We had two encounters with Pirates in Indonesia. The first was in the Tiger Islands. The second was in Bangka Straits. None of these pirates resembled Long John. They are dirt-poor fishermen with a long history of preying on boat people. They rarely make the news because Indonesia is a large, sparsely policed country and most of all dead men tell no tales.
And because these pirates don’t fly the Jolly Roger, perhaps they weren’t pirates after all. They simply took actions that made us suspect they were pirates, and we took countermeasures to escape before they came aboard. At no time did we fight it out with the pirates. By that time you are lost.
A Dog or a Gun
The notion that you can shoot it out with pirates is likely to get you killed. Or locked up for years in prison in a foreign cell while they bleed your family dry for every dollar. A dog with a big bark is a much better choice than a gun for preventing many problems while cruising.
The dog will quickly learn to rule the deck in all weather and will take great enjoyment in protecting its territory and the crew. Kenneled securely on deck, a dog should never go below so that it is clear in its duties. Equally, the dog need not go ashore. It is best exercised by regularly swimming from the boat.
The exception would be shore leave for the dog to protect the crew. We had just such a situation, where our daughters swam ashore with the dog to a deserted beach, miles from anywhere. After some while, a man appeared on the beach from out of the mangroves. Innocent or not, the dog took no chances and leaped very aggressively into action.
Faced with all teeth and bark, the man could not backpedal fast enough to return the way he had come. The country we were cruising was predominately Muslim, with no knowledge of dogs. Equally, the official Religious Police prohibit Muslim females from swimming in anything less than full head-to-foot covering. Anything less a sign of low morality.
However, this will not help you with pirates, where you are almost certainly outmanned, outgunned, and outrun. Sometimes with semi-official sanctions. Pirates are like Anthrax or the Plague. Avoid rather than fight.
Tiger Islands
We sailed to the Tiger Islands because the Pilot Guide said they were uninhabited low-lying tropical islands. Ideal for cruising. This might have been the case when the pilot was written. It was not the case when we arrived. Every square inch of land, including the bare sand quays, was inhabited. There were people everywhere, and most were very poor, living a few feet above sea level in bamboo stilt houses.
We were on our own without a convoy and arrived late in the day at dusk. We anchored off to go ashore in the morning. We had barely gotten the hook down and were preparing dinner when a large fish boat with perhaps 30 men aboard anchored uncomfortably close without any apparent need. The anchorage itself was quite large. We had no dog aboard at the time, otherwise, they may well have anchored off. Indonesia is a Muslim nation except for Bali and there had recently been problems with riots and bombings.
From down below I was observing through a port and it was apparent they were working with something they had wrapped in cloth. Their movements raised my suspicions. I carry a pair of high-powered binoculars aboard, as they are an important safety and navigation tool, especially in low light. As we had no one up on deck perhaps they got careless. In any case, I got a clear view under the cloth. They were preparing a double-barreled shotgun. There could be no mistake.
Now perhaps this was all innocent. Maybe they were going to go ashore hunting for dinner. But maybe not. Maybe I had an all-girl crew facing 30 men armed with a shotgun with nightfall at hand. This seemed a very real possibility, with a very bad outcome likely.
On the other hand, the spot we had chosen to anchor in the Tigers was surrounded by coral reefs. The reefs are very handy because they calm the ocean waves, making for a restful sleep. However, they make it impossible to sail at night because they are unmarked. We were very lucky to have an early GPS and charts of the area. This made our escape possible but risky as well.
Out of an abundance of caution, before the other boat had time to complete their preparations we pulled up anchor and motored out into rapidly descending darkness. Trusting that the GPS and charts drawn more than 200 years before by iron men in wooden ships would save the day. By the time we reached the outer reefs and open water, it was pitch dark and we were running without lights. Without radar, it would be impossible for the pirates to follow us further.
I set the sails and autopilot, preparing for a long night on watch. My all-girl crew was safe below, asleep in their bunks.