A couple with their own yacht got captured
By maximax8
@maximax8 (31042)
United Kingdom
January 10, 2012 6:41am CST
An English couple with a yacht had visited the Seychelles and then set sail again. They were captured my pirates from Somalia. Amazingly they got freed when lots of money was given to the pirates as a ransom. The couple say that they had been treated very baldly indeed and had been separated a lot.
Do you think the couple should have been sailing in a dangerous area of sea in the world?
If you had your own yacht where would you keep it and where would go choose to go off sailing?
What do you think of the couple's experience?
1 person likes this
5 responses
@albto_568 (1268)
• Costa Rica
10 Jan 12
It is really a sad experience of this couple, I guess that bad things can happen everywhere, yet, is a good advise, always to avoid danger, and, in this case, before sailing, get information about the possible hazards in the route they are planning. I am sure, that any British embassy, would have advise them not to go there, and take another route, more safer.
@maximax8 (31042)
• United Kingdom
10 Jan 12
I read the Foreign Office advice about Colombia before my trip there and it was scary. I felt safe in the Maldives on a tropical beach and then I got attacked on it. I have stayed safe in cities like LA and Nairobi. Yes, all sailors must check which seas are safe. Modern pirates sound very dangerous to me.
@albto_568 (1268)
• Costa Rica
10 Jan 12
I think that some of the information on Colombia is highly exagerated, of course, there are certain areas, specially on the Sierras, and higlands, where the Coca is produced that are extremely dangerous, even colombians don´t go there, unless they have a strong reason, but, in the turistic areas, is a nice country, with nice people.
@maximax8 (31042)
• United Kingdom
10 Jan 12
I went to coastal towns along the Caribbean Sea in Colombia. I found the people friendly and helpful. I did day trips out other places than where I stayed. Yes, a lot of information about Colombia is very untrue. I didn't meet other foreigners whilst there and that was refreshing. It is one of the nicest countries I have ever visited. I will be visiting South America again this year to Argentina and Chile.
@Porcospino (31365)
• Denmark
10 Jan 12
The same thing happened to a Danish family. They were captured by pirates from Somalia when they were sailing in the area around Africa's Horn. The couple that you mentioned and the Danish family were sailing in an area that is considered very dangerous and most people avoid that area because of the danger. Those people didn't listen to the warnings and I think that is a risky decision to go visit a place that is considered dangerous. You might be lucky and avoid problems, but you might also end up in a situation like the one you described, so it is a risky thing to do.
If I had my own yacht I would start by exploring my own country. There are more than 400 islands in Denmark and I would love to visit some of those small islands. In my own part of the country I would visit Skaroe, Drejoe and Hjortoe and later on I would visit other parts of the country.
@maximax8 (31042)
• United Kingdom
10 Jan 12
It is a shame that same situation happened to a Danish family. The British couple knew someone off the north coast of Madagascar had been captured a few weeks before they left the Seychelles. I traveled to Colombia last year and only went to the safe places there. The Danish islands sound very picturesque to me and it would be safe in that part of the world.
1 person likes this
@marguicha (230350)
• Chile
12 Jan 12
I would be terrified, of course, Maxine. I didn´t even know that pirates existes like that. I have heard of people pirating goods from other ships, but not kidnapping for ransom. I imagine the poor couple will have to chose another safer place to sail from now on.
@bounce58 (17380)
• Canada
12 Jan 12
Although having your own yacht gives you the freedom to go around anywhere you want, it doesn't exempt people from making ill-adviced decisions. Specially not reading about places that could be considered dangerous, as having pirates around.
It's great that they got freed.
But they didn't have to go through that ordeal if they were just wiser in their travel plans.
@enelym001 (8322)
• Philippines
10 Jan 12
That must be a traumatic experience for the couple. And maybe this will be a lesson for them as well to be careful and avoid those locations infested by pirates. If I have my own yacht I would first try to know the safe areas to sail. It is better to be safe and enjoy the journey than be put in such dangerous situation.
@maximax8 (31042)
• United Kingdom
10 Jan 12
The couple thought they might be killed. I am sure they will be far more careful in the future. I read about a trip around the world by ship. The ship's captain said in dangerous waters the travelers should stay inside and not go out on the deck. They didn't do so therefore travelers have to fly their first part of their trip now.
