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forced the pirates to stop their attack. The pirates WKHQ ÁHG LQ WKHLU VNLII WRZDUG WKH 6RPDOL FRDVW with the helicopter in pursuit. When the heli- FRSWHU ÀUHG ZDUQLQJ VKRWV WKH SLUDWHV VWRSSHG My team and San Jacinto's VBSS team boarded the vessel, but the pirates had dumped all their weapons during the chase. Unfortunately, the only remaining evidence of the incident was the pirates' ladder, which was still attached to the side of the vessel they attacked. Best Practices During our deployment there were several successful attacks, and in most cases the ves- sel crews were unaware of the attack until the pirates were aboard the vessel. We found that the best defense against piracy is a vigilant lookout. The crews that were able to detect approaching pirates and employed active defensive measures typically escaped attack. Additionally, merchant vessels that traveled in FRQYR\V SODFHG UXQQLQJ ÀUH KRVHV RYHU WKH VLGH emplaced barbed wire on the rails, or transited at high speeds also avoided attack. About the author: /7 $DURQ 5HQVFKOHU LV FXUUHQWO\ D ODZ HQIRUFHPHQW GXW\ RIÀ- cer at USCG District 7 Command Center. High-Risk Seas The Gulf of Aden The gulf runs along the north coast of Somalia and is relatively nar- row, which allows pirate attack groups to operate with small high- speed skiffs. These attack skiffs are typically 20 to 30 feet long, equipped with one or two outboard motors. Their high speed combined with their low profile make them nearly undetectable to ship-based radar systems. From the internationally recommended transit corridor, Yemen or Somalia is only a four-hour transit, and these pirate skiffs are able to carry enough supplies to last a few days at sea, yet remain fast enough to chase down commercial traffic. The pirates also use these small skiffs to blend in with the fishing vessels in the area to remain undetected until they attack. The Somali Basin East of Somalia is a large area of the Indian Ocean, and even though it has significantly less traffic than the Gulf of Aden, pirate attacks in this area are still common. The attack tactics are similar to those in the Gulf of Aden, but these pirates must typically remain at sea for weeks to cover hundreds of miles, since, as the attacks increased closer to the Somalia coast, the merchant marine community began to travel farther offshore. The manner in which the pirates survive at sea is crude, but they have successfully pirated vessels more than 500 nautical miles off- shore, using a 30- to 40-foot whaling type boat to tow their attack skiffs. These whalers do not provide any protection from heavy weather, so activity in the Somali Basin is reliant on dry weather. Most pirates move to the calmer Gulf of Aden when the monsoon season arrives. Photo courtesy of Oil Companies International Marine Forum and Witherby Publishing Group Ltd. www.uscg.mil/proceedings Spring 2012 Proceedings 55