
LOL, @Marc JoanI'll transmit the Magic Touch across the interwebs ("Clear your snots in an hour!" "No age limit!". Could be onto something there...)
A happy new meaning for the Snottagram.
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LOL, @Marc JoanI'll transmit the Magic Touch across the interwebs ("Clear your snots in an hour!" "No age limit!". Could be onto something there...)
@AgentPete I’m not sure this quite fits in with the subject matter- it’s not about cruising but two professional sailors guarding an Italian merchandise cargo ship the “Enrica Lexie” in pirate infested waters near and about the Indian ocean. Because of my ties with India I have been involved in this “adventure” of the two Italian sailors, framed for the murder of two Indian fishermen and held as hostages for political/bribery reasons between Italy and India.We’re well into the crazy season now, there’s a “last flight out of Saigon” atmosphere that creeps into publishing at this time of year. Also, it’s party time.
Was talking last night to a chap who spent a large part of the past six weeks afloat, adrift, becalmed. He was the professional crew in a ketch taking half a dozen tourists on a luxury cruise between the Philippines and Thailand. They got more than they bargained for.
First, the wind dropped completely. No problem, they had an engine. Which didn’t work and couldn’t be repaired. So… no electricity. No GPS. No communications. They drifted for days, away from shipping lanes.
Then the water supply started to run out. The captain – elderly, eccentric – pretty much withdrew. The luxury tourists started stealing & hoarding water, every manjack for himself.
After a week adrift, he took a sextant sighting. They were exactly where they had been a week before, going round in a giant circle. He knew they were going to die.
Then a Thai voice hailed them. A tiny, primitive fishing trimaran had spotted them. Only room to take one passenger off at a time. He flew home to last night’s party.
This is the sort of story that never makes the news, but is brimming with drama. Fascinating, I thought.
In effect they are called Marò, and I guess the nearest in English is Marines but I used sailors as a more generic term so as not to muddle people up. They are as you say Naval Military servicemen, employed by the cargo-ship owner for protection under special license laws by the Italian government, which, because of the agitation these laws have caused, I think they are no longer effective.In Italy, these two sailors are described as Marines, i.e. either ex- or possibly even serving (not sure -- haven't really been following it) naval military servicemen, employed by the ship operator. There is quite a lot of intermittent agitation in Italy about the issue.