Acta Non Verba 3/19/2019 ... On the Amtrak 182 from DC Union Station to Newark, NJ Passing Through Philadelphia

There are various things in life that remind me about earlier times in my life.  Taking the Amtrak train from DC to the New York Metropolitan Area is one of them.  When I take the train these days it reminds me of two times in my life.  Age 18 - 22 while I was a Midshipman at Kings Point and would take the train from home or back to "the Academy" and 2002 - 2005 when I worked for Lockheed Martin and would take the train to either the MTA's offices at 2 Broadway for meetings or after we won a project to our offices at 1 Penn Plaza right upstairs from Penn Station.

Today, at least right now as we arrive at 30 Street Station in Philadelphia, I am thinking fondly about those trips back and forth to Kings Point and right this second I am looking forward to the view I'll see in a couple of minutes of "Boathouse Row" in my old hometown - Philadelphia, the City of Brotherly Love.  We just past them, to me they seem timeless - Vesper and Malta boathouses look as they did forty plus years ago.  It's a sunny, crisp day, nobody is rowing right this minute on the stretch of the Schuylkill, but the open doors on two of the Boathouses attest to the fact there is or at least was activity there already today.  Soon we'll pass the Philadelphia Zoo, curve right and go over/across the river headed northbound through New Jersey towards New York.  Today I'll get off at Newark - Penn Station (the other Penn Station? - I guess.)

The current me has a business meeting and then dinner with a professional and personal friend this afternoon/evening.  It's rare that a trick business or personal these days doesn't conjure memories of the impact my time at USMMA has had on my very blessed life.  God fare the well, KINGS POINT!

Department of Justice and Chouest Offshore's Larose Yard Reach Settlment

OCTOBER 15, 2015 — The Justice Department announced today that it has reached an agreement with Edison Chouest Offshore's Larose, LA, shipyard, North American Shipbuilding LLC.

The agreement resolves a complaint filed with the Justice Department's Office of Special Counsel for Immigration-Related Unfair Employment Practices (OSC), claiming that the company retaliated against an individual for filing a charge of discrimination with OSC.

Based on its investigation, the department determined that North American Shipbuilding retaliated against an employee for filing a charge with OSC by, among other things, barring him from the company's business facilities. The anti-discrimination provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) prohibits employers from intimidating, threatening, coercing or retaliating against workers who file a charge under the law.

Under the terms of the settlement agreement, the company has agreed, among other things, to pay a civil penalty and to offer $15,000 in back pay to the injured party. The company also has agreed to train its employees on the anti-discrimination provision of the INA and to review and revise its employment policies.

"Retaliation against employees for contacting government agencies entrusted to investigate possible violations of the law will not be tolerated," said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta, head of the Civil Rights Division. "Employees should not be afraid to speak up about their treatment in the workplace."

Read the settlement agreement HERE

Oh Stately Strife Born Alma Mater, My Heart Cries For Thee This Day ...

Fellow USMMA alumni, family and friends, as all probably know once again this day, the ship that is the USMMA is once again under the interim direction of Academic Dean and Acting Superintendent Captain Sashi Kumar, USMS.

Here are some compiled notes, etc. at the close of one of the Academy’s worst weeks, provided by Captain Scott O'Conner KP '83, President of the Jacksonville Alumni chapter and father to a recent graduate and current member of the regiment of midshipmen as well as husband of Glenda Marerum O'Conner KP'85. Captain O'Conner posted this on the USMMA Class of 1983 Facebook page and I repost it here as I believe it is better written, less emotional, and more objective than I am capable of being on this subject at this time....

"Superintendent’s Reassignment Highlights Disarray

The news of the reassignment of RADM Philip Greene ’78 from his position as USMMA Superintendent has reverberated throughout the maritime community since last Tuesday and threw a pall across the campus during last weekend’s Homecoming celebration. The football team’s loss to Rochester paled in comparison. The highlight of the weekend may have been the game’s coin toss by Merchant Marine alumnus and retired astronaut Mark Kelly (Class of '86), accompanied by his wife Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. The repercussions of that removal by Secretary of Transportation, Ray LaHood has left most in the community stunned.

In the interim Dr. Sashi Kumar, the Academy Dean, has been appointed Acting Superintendent. Dr. Kumar has been in this same position twice before and capably steered the Academy through previous storms. This one is particularly intense. Acting Superintendent Kumar has been quoted saying, “ Rest assured, the ship (Kings Point) will be safe and stable regardless of the externalities. We will continue to provide the best education and support services possible.”

