I went through that area in March 2014 and I think it was just about 30mi north of Balabangan. it was 3-5am when my crew asked me to come and see if I can tell which direction this boat was going in. There was just a bright white light and it was hard to tell how far away it was or how big it was but I was obviously pointing at us.

Maybe they weren’t even moving for a while. My crew is male and quite tall and I’m just curious. You said your crew was new in the PI, was she local? It would make me think maybe they saw a small local woman on a sailing yacht and can assume there is a wealthy white man aboard.

Who knows really what their intention was, you made it. How is the situation by Sipidan? I’d like to sail to Raja Ampat but it was a bit troubled around there when I was in the area. Almacantar’s pretty intense.

Correction to my comment posted earlier: I meant a few tens of miles further from Jolo, not Pulau. And one other thing, I still do not see why a lack of VHF response from the other ship “confirmed” it was a smuggling operation.

Given the fact that very few vessels ever respond to VHF in this part of the world, much less to DSC distress signals or messages passed in English, I would have used the level “slightly reinforced”.

First of all, am I a bloodthirsty barbarian? No. I am a retired veterinarian who has been doing volunteer work halfway around the world, especially in Panama, Tonga on Vavau, and lastly the Philippines for 15 months in Cebu at an animal rescue center called IRO where I met Mildred. I have not been in a physical fight since I was 16, 41 years ago. NOT what you would expect in a violent person

Am I an inexperienced sailor not able to determine if someone is a fisherman? I singlehanded from the Chesapeake leaving 9 years ago from the USA until the Philippines. Have bought fish and bait from many fishermen. Met many sailors with more experience but I am NOT a novice. All shots fired were in the air NOT at the boat.

The boat which approached me was a very fast (did you not see the word rapidly) moving open skiff about 35 feet long. I do not know their actual speed because I could see they were closing on us rapidly and felt it more prudent to go below and get the flare gun then to measure it. I never saw anyone but Mildred did see one walking to back of the boat from the front when I was below. This implies at least 2 aboard.

When Mildred went below and I watched them approach I allowed them to approach my stern to 15 feet. I could easily see the cargo of crates mostly covered with a blue tarp. What I could not see was any fishing equipment. Don’t know what material the boat was under the white paint. The people on board were hiding behind the cargo NOT showing me a fish or openly observing my boat out of curiosity like I would have expected. After firing the first shot ANYONE would have known their company was NOT wanted.

They turned off their light and approached TWO more times, and you don’t think THAT was threatening in this area? The area which this occurred is beyond typical Abu Sayaff territory. There is no reason for a boat of this type to have been in the area of the incident with a load of cargo. There is nothing out there until you get to Vietnam being just open water. It was thought by the 4 marine policing agencies to have been there to pick up goods from a large ship, as mentioned we saw one in the area.

The larger ship did not answer our mayday. For the above reasons the 4 police agencies think this was a smuggling attempt and we were just targets of opportunity. The paying of the large ransom by the German government is an incentive for more of this to occur. The above should have made any SENSIBLE person in fear for their freedom and safety.

Because the USA Navy has jointly assisted the Philippines in the pursuit of Abu Sayaff members have said they wanted to catch an American in retaliation and cut off his head. I was afraid for my life. If they had gotten to the point of trying to step on my boat I would have felt justified in using a molotov cocktail or other deadly force. No, I did not have one aboard. I do not know if there would have been a 4th attempt but glad the rope worked.

According to an impromptu briefing by the Philippine coastguard given in Puerto Princessa for cruisers at the Abanico Yacht club, most smuggling which occurs is between the Philippines and Malaysia in the islands south of Palawan. Rum and cigarettes to Malaysia and diesel back to the Philippines primarily. The areas that are especially noted were shown on a map.

The German couple was kidnapped in this area not where I was at. They were close to shore, 10 miles off the river of Rio Tuba in the SW part of Palawan. Neither us or them was near Jolo. I did know of the german couple. When first arriving at Puerto Princessa I saw a boat break its mooring and drift free. I and 2 other cruisers rescued it. This was the germen couples boat.

I was then told all about them. The boat was my neighbour on another mooring next to where I was anchored for the rest of the time I was there. I say Abu Sayaff was the group involved only because 3 of the 4 agencies said it was probably them. The other said it was probably not them because they were not brandishing weapons, but a local smuggling operation that would have sold us to Abu Sayaff if they could have got us.
I listed many mistakes I made when I submitted my article.

You mentioned it did not make sense that they would have come toward me with such an intense bright light. I agree and mentioned that myself to the police. If they had not had that light on, because of their speed, they would have been on our boat before I could have possibly gotten my flare gun. My only explanation is that just like an educated man, criminals are capable of making mistakes also. I’m very glad they did.
All 4 of the marine police agencies think this was smugglers that attempted a kidnapping. I think so too. If after all the above you do not agree the only thing I can say is you are quite capable of making a mistake also.
Keith Brauer, DVM

Mildred Villarba
S/V Atalanta

Well, I am very glad you are safe. However, I am finding the story problematic in a number of respects. Firstly, for clarity, it would help to have a far clearer description of the vessel which appeared to be in pursuit. Was it a wood vessel? What was its actual speed? By the sound of your story, it seems like the suspected “pirates” were hardly faster than yourselves.

How many were aboard? Was there any other reason than their proximity to indicate that they were indeed “pirates”? Does it not strike you as odd that “pirates” would be in a “very brightly lit” vessel? It certainly does me. Furthermore, your action in firing on them simply because they were not obviously police strikes me as rash.

This also requires further clarification: did you fire DIRECTLY AT them? If so without sufficient other provocation this could be interpreted as an extremely hostile and potentially murderous act. What if you had set the boat ablaze and killed all aboard and it, in fact, was a bunch of overcurious fishermen? I have often been closely pursued by poor fishermen who either are simply curious, wish to trade, or even wish to divest their vessel of “bad spirits”.

Never have I felt the need to fire on them. Further, you mention Abu Sayyaf. I take it you were aware of the taking of two German sailors from a location of similar distance from Jolo, and by the sounds of it you had come through the Philippines and so must have been in similar proximity. Did you really think this was the Sayyaf? If so do you really think firing on the likes of Abu Sayyaf with a “military issue” (meaning what?) flare gun was going to result in them just turning back?

It seems to me that taking pot shots against people you suspect may be carrying light to medium military black arms and the like is a very bad policy and liable to get you immediately killed in a storm of vastly superior returned fire. I do consider that the prop tangler is a good idea and carry significant lengths of line in reels for the same purpose. It is passive and unlikely to elicit an aggressive response.

I suppose I am just a wee bit tired of hearing of “pirate attacks” when there is zero actual evidence that those involved were pirates. Aggressive piloting is not an act of piracy, legally or otherwise. Can you clarify further or give reasons which in your mind made a potentially deadly use of hostile force the only reasonable option, particularly in the face of an assumed carrying of arms on their part? Further, why would “smugglers” of which I have seen many in the world, fairly obviously, bother to chase some random sailboat? This also needs clarification.