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Tying pirates in knots

23 November 2009 | By Siobhan Wagner

Launching device is able to immobilise attackers

A ship-borne launching device that fires a rope-based barrier into the path of pirate vessels is being marketed at commercial ships at risk from such attacks.

The Buccaneer, from BCB International, uses compressed air to fire a plastic cylinder containing either a coiled rope or net up to a range of 400m.

The coiled line of net or rope, which has a parachute attached to the end, will unravel and lay out across the surface of the water. As a pirate boat travels through the water its propeller shaft will pick up the line and become entangled.

Jonathan Delf, marine sales manager of BCB International, said that an attacking boat quickly becomes immobilised.

With the trials and testing we’ve done, it has taken us some 45 minutes to cut and disentangle the line from the propeller itself,’ he said. ‘Within that time of course, the target ship is on its way and hopefully help has arrived in the form of naval forces or helicopter support.’

Delf said the Buccaneer can be fired up to five times off just a single cylinder of air, which can be a simple scuba tank pressurised up to 1,000lbs per square inch. It can also be operated remotely. The basis for the Buccaneer technology, he added, comes from another of BCB International’s products called the Wall Breaker.

This technology is currently being used by European and US military personnel as a non-explosive method of entry into buildings where potential terrorists and hostages may be hidden.

‘Essentially it uses compressed air to fire a barrel of water rather like the ones used in office water coolers,’ said Delf. ‘The plastic container shatters on contact and the kinetic force of the water breaks the wall.’

He added that the main challenge for the design team behind the Buccaneer was making sure the line would deploy far enough away from the vessel so that it doesn’t become a risk to the defending ship.

‘There was significant design work done to ensure the line spools out from the projectile in the first instance and that the parachute system works so the line is laid our across the water without having to be attached to the mothership itself,’ said Delf.

BCB recently sold the systems to several large shipping companies that travel near the oil-rich Nigerian Delta, which, like the Somalian coast, is rife with piracy.

 

 

Readers' comments (20)

  • Anonymous | 23 Nov 2009 5:10 pm

    Does this system have any effect on jet propulsion (jet-ski) type propulsion devices? I doubt it.
    What environmental impact do the nets have? Are they biodegradeable?

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  • Mohit Sanguri | 24 Nov 2009 6:33 am

    Very good and encouraging innovation, for us Mariners. Must make it compulsary to have on all ships and training to personnel for use must be provided.

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  • Anonymous | 24 Nov 2009 9:49 am

    I hope the net is bio-degradeable and not a danger to marine life. I can't see many pirates disposing of it carefully afterwards.

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  • jonathan delf | 24 Nov 2009 10:53 am

    Currently the net is not bio-degradeable, although we are looking at alternatives that are. Ultimately we would hope this system would be used in emergencies only. It's a comprimise really, the hazard of a small net to marine life vs the hazard of an uncontrolled or sinking oil tanker which has become a victim of piracy.

    Jonathan

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  • Philip Waddington | 27 Nov 2009 10:35 am

    Not quite sure how this would work.

    Pirates can fire an RPG and AK47's at a ship from 1,000 to 1,500 metres away?

    Firing a net back with a range of 400m?

    Pirates will stay well out of range of the net and fire RPG's and AK47's at the ship or crew manning the net device.

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  • jonathan delf | 27 Nov 2009 3:53 pm

    Hi Phillip,

    The device is remotely operated - the crew need not place themselves in harms way. An AK-47 is accurate only up to 600m, an RPG roughly the same.

    If the pirates stay at range, then they cant board the vessel which buys the ships master time to get help or manouver away.

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  • Francis | 30 Nov 2009 5:51 am

    So what's stopping the pirates from buying, and using the same thing?
    Not much.

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  • Anonymous | 30 Nov 2009 8:15 am

    What's to stop the pirates from using a device like this to snare their target ships?

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  • john doe | 30 Nov 2009 8:58 am

    :) if you can shoot an AK-47 to 600 m off of a speedboat I know some armies (and pirates) that will be glad to hire you...

    The net will be super effective against small arms fire and against boarding, especially in the case of a stern chase.

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  • Phil | 30 Nov 2009 9:27 am

    So how many rounds is a ship supposed to carry? How long does it take to reload, and how does the crew protect themselves while doing it? What's to keep pirates (or a group of pirates) from simply harassing the ship until it has expended its supply of nets?

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