This is the very present bottom line but there are extraordinarily large questions that remain. Addressing infrastucture problems, physical plant and otherwise, that exist at the Academy merit the full support of our Alumni community. The Academy’s function and purpose needs to be reanalyzed and defined. It needs to incorporate a measure of nimbleness to be able to answer the needs of industry and government. It needs to be administered efficiently in a way that had only started to take hold under Phil Greene. This movement has grown out of MARAD’s own 2010 Blue Ribbon Panel Report. Its very first recommendation had been to develop a Strategic Plan for the Academy, taking it into the future. (click on this link to find the report at MARAD’s website). http://www.marad.dot.gov/news_room_landing_page/news_blue_ribbon/blue_ribbon_panel.htm

Admiral Greene took his position fully cognizant of this report and was working very hard to get “everyone on the bus” to take the Academy where this report stated it needed to go. Toward that end the Academy Alumni Foundation offered to fund and develop a Strategic Plan in full compliance and coordination with the Academy. The work was to be provided at approximately half the commercial cost, valued at $1 million. The gift offer has been declined. Instead, an RFP went out from MARAD for this same work. On the heels of RADM Greene’s reassignment. The Foundation is completely baffled but is totally committed to its mission of supporting the Academy and its Regiment of Midshipmen.

MARAD’s is accused of being inept with its recent track record of Academy oversight.
Here is a short litany of current problems as seen by many.

MARAD micromanages operational control over all matters dealing with finance, legal and personnel. No chief executive (i.e., Superintendent) could reasonably manage any organization lacking control over these key functions—then also be held accountable.
MARAD refuses to get legislative or regulatory authority for the Academy that the
other federal academies possess. This is a vital portion of the sister academies’
successes in obtaining both private and public funding.
MARAD’s ineptness includes the inability to hire Academy faculty and staff and
procure textbooks and uniforms in a timely manner.
MARAD’s process for receiving gifts to the Academy is so muddled that gifts are delayed for months to the detriment of Academy educational programs. The Academy’s donor base validly complains when the activities they support do not get funded on a timely basis.
Absurdly, MARAD has ruled that Kings Point is prohibited from selling tickets to
sports events – the only college on the planet that doesn’t - losing even this limited funding source.
MARAD is short-sighted in its management processes, subject to political whims and petty grievances.


YOUR ACTIONS NOW COUNT!!
There is careful orchestration being carried out to take the message inside this Administration and Congress. With the astounding removal of our fellow Kings Pointer, Phil Greene, from the helm of the Academy contact your Congressional representatives and expressing your displeasure with the whole situation. Here’s the info you may need:

--Who? www.contactingthecongress.org, www.house.gov, www.senate.gov/

--When? 2011 Leg. Sessions: http://majorityleader.gov/Calendar/, www.senate.gov/ Congressmen have a Constituent Work Week Oct 17-21. Pay a personal visit if you can. Best to visit with Rep at local offices in your district. Take a friend.

Your grass roots efforts are needed and invited!!


Recent postings on blogs, etc. related to these recent events:


1. From KPA-CPA website: The "change in leadership" announced at the Academy on Tuesday 101111 is extremely unfortunate for Kings Point. Rear Admiral Philip H. Greene, JR (KP '78) has provided an extraordinary effort to effect positive change for the present, and the future, of our alma mater. He has provided his tremendous leadership under very difficult and often uncooperative circumstances, and effected structure and progress to the Academy. His appointment away from the Academy was in no way his choice, or a positive move for Kings Point. Rear Admiral Greene has the utmost respect of the entire Regiment of Midshipmen. The Midshipmen are, once again "the affected consequence", of administrative decisions beyond the Academy.


This is a challenging time for the U.S. Maritime Industry, and a most difficult time for Kings Point. The Kings Point Alumni are at a critical point in our progress, which will require profound action on behalf of our Alma Mater. The KP Alumni - Chapter Presidents Alliance and the USMMA Alumni Foundation are working as one team, and speaking with one voice, and are providing a unified effort for the Academy. All KP Alumni are welcome and encouraged to support this effort - NOW!


The KPA-CPA hosted an "All Hands" Communcation Forum on Wednesday October 12, 2011. This Conference Call was attended by over 200 registered callers, in support of Rear Admiral Greene '78! The attendees sounded a common message of support for KP Alumni action on behalf of Admiral Greene and the Academy. It was quite apparent that the outrage, anger and frustration will indeed provide the passion for the unified action required on behalf of the Academy.


