Ecoterra International said the S/V Quest was seized in the afternoon 240 nautical miles (275 miles) off the coast of Oman.
The S/V Quest's owners, retired couple Jean and Scott Adam, have been sailing around the world for more than seven years.
Capt. Jean
Capt. Scott
Most of the ships currently held for ransom by Somalia's marauding pirates are merchant vessels but small yachts have been seized in the past.
When pirates capture an oil tanker or a large cargo ship, which are insured by large companies, their priority is to establish contact with the ship's owner to negotiate a ransom payment, paying little interest to the crew.
But when they seize a private yacht, the ship itself is of little value to them and their only bargaining chip becomes the crew's life and freedom.
Pirates have tended to abandon hijacked yachts and take crews onshore, where they can better shield their hostages and themselves from military intervention.
ORIGINAL SOURCE
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