Vertical Markets

Hardened vessels

by Mark Rowe

The security product manufacturer Easi-Chock reports completing the fit out of 150 shipping vessels. Easi-Chock was founded by ex-UKSF serviceman Wayne Harrison after surviving a Somali pirate attack in 2010. Wayne and his security team kept the crew safe using improvised devices to lock doors and portholes and create an impenetrable citadel.

Since Easi-Chock was established in 2013, the company has hardened vessels including bulk carriers and tankers with versions of the devices Wayne fashioned out of necessity at sea.

Wayne, pictured, said: “While Somali piracy is no longer prominent in the news, the threat remains as highlighted by recent attacks. However, more imminently and presently, piracy and acts of violence and robbery are still rife within the Straits of Malacca, South China Sea, Sulu Sea and the Gulf of Guinea in West Africa being the worst hotspots, especially considering the provision of armed guards is not possible. Presently, international guidance advises that ships should be protected by water cannons and razor wire. However due to the limited effectiveness of these measures, armed guards costing anything between $10,000 and $15,000 per transit are recruited for voyages through the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean costing the shipping industry billions per year.

“Our system turns the whole of the superstructure into a safe haven by implementing many layers of defense with all the crew safely located in the engine room. The system is delivered to delay, deny and demoralise pirates, who realise that they are unable to gain control of the vessel and abandon their attempts knowing they are likely to be caught and brought to justice. Having started with ideas for products in my mind, they are now protecting 150 ships, numerous crew members and the vital goods they are transporting internationally.”

There have been zero reported attacks on vessels fitted with Easi-Chock’s products and it costs about £7,000 to fit the equipment on the average tanker. Visit www.easi-chock.com.

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