One midshipman was quoted as saying "In my 4 years at Kings Point, I have never seen the Alumni so upset, or so involved in any issue, as they now are!"


2. View the support provided by our Midshipmen to Admiral & Debby Greene: USMMA Regiment's Farewell to Admiral Greene & Response 101211 VIDEO http://youtu.be/iNPY0e9CIak This video is especially good.



3. Fast Lane March 03, 2011 The Official Blog of the U.S. Secretary of Transportation http://fastlane.dot.gov/2011/03/introducing-radm-philip-h-greene-usms-superintendent-us-merchant-marine-academy.html Introducing RADM Philip H. Greene, USMS - Superintendent, US Merchant Marine Academy"It is truly a privilege to introduce RADM Philip H. Greene, USMS, who was sworn in last September as the Superintendent of the US Merchant Marine Academy, in Kings Point, NY....... I've never met anyone as devoted to the Academy as RADM Greene...The new Superintendent really gets it.... I'm pleased that RADM Greene has made raising the Academy's profile a top goal. By all accounts, he already seems to have had considerable success. Alumni have welcomed the return of one of their own. Faculty have cheered his emphasis on academic excellence. And the Regiment of Midshipmen knows his efforts will only increase the value of their years at Kings Point. I can assure you, Superintendent Greene certainly has my attention." Fast Lane >>June 22, 2011 The Official Blog of the U.S. Secretary of Transportation http://fastlane.dot.gov/2011/06/us-merchant-marine-academy-class-of-2011-their-generations-leaders.html#moreUS Merchant Marine Academy class of 2011: Their generation's leaders"Congratulations to RADM Philip Greene on his first academic year leading this fine institution, and congratulations to the class of 2011. I am confident that you will all provide outstanding service to the U.S. Merchant Marine and to our nation."

4. Fast Lane September 15, 2011 The Official Blog of the U.S. Secretary of Transportation http://fastlane.dot.gov/2011/09/secretaries-cup-back-on-kings-point-campus.html#more

Secretaries' Cup back on Kings Point campus

"..... I hope that Superintendent RADM Philip Greene and the rest of the Mariner community know that I’m extremely proud of everyone at Kings Point, not just the athletes. Our nation has relied on capable merchant mariners for years to keep America strong and secure, and I am confident that these young men and women will leave the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy well-equipped to handle the 21st century challenges of maritime service."


5. Maritime Memos http://www.coltoncompany.com/ THE MARAD MELTDOWN - I'm told that SECDOT has received so many complaints about the MARAD triad - Matsuda, Gotay and Krepp - that they actually hired an "executive coach" to help them improve their management techniques, but Matsuda refused to meet this person. (Is Matsuda related to Charlie Sheen?) Why hasn't he been fired? Where's John Graykowski when we need him? October 14, 2011.MORE ON THE USMMA SITUATION - It seems clear that Admiral Greene was finding it impossible to work with Matsuda and Gotay, which is entirely understandable, seeing that that's the experience of many in the maritime industry. Read the view from the Alumni here - http://www.coltoncompany.com/newsandcomment/USMMA.pdf. So, how come it was the admiral who got reassigned and not the nitwit Matsuda? KPers should be outraged and should let LaHood know that they are outraged. October 13, 2011.KINGS POINT SUPERINTENDENT REASSIGNED - Rumors were flying this morning about the sudden departure of Rear Admiral Philip H. Greene, Jr., USMS, who has been Superintendent of the US Merchant Marine Academy for only just over a year. SECDOT has now announced that Admiral Greene has been appointed to the DoT Chair at the National Defense University. Feedback from the Alumni Association says that this move was a reassignment and not Admiral Greene's decision, i.e., he didn't quit, he was pushed, so rumors continue to fly. October 11, 2011, amended later the same day.



6. You can participate in a Kings Point Alumni Action Forum in November - on behalf of the future of the Academy.

TWO IMPORTANT KP ALUMNI EVENTS! Register TODAY!

