Fending off pirates is tough work that demands a tough ship. But after a long, hot day scouring the horizon for Jolly Rogers and dodging pirate skiffs, you need a ship that helps you relax with elegance and class. Where can you find such a graceful blend of form and function?
You might want to try the Indian Ocean Explorer 2, spotted for sale by the reporters at SomaliaReport. The ship started life as a drab 1966 Canadian Coast Guard Collingswood Expedition ship, but was tricked out to turn it into a fancy charter yacht for diving trips. Now it's being marketed as for use as an anti-piracy and mercenary craft.
The Explorer 2's sellers describe it as "Ideal for use as a Patrol Vessel or an Operation Base Vessel" and "the largest private escort vessel available in East Africa." Mercenary firms have used converted military and government ships for pirate-busting before, including Blackwater's aborted attempt with the McArthur. Merc firms should pay particular attention to the Explorer 2, according to its sellers, since it's "a suitable asset to any private maritime security company concerned with maintaining and/or enforcing fisheries, boundaries, off shore oil drilling installations."
Task Force 151, EU Navfor – sure these international anti-piracy task forces are packed with military ships capable of launching helicopters that take on far-off pirates in a pinch. But do they have style? The Indian Ocean Explorer 2 doesn't have high end gear like a pirate-crisping laser, but it certainly has taste.
Your hands might be calloused from your work at sea, but when they tire of holding up that assault rifle, the cool kiss of African Red granite atop the Explorer 2's lounge bar will help you salve your mitts of the day's toil. The watering hole is conveniently located on the upper deck and can help you quench your thirst with an array of options from the refrigerated wine cave, beer dispenser and vodka freezer. Rest your apéritif on one of the lounge's ebony side tables, sink into its leather couches and ottomans and enjoy how the furniture "harmoniz[es] different materials and colors."
Using the Explorer 2 for anti-piracy work would also help the ship avenge its fallen predecessor, the original *Indian Ocean Explorer.*That ship, an oceanographic vessel turned into a luxury dive tour vessel, was hijacked by pirates in 2009 off the coast of the Seychelles, The pirates later told AFP that they burned it after receiving a $450,00 ransom to return its crew.
Photo: Indian-Ocean-Explorer.com
See Also:
- China to Pirates: All Your Base Are Belong to Us
- Pirate-Fighters, Inc.: How Mercenaries Became Ships' Best Defense ...
- Hostages: Did Imprisoning Pirates Spur Quest Killings?
- Pirates to India: This Time It's Personal
- Navy Captures Pirates Without Firing a Shot
- Arrr! Pirates Take Up to $12 Billion Worth of Booty
