Non-lethal protection for ships against pirates
The P-Trap system being tested by the Royal Dutch Coast Guard in conjunction with the Royal Netherlands Rescue Institute and the Royal Dutch Navy
Piracy is a serious problem in the Indian Ocean and off the Somali coast. The problem has been with us in that area for several years now, and it was a far back as 2005 when Lodewijk Westerbeek van Eerten of the Netherlands had an idea for combating it.
Having tried several methods, including a lubricant applied to the ship side, he came up with a simple solution, known as P-Trap. The system is designed to create a safety zone around the ship where it is vulnerable and to keep approaching vessels at a safe distance. The system comprises a boom that is extended from the bow of a vessel on both sides. Lines are installed on a conductor which is lowered from the boom. The conductor holds 20 P-Trap lines and can create a safe zone several metres in width along the sides of the vessel. The conductor is positioned just above the waterline in order to bring the lines directly into the water next to the ship’s hull. The lengths of the P-Trap lines can be adjusted, but will normally end just forward of the ship’s propeller. The lines are designed to float just below the surface of the water and disable the engine of a pirates’ small boarding vessel by trapping the propeller. The system is designed to be non-lethal using a breakaway connection. When a propeller is trapped, the line will break and the pirate vessel will be left floating with an inoperable propulsion system.
P-Trap uses a standard swivel boom design, which can be applied to most ship types. When sailing in safe waters it is stowed similarly to a gangway, alternatively it can ve stowed in a vertical position. The system can be delivered on a pre-installed foundation, which can be welded to the deck. A similar foundation can be welded to other ships in any fleet so the P-Trap equipment can be simply transferred to other vessels as they enter the danger area.
The main purpose of the P-Trap is to disable boarding craft without endangering the ship’s crew in any way. The system is claimed to be effective, easy to install and simple to deploy. Once in operation the system safeguards the vessel, day and night, with no need for attention.
The P-Trap has been tested by the Royal Dutch Coast Guard in conjunction with the Royal Netherlands Rescue Institute and the Royal Dutch Navy. In a test carried out in February 2010, a RIB with naval personnel onboard simulated four attacks and at each attempt, the attacking craft’s propeller was disabled. During these four attacks, ten lines broke away and one of the navy personnel suffered minor injuries.
Further tests were carried out by heavy-lift operator Dockwise, which has now ordered systems for its whole fleet. The cost per vessel of fitting a complete P-Trap system is €35,000, but with ransom demands of up to $5 million the economics look promising. The system has been nominated for a number of awards, and won the UK Safety at Sea Award 2011.
Claimed advantages of the P-Trap are its simplicity, its ability to be used on all types of ship, its continuous protection without monitoring or crew involvement. The makers say that it is a one-time investment that can withstand multiple simultaneous pirate attacks.
“The best thing would be for a pirate to actually get caught in our trap,” says Westerbeek. “That would be the best publicity for our product. We hope, of course, that insurers will put us on their wish list.”
The entire Indian Ocean is now plagued by pirates who can, at any time, have more than 20 hijacked ships and hold more than 500 crew members hostage. It is a serious problem, and Westerbeek recognises that there is not a single solution. P-Trap may be effective in keeping pirates at a distance and preventing boarding, but they could still fire grenades. However, Westerbeek believes that fitting a system like P-Trap provides a deterrent – pirates are most likely to seek easier prey than ships equipped with his system.
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