My high point over the past week has been listening to some stunning Radio 4 programmes including: the History of the World using found archeological treasues and some very interesting personalities on Desert Island Discs. The one that has left a lasting impression however, was Making a Stand featuring an interview with a seaman, a captain no less of a very large merchant ship travelling the world with various valuable cargoes, including his wife and rich fare paying passengers.
He told a story of how he and his crew had to cope with desparate Somalian pirates who were trying to lay siege on his vessel. This very brave man calmly explained his strategy as he retold the harrowing experience of how his ship was attacked with rocket launchers, hand grenades and machine gun fire.
His shrewd judgements and quick thinking were in marked contrast to his suprising empathy for the young African men in their 'plastic boat' and his knowledge of the dreadful political climate that they were facing. Although he would not surrender to them, the captain, it would seem was loathed to inflict harm on them either, and if anything admired their courage and tenacity. And yet he had rich pickings amongst his passengers, just ripe for kidnap and ransom and the threat - no matter how much admired was very real. The bucanners would not think twice about hacking a finger off if a gold ring was sticking.
The captain had his bosun place planks along the side of the ship, so that when the Somalians tried to alight by attaching their special lightweight ladders, the planks were released and these, along with the ladders, fell into the sea. The wooden planks wrought havoc with the pirate's boat's propellors and the cargoe ship escaped with its dignity, more or less, aside from a gaping hole around the stern - in tact.
Wow! What a man. He should be running the country not roaming the sea!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment