Hijacked ship Asian Glory loaded with weapons?

[odindj]

The hijacked UK ship Asian Glory is reportedly carrying not only hundreds of modern cars, but weapons, the Iranian English language Press TV reports. The ship, headed to Saudi Arabia, was coming from Singapore when the Somali pirates hijacked it, according to a Press TV correspondent, who further says the UK ship was carrying the weapons for Saudi Arabia to launch additional attacks on Yemen's Houthi fighters. Press TV also confirms earlier reports that Somali pirates have demanded USD 15 M, the largest amount of ransom asked so far. The ship was kidnapped on January 2 and has 25 crew, of which 8 Bulgarians, 2 Romanians, 10 Ukrainians and 5 Indians.

Comment:
15M is not largest ransom asked, what pirates require doesn

[Guest]

Makes you wonder how the criminals were able to board a Car Carrier with a 23m freeboard?

Regards (Post#1)

[polsteam]

this "23 m freeboard" is a general media perception...   and it is false...

this 23 m counts to the level of upper (weather) deck, on which low superstructure is placed...


in fact you can get to this (most car carriers) ship at much lower level of (usually) main deck or deck just above main deck...

main deck is usually an entry level from ship's ship to shore ramp (through wich you will most probably NOT be able to enter, when the ramp is in closed / stowed position), but on the main deck or one deck above main deck you often have two "maneovering decks" (with mooring winches aft and for and windlass fore) and a recess on a huge (high) wall of ship's side, where gangway is stowed and through gangway and this recess you enter one of the car decks...

the level of these decks with winches fore and aft and a recess in ship's side is pretty much the same as the upper or main decks of any comparable size (in length) ship - bulker, tanker, general cargo, etc...

obviously there are watertight doors from car deck to this ship side (gangway) recess and to decks with winches, but...  if pirates are determined...  and they usually are...

[Guest]

polsteam wrote:
this "23 m freeboard" is a general media perception...   and it is false...

this 23 m counts to the level of upper (weather) deck, on which low superstructure is placed...


in fact you can get to this (most car carriers) ship at much lower level of (usually) main deck or deck just above main deck...

main deck is usually an entry level from ship's ship to shore ramp (through wich you will most probably NOT be able to enter, when the ramp is in closed / stowed position), but on the main deck or one deck above main deck you often have two "maneovering decks" (with mooring winches aft and for and windlass fore) and a recess on a huge (high) wall of ship's side, where gangway is stowed and through gangway and this recess you enter one of the car decks...

the level of these decks with winches fore and aft and a recess in ship's side is pretty much the same as the upper or main decks of any comparable size (in length) ship - bulker, tanker, general cargo, etc...

obviously there are watertight doors from car deck to this ship side (gangway) recess and to decks with winches, but...  if pirates are determined...  and they usually are...

Quite correct but I would have thought that for a voyage through such waters as these that those area's would have been temporarily 'defended', i.e. blocked up until docking. Especially given her alleged cargo!

Regards (Post #2)