Page 44 - Exile-ebook

44 AN EXILE OF THE MIND
Photo: Flow Publishing.
Piracy is one of the biggest fears for bluewater sailors.
Bargirls clutched at us from unless he had a girlfriend in port.
doorways on Burgos Street to drag Patrick, face blushing crimson red,
us into the dim rosy blackness of locked himself in the toilet aboard
seedy clubs. One on either side of the yacht until she left. Paul, with
Steve as he willingly disappeared nautical miles complete and a
into their lair. And then to reappear concerned wife, returned to Hong
a minute later back on the footpath Kong a couple of days later.
looking bewildered. A Filipino had We ran under sail on a moonless
earlier taught him some naughty night across the Sulu Sea. The haunt
Tagalog words requesting great sex: of infamous pirates. A bloodthirsty
“Sakit sex,” which loosely translated lot with no mercy given. It was a
meant, “I have sex disease.” tense night as we crossed fingers
Taking Patrick’s father at his not to run out of wind. We ran out
word for Patrick to see the world of wind. Starting the engine would
through the eyes of a sailor, the have alerted anyone on shore. We
crew set up a sweet-looking Filipina watched nervously as the dawn
for him. Not yet certified a seadog came up over the sea and the day
THE FLYING PRIEST OF CAMIGUIN 45
Lydia Tangvald, killed by pirates. Refugees from Vietnam.
began to grow alarmingly bright. and Cambodian boat people escaping
We started the engine and scanned to freedom in derelict craft in the Sulu
the coastline for jolly-rogered boats and South China Sea. A bonanza for
setting out from the shore. It was the highwaymen of the sea.
deserted and we soon knew why. Two years later, Norwegian
Approaching us from the south was a Peer Tangvald and his wife, Lydia,
fleet of naval vessels on sea exercises. with their three-year-old son, were
A New Zealand warship blasted a attacked by pirates close to where we
greeting in passing. Her ensign on had sailed. The feisty French woman
the quarterdeck lowered in salute was shot dead when she put up a fight.
as sailors in tropical whites stood to In Cebu we were invited to
attention, strung out like cockatoos have lunch aboard the Australian
on a fence. destroyer, HMAS Derwent, by her
In Cebu, friends and relatives commander. The boatswain piped
looked for yachts long overdue which us aboard in full ceremony as we
were easy prey for pirates. Attacks clambered up the gangplank. We
were intensifying with Vietnamese enjoyed our lunch until Steve asked