The crew didn't have guns, but there were fire hoses, with power evidently comparable to water cannon, which were used to try to keep the skiffs from getting close enough for boarding. I wonder if one or more of the fire hoses might profitably have been reserved for knocking off any pirate from the top of the boarding ladder. A hose operator could be positioned out of line of fire from the skiff and a hose is, unlike a flare gun, not a one shot weapon?
(If someone were tempted to respond "It didn't happen like that!" this would suggest a limited understanding of the concept of counterfactual hypothesis.)
I beseech ye in the bowels of Christ, think that ye may be mistaken.

Don't think a boat of that mass and size and turn sideways that quickly.
ORANGE for all
__

My question is, why not just crush that tiny ass wooden boat? The pirates already showed their intentions when they started shooting at the ship. The second they pull up to the ship, turn the wheel hard to port and capsize that wooden wreck. Toss a few life vests, supplies overboard and radio their position and keep trucking. Hopefully for them, a vessel would get there before they became fish food.

U ask me, the second we got back back to the States,I would have hunted Captain Phillips down and killed him, he ignored protocol, he had very very adequate time to activate security protocol, and let them pirates on his ship, he simply was trying to show off, and in the process nearly got himself, his crew, and put the lives of sailors at risk for his modesty and ignoring protocol, yep, I would kill him dead the minute I stepped stateside

I totally agree with the OP. I can't believe that this happened. You set off on a ship with millions of dollars of cargo & $30k in cash in waters that are KNOWINGLY DANGEROUS without a gun ?!?! That's just plain stupid. There's no other way to put it.
I never would have taken off on that ship without a handgun at the very very least. More than likely I would have had a rifle with a huge scope on it which I could have used to pick off the pirates on their little dinky boat one by one.

Yeah, it's just as absurd as some guys hiJacking a plane with just mace and knives and using it as a missile to take down a high-rise building.
You are going to see, hear and experience many things that seem impossible and improbable before you turn to dust.
Hell, I was 8 years old, living in San Diego, California when I saw a falling out of the sky. At the time it was the deadliest plane crash in aviation history.
I've seen and experienced many more things that seen unreal. This planet is cool but it's also messed up.
My YouTube Show: https://www.youtube.com/user/demodular

Looks like you didn't see the goddamn movie, did you?

You're not very smart are you?
It's quite evident.

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OP is correct. It is ridiculous.
And in response to the lame 'it actually happened so there' - just because it happened doesn't mean it still isn't totally ridiculous.
Plenty of things happen in real life that make us all say WTF. The reason security is beefed up on these vessels now is precisely because this incident was so stupid.

I don't care how feeble is the person, if he's pointing ak47 at me, and there were several of them.
However, it was stupid, how vulnerable they were against the pirates. At least they could've had a panic room.
But like Hanks said in the beginning they (bosses) want everything done cheap.
On the other hand that rescue mission was pretty costly I bet.
It comes down to who pays in the end.
The money, it's all about the money.
Pathetic businessmen on both sides.

No. This topic isn't happening.
Holy beep people are actually this dumb

This board I post on, it has trolls in it

with everything you said.plus the movie just plain stunk.based on true events or not it really wasnt that dramatic of a story for the big screen. TV film perhaps but not a major motion picture. Also did you notice how much more exciting the poster for the film made the boarding of the ship look. Lol

I found it frustrating watching the crew do nothing until it was too late and they were aboard. The film bored me throughout, and I can't understand why it's rated so highly.

• Opinions are like a$$holes, everyone has them, and they normally stink.

Until relatively recently insurance companies were quire reluctant to encourage armed guards. They believed that the consequences of a firefight would be more costly than the cost of a boarding (this was in the days that pirates just tended to nick money and easily transportable valuables than the ship itself).
Now though they do offer a bit of a discount on the premium if there is
trained
security on board. It's normally around 25% for non armed guards and 50% for armed guards.
This is just for bulk cargo carriers carrying inert goods though. They still don't like armed guards on petroleum and chemical carriers because of the fire/explosion risk.

I mean, they were US soldiers aboard, or did I understand wrong such part?
If the cargo+ship is worth millions of U$, how come INSURANCE COMPANIES won't demand such BASIC security (2 to 4 well armed men, even with at least a missile launcher, apart from machine guns, mercenaries on the payroll of the ship's company or the insurance company), to be able to have the ship insured?

also you have to look at the firearm laws of the countrys there ports there going to dock at.
bird signs you want to plan a strategy based on bird signs.

Politics is part of it, as a lot of countries don't like the idea of armed foreign ships coming in and out their ports (can't imagine why). Cost is another part, since it would mean different insurance and permits and training. A final one isthere's just nothing on those ships (in general) worth dying for. Being able to get into a gunfight with the pirates, people who are dirt poor and looking at (potentially) multi-million paydays from a successful hijacking, won't make them
less
dangerous.

Sorry can't see how to add a new comment so I'll just reply to mt OP.
But just so everyone knows, yes I'm aware this is based on a real event - I'm not mentally challenged like most of the people here.
What I am questioning is the audacity that in this day and age with all our technology, (supposed) intelligence, and weaponry; that four god damn poor and technologically inept Somalians can take over a ship that big.
This is undeniably just horrendous foresight/ planning and most likely some stupid political beep preventing weapons/ better defense systems for these ships.
Oh and the movie was still an over-dramatized piece of crap used to milk your sympathy and guilt you into liking it (see the piss poor opening conversation (dialogue) between the Captain and his wife).

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Would you be willing to give your life in defense of a crappy blue collar job?
Neither are most merchant crews.

You have ruined the internet for me. For shame, Sir. For shame.

the schmaltz; i has it

I will repeat my comments also despite all the protests to the contrary. They mentioned at the beginning of the movie that there were acts of piracy that had taken place already. For them to head into these waters knowing that, and not being armed and prepared, is really lame, foolish, and preposterous.
I also agree with the posters who stated they could have prevented the pirates from boarding the ship by dislodging their hooks, or conking them as they tried to board. Why did the crew just accept their boarding attempt? And not repel them? Quite preposterous.

The crew never had a chance to get anywhere close to the ladder, and the pirates are not all on the ladder at the same time and can always shoot. Anyway, it happened and merchant ships are not gunships.
Business tries to avoid anything military looking until they are forced (reluctantly) to use armed protection. This goes for merchant ships in dangerous waters, oil rigs in Nigeria, etc.
And btw, these SOmali pirates are fierce fighters, not technologically challenged at all ! Certainly quite proficient with their Kalachnikovs.