KP Chesapeake Veterans Day Dinner THU 111011 - “Honoring All Who Served” highlighted by a Kings Point Tribute to VADM Albert J. Herberger, USN (Ret.) (KP '55)

and KP Alumni Global Leadership Conference FRI 111111 - A Communication Forum attended by the KPA-CPA, the USMMA Alumni Foundation, and all Kings Point Alumni.

at the Maritime Institute of Technology & Graduate Studies / Conference Center, Linthicum Heights (Baltimore), MD

A KP Alumni Acta Non Verba Plan 2011 will be assembled from the discussions held, and ideas generated at this Conference. Complete details and registration - including overnight accommodations - for both events posted. Visit our web site http://www.kpa-cpa.com/ Veterans Day Dinner 111011 & Conference 111111 page

Ve

Lastly

You can also take action with a phone call to the White House. Leave a message expressing your displeasure. Call 202-456-1111. A real person will answer and your message will be heard.


USMMA: Red Sky in the Morning

www.marad.dot.gov
Accountable for the oversight and administration of the United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA), in May 2009, U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary, Ray LaHood directed the Maritime Administration to convene an independent “Blue Ribbon” advisory panel of senior executives to “put a...""

Latest "Good News" Relative to Somali Based Piracy

S. Korea navy 'kills Somali pirates, saves crew'

by Park Chan-Kyong – 1/21/2011


SEOUL (AFP) – South Korean navy commandos on Friday stormed a ship hijacked by Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean, rescuing all the 21 crew and killing eight pirates, military officials said.

The SEAL special forces boarded the South Korean ship before dawn, freeing all the hostages and killing the pirates in cabin-to-cabin battles, they said. Five other pirates were captured.

"This operation demonstrated our government's strong will that we won't tolerate illegal activities by pirates any more," Lieutenant-General Lee Sung-Ho of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told a news briefing. The South Korean skipper of the chemical freighter suffered a gunshot wound to his stomach during the raid but his condition is not life-threatening, the military said. No commandos were hurt. The rescue about 1,300 kilometres (800 miles) off northeast Somalia was seen as a major morale boost for the South's military. It has faced strong domestic criticism for a perceived weak response to North Korea's shelling of a border island last November. President Lee Myung-Bak, who authorised the operation, said the military carried out the raid perfectly under difficult circumstances. "We will not tolerate any activities that threaten the safety and lives of our people," he said.

The pirates seized the 11,500-ton ship and 21 crew members -- eight South Koreans, two Indonesians and 11 from Myanmar -- on January 15 in the Arabian Sea when it was en route to Sri Lanka from the United Arab Emirates. Seoul ordered a destroyer on patrol in the Gulf of Aden to give chase and President Lee ordered "all possible measures" to save the crew. General Lee said the commandos moved in after receiving information that the "mother ship" for the pirates was leaving a Somali port. "Since we thought we could be in an extremely difficult situation if the pirates joined forces, we chose today to carry out the operation."
Lee praised the freighter's 57-year-old skipper Suk Hae-Kyun for his prudence. "Pirates sought to take the vessel to the Somalian coast fast but the skipper helped us earn time by manoeuvring the vessel in a serpentine manner." To distract the pirates' attention, the destroyer fired warning shots and manoeuvred close to the hijacked vessel. A Lynx helicopter provided covering fire as the commandos stormed the ship.

The Koreans were assisted by a US carrier which also provided a helicopter to transfer the wounded Korean skipper. "It was breathtaking news," said Suk Hyun-Wook, son of the 58-year-old skipper, describing his response to reports of the raid. Kim Doo-Chan, 61, was also among the rescued crew. "I feel so relieved," his 28-year-old son Dong-Min told Yonhap news agency. "I'm ecstatic."

The military said Friday's rescue followed a brief gunbattle Tuesday, when the destroyer encountered pirates who had apparently left the South Korean freighter to try to seize a nearby Mongolian vessel.
The South Korean commandos aboard a speedboat and a Lynx helicopter were dispatched to rescue the Mongolian ship. Tuesday's firefight left several pirates missing and believed killed, although their bodies have not been found, a JCS spokesmen said. Three commandos were slightly hurt.

Foreign Minister Kim Sung-Hwan broke the news at a New Year's reception Friday for the heads of foreign diplomatic missions in Seoul, bringing applause and cheers from the ambassadors, a foreign ministry official said. The captured five pirates could be brought to South Korea or third countries for punishment, he said. The hijacking came two months after a supertanker belonging to the same company, Samho Shipping, was released after being held for seven months. The 300,000-tonne Samho Dream and its 24 crew were freed only after the pirates were paid a ransom reported as a record $9 million.

