011:

Due to some cancellations of technical background, TTT can still provide for a couple of yachts to join. Currently on our way from Sri Lanka to Oman, TTT will leave in Convoy from there in the beginning of march. If you want to join please send us an email. All info and benefits for the whole trip to Turkey will be fully available.

From: http://www.alondrasailing.com/ttt/News.html

LaoPo

Edited by LaoPo
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Lol...so much sarcasm in this tread. At the end all comes down because guy owns 60 ft yacht and rest of you don't.

Seriously, if any of you owns expensive yacht and have no choice but to use those waters, wouldn't you at least try asking for help? No harm asking...Just because someone put word "demand" in title of this thread it doesn't really mean they were demanding but merely asking. God forbid something happens to these people and their 2 year old child...

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If they were planning this trip and route for several months, then perhaps they should have left earlier and taken the longer but perhaps safer way back home. Simply ridiculous that anyone would demand (or even ASK) for a military escort for unnecessary travel. As for their 2 year old daughter joining the journey, to me as a parent, it is unthinkable to put a child knowingly in harms way. Simply amazing!

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This sounds so ridiculous that I'd be tempted to suspect it's troll droppings, but assuming these people are real and obviously so out of touch with reality, I'll continue.

I think one of the saddest things about this is that these people have no idea of how ludicrous they sound. What a couple of spaced-out idiots.

I hope some welfare agency intervenes when (if) they get back to Holland, and tries to find a home with some sane people for that poor child.

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If only the woman had been a little younger and a bit more attractive, I would have escorted her myself.

Dutch and German women do not age well. Their sell by date is easily 30-33.

What about the fat Island women and Mc Donald fatties???? :jap:

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If they were planning this trip and route for several months, then perhaps they should have left earlier and taken the longer but perhaps safer way back home. Simply ridiculous that anyone would demand (or even ASK) for a military escort for unnecessary travel. As for their 2 year old daughter joining the journey, to me as a parent, it is unthinkable to put a child knowingly in harms way. Simply amazing!

The navys of various nation are already in that area protecting this sea route. What is wrong if a convoy of private yachts asking to be guarded too, same as commercial ships who are choosing this route for a better profit margin get their escort.

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If they were planning this trip and route for several months, then perhaps they should have left earlier and taken the longer but perhaps safer way back home. Simply ridiculous that anyone would demand (or even ASK) for a military escort for unnecessary travel. As for their 2 year old daughter joining the journey, to me as a parent, it is unthinkable to put a child knowingly in harms way. Simply amazing!

The navys of various nation are already in that area protecting this sea route. What is wrong if a convoy of private yachts asking to be guarded too, same as commercial ships who are choosing this route for a better profit margin get their escort.

Commercial ships for your information, do not get an escort at their convenience. The naval taskforce is patrolling a stretch of sea in the gulf of aAden heavily infested with pirates and established a so called 'safe corridor' through which cargo ship's are requested to transit. Pirates have in the past on rare ocassions also hijacked ships from inside this corridor. The Japanese navy provides an escort in the sense that they transit the gulf of Aden at pre-scheduled dates/times and it is the cargo ship Captain's responsibility to arrive on time at the scheduled area and join them (they will not wait for your ship and provide individual escort). There has also sprung up, a huge business of providing armed/unarmed security gaurds provided by ex-soilders, marines, mercenaries etc operating mainly out of UK, USA etc. The teams will board your yacht/ship off Fiji, Mauritius, Sri Lanka, Djibouti etc and provide escort upto Suez canal. Most commercial shipping use these security teams.

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Not sure the Thai navy are involved at all - indeed no involvement from Thailand apart from it being their port of departure. Royal Navy in this case will be the British Navy since it is aq quote from a UK newspaper.

The Thais are actively participating in the exercise in the Indian Ocean. Seems the Thai navy has extensive experience picking up small boats full of passengers off the coast and punishing them DO'H

They probably passed the request on, with a hearty chuckle, to the Brits who are running the show.

I love that attitude of the quoted couple. It's like calling the police....ummm no it's like calling a frigate with the better part of a thousand men that costs hundreds of thousands of dollars a day to float to escort your privileged ass across a stretch of ocean where this very military has said "we can not reasonably protect you" this is the Euro socialist entitlement mentality run amock. These are the same people who protest when the government makes a life expectancy adjustment to the retirement age.

Like the man above said. if you are really that worried about it fly home, and pay a company to take your boat. Better yet, if the price is right, contact me in BKK. I moght be interested in buying it.

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If they were planning this trip and route for several months, then perhaps they should have left earlier and taken the longer but perhaps safer way back home. Simply ridiculous that anyone would demand (or even ASK) for a military escort for unnecessary travel. As for their 2 year old daughter joining the journey, to me as a parent, it is unthinkable to put a child knowingly in harms way. Simply amazing!

The navys of various nation are already in that area protecting this sea route. What is wrong if a convoy of private yachts asking to be guarded too, same as commercial ships who are choosing this route for a better profit margin get their escort.

I didn't know there was a convoy involved. I got the impression that these idiots were asking for a warship just for themselves. If there is a convoy, with perhaps 20 or so private yachts, maybe my opinion would be different.

However, you're comparing the navies of many nations working together to protect the whole shipping industry in that area of the world, which in turn means protecting many people's livelihoods, which in turn means getting products (sometimes necessary for one's health) shipped to where they're needed. So, I really can't compare a couple of wackos who defiantly and unnecessarily decide they want to take the shorter and more dangerous route home and insist that a massive amount of money be spent on them to make their decadent little adventure safer and more convenient. No way!!! These people have completely lost touch with reality, IMHO.

Edited by Wavefloater
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