Issue 8 2021

Acquisition International - Issue 8 2021 15 Guardian of the Ocean UARDIAN™ was the brainchild of Teresa. She realised that, rather than focusing her efforts on trying to remove pirates from ships, the key was to make it impossible for them to get on board in the first place. Thus, GUARDIAN™ was born, a specially designed strong and rigid barrier which clamps onto the ship’s safety rails, and once installed, is a robust way of denying access to a ship or rig. During installation, the units are tailored to fit around fairleads and unique structures, and a single unit or section can be removed or refitted in minutes, for operations such as mooring or vessel maintenance. In product testing, the Royal Marines tried to board a ship protected with GUARDIAN™ anti-piracy barriers and, after two hours, they gave up and the design was declared a success. The system is now protecting some of the world’s biggest fleets including CMA-CGM, Maersk, and BW Tankers, as well as being used to protect offshore rigs and drilling ships. Extensive research has been carried out to achieve the ultimate profile and composition for GUARDIAN™. A roofing ladder cannot take hold and, even if a grappling hook managed to gain grip onto the deck, the profile of GUARDIAN™ makes it virtually impossible to climb over. G Manufactured by one of the world’s leading manufacturers of plastic products, the units are designed with a level of UV protection, are resistant to a wide range of chemicals (acids, alkalis, oils, etc.) and will remain robust over the temperature range experienced by vessels. Also, the polymer does not absorb water, so it is ideally suited to a maritime environment. And as a new feature, GUARDIAN™ is now available with a self- install option, allowing crews to carry out the installation during transit. To keep costs down for ship owners and operators, whilst having the best anti-piracy system available on their vessels, Guardian Maritime is now offering to provide clients the opportunity to have their own ship’s crew easily install the system. Clear instruction is provided by installation videos and bespoke support direct fromGuardian Maritime to give the crew enhanced confidence in the simple installation. As a result of GUARDIAN™, since November 2016 (the last pirate attack on a GUARDIAN™ defended ship), there have been no further reports of pirate attacks or even suspicious approaches on any ship protected by GUARDIAN™, with 426 ships and 8,520 crew being protected so far. Company: Guardian Maritime Ltd Contact: Teresa Stevens Email: [email protected] Website: www.guardian-maritime.com Hailing from Hampshire, England, award-winning Guardian Maritime Ltd is owned and run by husband and wife team, David and Teresa. It develops and installs vessel protection systems against maritime piracy and hijack, GUARDIAN™ being its core product. With the GUARDIAN™ system protecting $80 trillion of assets annually, Acquisition International has recognised the innovative company as Leaders in Maritime Anti-Piracy Barriers 2021 – UK. Jun21137