[matznerd]

Disable the ships communications with jamming device. Tow it to port, hold ransom for % of cargo, or sell cargo in the local market.

[emgeee]

Is "towing it to port" really something that is that easy to do? These are big ships that are probably not easy to make disappear. Also, without hostages, using armed forces to take the ship back would probably be a lot easier.

Finally, depending on the cargo and location, I would imagine selling off the cargo would be a simple matter.

[dragonwriter]

> These are big ships that are probably not easy to make disappear.

The ship itself is often the drop location for ransoms; piracy doesn't generally require hiding the ship.

> Also, without hostages, using armed forces to take the ship back would probably be a lot easier.

This is a significant point.

[baddox]

Still sounds better than doing the same thing, but with a crew on board.