Piracy has surged off lawless Somalia in recent years, and international warships patrol the area in a bid to clamp down on the problem. Pirates are currently holding 29 vessels and about 700 hostages.

In 2008 the French military became the first to respond militarily to piracy in the region, when marines raided the yacht Carre d'As and freed two hostages being held by seven Somali pirates. One pirate was killed and the other six captured. In one of the most controversial rescues, Russian marines freed 23 crew barricaded on board a Russian tanker, the Moscow University. The pirates were later found dead and adrift in a small boat.

Congratlations USMMA Class of 2010!

Today - for the 28th time since as a member of the USMMA Class of 1982, myself and my fellow classmates tossed or hats in the air to celebrate making it "through" and gradating, another class of fine young men and women will join the ranks of well trained mariners and Kings Point Alumni. To all of you members of the USMMA Class of 2010, I offer my heartfelt Congratulations!







Welcome to the Alumni Family, enjoy the day and sail safely.

Some Recent Articles In the Main Stream Media on the Subject of Piracy

Piracy-induced costs seen rising


Written by VG Cabuag / Reporter
Wednesday, 09 December 2009 22:18

The continuing rise of the dangers of piracy in the high seas is threatening the viability of the shipping trade and costing shipping companies huge chunks of funds that eventually would be added to the price of commercial goods.

This is the finding of a United Nations study published in the UN Conference on Trade and Development's (Unctad) Review of Maritime Transport 2009. (Click on article title to jump to it)

Tougher International Action Against Pirates Can Make The Seas Safe Again

SomalilandPress
HARGEISA, 9 December 2009 (Somalilandpress) – Piracy along the Somali coast has seen an unprecedented increase in the last year. According to the BBC So far ...(Click on article title to jump to it)


Roboship, the 'unsinkable' solution

Matt Kwong
Last Updated: December 09. 2009 12:22AM UAE / December 8. 2009 8:22PM GMT

The National
ABU DHABI // A Sharjah company is producing a robotic ship that it claims is “unsinkable” and could be a solution to piracy.

Increasing maritime piracy underscored the need for such ships, said Basel Shuhaiber, the director of the company. “It's for anti-piracy and for defending ...(Click on article title to jump to it)


Seychelles tries to defend territory against pirates

Telegraph.co.uk
By Jean-Marc Mojon, in Victoria for AFP Published: 4:32PM GMT 08 Dec 2009

The Seychelles is engaged in an unprecedented military drive, enlisting foreign help to patrol its sprawling territory from the air and on the seas in a bid to keep marauding Somali pirates at bay.

With 115 islands scattered over an area three times the size of France, an armed force numbering about 500 and a population that would fit in Wembley stadium with room to spare, the Seychelles is often considered indefensible.

Glued to the perspex porthole of an aircraft loaned by Luxembourg, Captain Jean Attala of the Seychelles coastguard spots a small boat of the size used by the pirates that tend to elude radars....(Click on article title above to jump to it.)


Indian Navy Deters Attack, Hijacking Of US Owned Tanker Vessel


Ayinde O. Chase - AHN Editor
December 8, 2009 1:51 p.m. EST

New Delhi, India (AHN) - The Indian Navy was able to prevent pirates from attacking a tanker in the Gulf of Aden on Monday. The vessel belonging to a Norwegian-U.S. company had its distress call successfully answered.

The navy intercepted the distress call coming from the Nordic Spirit and dispatched a helicopter. Military personnel were able to deter the pirates from further attacking the tanker and seizing it and its contents.

Published reports say the pirates fled as they saw the helicopter and the warship closing in.
Currently the Indian Navy had been successful in foiling seven attacks since it began anti-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden...(Click on article title above to jump to it)


Somali Pirates Release Greek Freighter Held Since May

Ayinde O. Chase - AHN Editor
December 10, 2009 4:28 p.m. EST

Athens, Greece (AHN) - Somali pirates have released the Greek cargo ship seized on May 2. News of the release was confirmed by the ship's owner, All Oceans Shipping Co..
According to published reports, all of the "Ariana's" crew members are in good health. Company officials say all the pirates have left the ship and it is currently near Somalia's Hobyo port.
The company also confirmed that a ransom had been paid. Officials declined to say how much was paid, acknowledging it could put other ships and crew members at risk or hamper negotiations... (Click on article title above to jump to it)


Tankers trade group seeks action on Nigeria, Benin waters

Nigerian Compass Newspaper -
Wednesday, 09 December 2009 00:00

Oil tankers association, Intertanko has said that action must be taken to combat piracy off West Africa’s coast.

