Page 53 - Exile-ebook

52 AN EXILE OF THE MIND THE FLYING PRIEST OF CAMIGUIN 53

Approaching the island of Ambon in Indonesia. Shane and Iris circumnavigating the world on his tiny 18-foot yacht.

After two weeks there was no she in Ambon? The palm of this Kong to relieved parents, with virgin- Moored alongside the famous
sign of Le Voyageur. With messages corrupt official’s hand itched for a ity intact. And Steve, disappointed canary-coloured yacht, we toasted
left for Steve and Patrick to meet me bribe. Two days wrangling and still at not finding the Island of Women, the 18-footer and her voyage from
in Ambon, I left Ternate, leaving no sight of the yacht. hitch-hiked to Kings Cross in Sydney. England. Shrimpy would sail on
my striped trousers as a memento. A fellow yachtie at the marina, Before hiking down to Brisbane to stardom as the smallest boat to
I would like to think they ended up where I would check daily for news, through the outback I shared the last circumnavigate the globe.
in their museum. During two days advised me to flee Indonesia under bottle of the French Consul’s wine Months before, Prince Philip had
on a dangerously overcrowded ferry cover of darkness. In the early hours with Shane Acton, skipper of Super taken time from a whirlwind visit to
I scanned the horizon for a splash I flew into Darwin in a two-seat- Shrimp. Most of the precious wine had Australia to take a look at Shrimpy
of white sail. And to learn of Le er Cessna flown by a friend of the ‘disappeared’ during night watches floating in a Brisbane swimming
Voyageur’s fate in Ambon. yachtsman in Ambon. on the voyage. The wine had been pool. He had admired the small
Running afoul of customs, I Le Voyageur nodded gently at substituted with water and re-sealed. I sloop but had doubted Shane’s
became entangled in a web of red anchor in Fannie Bay a week later. did wonder whether the bottle I gave soundness of mind.
tape. They wanted to know where Navigated expertly by Steve without to the Derwent’s commander in Cebu That thought occurred to me also
Le Voyageur was and why wasn’t the sextant. Patrick flew back to Hong was, in fact, water. as we poured another glass of wine.