Diary of a hijacking – 71 days in the hands of Somali pirates by James Law
Of this book I only found a Dutch version. But the lessons identified are great !
Diary of a hijacking – 71 days in the hands of Somali pirates was written by the author as a diary. It tells the personal story of one of the crew members, James Law, of the Pompeii.
The book can be read from many points of view, and has been: as an account of the hijacking by legal authorities, as a testimony to a crime, as a memory, almost as a novel.
But lessons can also be found for the shipping sector. In other words, do’s and don’ts if you get hijacked by pirates. This is not a story that can be dismissed as far from our minds: Somali pirates are still hunting for their prey on a daily basis.
But what are the lessons identified? Perhaps, above all, the mental and physical requirement: see that you survive. A number of things can help with this:
- Don’t get f*ck*! up by being close to the pirates. Be submissive and don’t make a big deal out of your personal belongings. Keep your anger and other emotions under control towards the pirates.
- Keep a journal if possible. Write down the things of the day every day in an as observational a way as possible.
- Make sure you have a good cook on board. The cook can be the real hero, because healthy and good food are extremely important for strong morals.
- Maintain personal hygiene.
- Be polite and friendly to the pirates. Play comedy if you have to.
- Keep yourself busy, as useful as possible. The author of the book did this, among other things, by cleaning up the kitchen. Move around whenever possible.
- Do not destroy evidence if possible, especially at the end of the release process, because of the need for a forensic investigation.
- Make sure you relax on board: bring plenty of books, board games, fitness equipment and movies on board.
- Get to know each other, so that transparent communication among the crew members throughout the situation is possible. Don’t play “no comment” games with your colleagues on board.
- Support each other and look out for each other. Be alert to the distress signals of your fellow crew members, physical and psychological, when they occur.
- Do everything you can to keep the morale of your fellow crew members high. So don’t spread false hope. Communicate a lot and extensively, openly, and express your thoughts among yourselves.
- Take a long rest after the fact. Gather your strength. Let yourself be pampered. Surround yourself with love. Put an end to it. If necessary, with a ritual. Allow the press to tell your story out of your mouth, so that no wild stories (continue to) circulate. Afterwards, stay out of the spotlight as much as possible.
Title: Dagboek van een kaping – 71 dagen in handen van Somalische piraten, Author: James Law, Publisher: Van Halewyck, ISBN: 9789461310897, Diary, Lessons Identified