When you see a photo like this, a US Navy warship about to board a Somali fishing boat towing skiffs, you realize the world of cruising has changed.

It used to be that folks transiting the North part of the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea stuck together, and stayed well offshore. This way you avoided the areas with known problems.

But with mother ships towing these guys offshore (or carrying them as deck cargo) staying away from the coast no longer works.

Thinking about self defense? Maybe an AR15 and shot gun, and perhaps an M1 for distance?

If you are facing a boat load of bad dudes with this sort of firepower, maybe it is better to be meek.

Is there an answer?

Can you avoid this sort of visitation?

Or an armed anchor watch?

We do not like the odds for the Red Sea these days. Better to enjoy Rodrigue, Mauritius, and maybe Reunion in the Southern Indian Ocean on the way to Durban South Africa. Then take in a few game parks on the way to Cape Town. The passage from Cape Town to the Caribbean or Cape Verde is long, but usually very pleasant (we’ve done the former twice).

And you don’t have to worry about unwanted high seas visitors.