Pirate Skiff

A small, fast, open boat, typically a fiberglass craft with one or two outboard engines, used by Somali and other pirates in the approach and boarding phase of an attack. Skiffs can reach 20 to 25 knots, carry armed men, ladders, and grappling hooks, and are often launched from a mothership to operate far from the coast. BMP guidance treats the high-speed approach of one or more skiffs as the key indicator of an attack, prompting the bridge to increase speed, maneuver, sound the alarm, and report to UKMTO.