Monday 4 August Lahad Datu

The last few days have been a steady progress of the Sail Malaysia fleet under armed guard. No, we haven't been arrested. This is a precaution to protect us from a possible incursion by Abu Sayyif Group, a Philippines based terrorist organisation who firmly believe this part of the world should belong to them and not to Malaysia. In the last three months the ASG have made dash and grab hits on dive resorts near Sipadan targetting rich Chinese and Singaporeans.

If we had felt personally threatened we wouldn't have come but David and I discussed and felt, rightly or wrongly, we were a low value target plus travelling in a group of 16 yachts with the combined watch of Maritim Malaysia (Coastguard with big guns), navy, police, helicopters, drones and land based radar we would be safe. The downside for independent spirits was the requirement to travel at the speed of the slowest boat and to stop only at anchorages designated by the Admiral. The upside was practising sailing upwind, tacking and good naturedly racing against our friends and at night we'd all join on one boat for sundowners. When there was no wind to sail I'd put up the washing line and dry the laundry.

close navy guard

even closer guard

This afternoon we arrived at Lahad Datu for two days of rest and provisioning. Our arrival was with close escort of the navy – so close we chatted and could have stepped over on to their boat. Fun when the navy, with machine guns and semi automatics are your friends but in a different scenario when the boat next to you is not friendly it would be very scary. I think we'd offer then cup after cup of tea until David had won them over with smiles and jokes and then they'd want to be our friends and leave happily. Not as far fetched as it may seem. This really did happen to friends of ours off the E African coast a few years ago. A boat with armed men came alongside when they were at anchor and wanted to come aboard. Unbeknown to them, and most fortuitously for our friends, he was a former negotiator for the UN who could speak their language. His wife had also worked at the UN in Somalia and was used to men with guns. Cue the innumerable cups of tea and biscuits until the pirates became mates and wanted to invite our friends to their village for meal. They accepted and then got a way from there as soon as the pirates were out of sight.