It said ship operators should report incidents to give a real picture of the problem of seaborne attacks in the region, The association explained that the West African waters constituted a high risk area as countries in the region develop more oil fields but the surveillance of their water ways by authorities was weak.

Intertanko, whose members own the majority of the world’s tanker fleet, noted that the situation in the Gulf of Guinea, particularly off Nigeria and Benin, must not continue unchecked.Oil tankers association, ...(Click on article title above to jump to it)

This Article From Reuters Really Illustrates The Heart of the Somali Pirate Challenge...

Somali sea gangs lure investors at pirate lair
Tue Dec 1, 2009 6:22am EST


By Mohamed Ahmed
HARADHEERE, Somalia, Dec 1 (Reuters) - In Somalia's main pirate lair of Haradheere, the sea gangs have set up a cooperative to fund their hijackings offshore, a sort of stock exchange meets criminal syndicate.Heavily armed pirates from the lawless Horn of Africa nation have terrorised shipping lanes in the Indian Ocean and strategic Gulf of Aden, which links Europe to Asia through the Red Sea. The gangs have made tens of millions of dollars from ransoms and a deployment by foreign navies in the area has only appeared to drive the attackers to hunt further from shore.It is a lucrative business that has drawn financiers from the Somali diaspora and other nations -- and now the gangs in Haradheere have set up an exchange to manage their investments.

One wealthy former pirate named Mohammed took Reuters around the small facility and said it had proved to be an important way for the pirates to win support from the local community for their operations, despite the dangers involved."Four months ago, during the monsoon rains, we decided to set up this stock exchange. We started with 15 'maritime companies' and now we are hosting 72. Ten of them have so far been successful at hijacking," Mohammed said."The shares are open to all and everybody can take part, whether personally at sea or on land by providing cash, weapons or useful materials ... we've made piracy a community activity."Haradheere, 400 km (250 miles) northeast of Mogadishu, used to be a small fishing village. Now it is a bustling town where luxury 4x4 cars owned by the pirates and those who bankroll them create honking traffic jams along its pot-holed, dusty streets.Somalia's Western-backed government of President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed is pinned down battling hardline Islamist rebels, and controls little more than a few streets of the capital.The administration has no influence in Haradheere -- where a senior local official said piracy paid for almost everything.

"Piracy-related business has become the main profitable economic activity in our area and as locals we depend on their output," said Mohamed Adam, the town's deputy security officer."The district gets a percentage of every ransom from ships that have been released, and that goes on public infrastructure, including our hospital and our public schools."RISK VS REWARDSIn a drought-ravaged country that provides almost no employment opportunities for fit young men, many are been drawn to the allure of the riches they see being earned at sea.Abdirahman Ali was a secondary school student in Mogadishu until three months ago when his family fled the fighting there.Given the choice of moving with his parents to Lego, their ancestral home in Middle Shabelle where strict Islamist rebels have banned most entertainment including watching sport, or joining the pirates, he opted to head for Haradheere.Now he guards a Thai fishing boat held just offshore."First I decided to leave the country and migrate, but then I remembered my late colleagues who died at sea while trying to migrate to Italy," he told Reuters. "So I chose this option, instead of dying in the desert or from mortars in Mogadishu."Haradheere's "stock exchange" is open 24 hours a day and serves as a bustling focal point for the town.

As well as investors, sobbing wives and mothers often turn up there seeking news of male relatives missing in action.Every week, Mohammed said, gang members and equipment were lost to the sea. But he said the pirates were not deterred."Ransoms have even increased in recent months from between $2-3 million to $4 million because of the increased number of shareholders and the risks," he said."Let the anti-piracy navies continue their search for us. We have no worries because our motto for the job is 'do or die'."

Piracy investor Sahra Ibrahim, a 22-year-old divorcee, was lined up with others waiting for her cut of a ransom pay-out after one of the gangs freed a Spanish tuna fishing vessel."I am waiting for my share after I contributed a rocket-propelled grenade for the operation," she said, adding that she got the weapon from her ex-husband in alimony."I am really happy and lucky. I have made $75,000 in only 38 days since I joined the 'company'."

(Writing by Daniel Wallis; Editing by Jon Boyle) ((Email: nairobi.newsroom@reuters.com; tel: +254 20 222 4717))