Wellington Leg: Nothing is more exciting than writing a novel unless you include watching another person writing a novel or watching yourself. Despite much evidence to the contrary, though, even writers must pause to absorb what the world is dishing if only to make sure that the planet is still here even if you’re not quite finished with your scene.
CNN: Anderson Cooper is confused by piracy: “What do these guys want?” Of course this story only began a few days ago in CNN time but Somali pirates want you to know that they’ve been at this hijacking game for years. Trotting out guys from the K&R world to explain shipping lanes and Lloyds List is a hilarious diversion from working on that manuscript. I highly recommend the pirate coverage for fiction writers and Benedictine monks of all ages.
Sean Hannerty disses France: Sean is funnier now that Obama is president although he’s gone a little grayer since the G-20 conference in London destroyed traffic on Piccadilly. Needless to say he’s worried about pirates too, aren’t we all, since international maritime law is a god given fundamental right of human kind and now seems to be in jeopardy. The Hudson and Potomac are wide open, though, due to eternal vigilance.
If You Encounter Pirates: Something to consider while you try to figure out why the scene you’re working on is becoming a Monty Python riff. Maybe the old lady muggers are getting in the way. Let’s make them pirates but remember you have to answer Anderson Cooper’s somewhat rhetorical question, what do these guys want?
Here are some possible answers: After pouring over the Baltic Dry Index the pirates of the Indian Ocean sense a turn coming in charter rates. “If we seize all the merchant ships we can charge whatever we want for time charters!”
Money.
This is the kidnap and ransom business on the high seas. Every merchant vessel has a Lloyds Registry designation by class, deadweight tonnage and flag. Even tramp steamers, those ships with no fixed route or “trading territory” are included on the registry. There are few American flag merchant vessels because of the vagaries of the Jones Act passed back in Woodrow Wilson’s administration. The act imposes staggering costs for crew liability and limits where a vessel can call. That’s why the flag of convenience is so popular with ship owners everywhere.
The pirates may soon encounter another type of ship those found in Jane’s Fighting Ships. Jane has been cataloging war ships for over a century; she’s the original old lady mugger.