Sat, Nov 21 2009
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Published April 13, 2009 10:34 am - Ben Bailey has tried to stay informed about the pirate situation involving the Maersk Alabama, which was attacked by pirates 350 miles off Somalia on April 8. Bailey knows about pirates By GINA KINSLOW Glasgow Daily Times PARK CITY — Ben Bailey has tried to stay informed about the pirate situation involving the Maersk Alabama, which was attacked by pirates 350 miles off Somalia on April 8.
The 21-year-old is a shipyard management student at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, NY. “We’ve really been watching it more since this happened,” he said, sitting on the couch in his parents’ living room while watching CNN. Ben visited his parents this past weekend. News of the pirate attack is probably of more interest to him than it is to most. Ben has encountered pirates himself. The incident occurred in January. “I was involved in what was considered to be a questionable encounter. It wasn’t deemed an attack on the vessel,” he said. His ship was passing through the Gulf of Aden when it occurred. “We were approached by five small vessels with men in them who were dressed in all black,” he said. “These vessels came very close to the ship. At one point we thought they were coming alongside.” Ben has been instructed by the academy not to provide a lot of details about his pirate experience. “I can tell you we were not fired upon and no hooks were thrown. No one came on board. So it was deemed a close encounter,” he said. When the crew noticed the pirates approaching the ship, they radioed a warship in the area and help was sent. “We were approached on a couple of different occasions,“ he said. “This incident being the most serious, which is when they got the closest.” Many people probably never thought modern-day pirates existed until the most recent situation involving the Maersk Alabama. Usually, when the word pirate comes up in conversation, the image of Blackbeard or some other historical figure comes to mind. Unless a person works in the maritime industry, Ben said, the average person wouldn’t think there was any such thing as a modern-day pirate. But as a Merchant Marine cadet, Ben and his classmates receive training on what to do during situations involving pirates. “The first thing they tell you is don’t let them come aboard,” he said, with a laugh. “We also learn about what the Navy is doing about the pirates as well.” 
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