In May 2016 SDS published this story in Rich Myers Surf Travel Misadventures Trilogy Part #3.
Rich’s tale is back in vogue as an image of the Bali shipwreck appears in the latest White Horses surf magazine. This issue features 30 Years in Bali& Indo images by renowned photographer Jason Childs and is highly recommended for Indo enthusiasts.
Bali Pirates
In 2008 I took my family on a holiday to Bali.
On a surf trip to Butik Peninsula with my family I raided an illegal Taiwanese fishing boat shipwrecked on the reef at Padang Padang. I salvaged some portholes from the vessel and was chased by pirates.
Javanese pirates had attacked the boat out to sea, killed the crew & scuttled the boat which washed up on the reef at Padang Padang. The shipwreck was cordoned off by Bali Police.
Unbeknown to me Pirates (1 leader & 6 underlings) were hiding in bushes on the cliff watching how I got on the boat and followed me (I was salvaging portholes & such). The Pirates snuck upon the ship & found me. They asked “where’s is my boy” (they had seen my son Ry earlier). I passed them my screw driver and told them to “hold this for a second”, then grabbed my bag with the portholes & tools and bolted. As they slid down the slippery deck, I scampered down the anchor rope onto the sharp coral in my tennis shoes, then jumped into the ocean and ran up to the beach where Anne & Ry were innocently beachcombing and yelled out “RUN”. Anne said “what have you done this time?” We ran up the hill to our driver who had been watching the caper unfold and hurried away in his car.
I was excited & yelled “I got the portholes”.
The portholes are now fitted in my man shed at Yallingup.
2008 Bali newspaper report on the shipwreck. Image courtesy of Rich Myers.2008 Bali shipwreck. Rich can be seen in the cabin removing portholes. The anchor rope Rich used to escape from Pirates can also be seen leading down to the coral reef. Image courtesy of Rich Myers.2016 Portholes salvaged from Bali shipwreck installed in Rich’s Man Shed at Yallingup. Photos Jim King.
Introduction
In May 2016 SDS published this story in Rich Myers Surf Travel Misadventures Trilogy Part #3.
Rich’s tale is back in vogue as an image of the Bali shipwreck appears in the latest White Horses surf magazine. This issue features 30 Years in Bali & Indo images by renowned photographer Jason Childs and is highly recommended for Indo enthusiasts.
Bali Pirates
In 2008 I took my family on a holiday to Bali.
On a surf trip to Butik Peninsula with my family I raided an illegal Taiwanese fishing boat shipwrecked on the reef at Padang Padang. I salvaged some portholes from the vessel and was chased by pirates.
Javanese pirates had attacked the boat out to sea, killed the crew & scuttled the boat which washed up on the reef at Padang Padang. The shipwreck was cordoned off by Bali Police.
Unbeknown to me Pirates (1 leader & 6 underlings) were hiding in bushes on the cliff watching how I got on the boat and followed me (I was salvaging portholes & such). The Pirates snuck upon the ship & found me. They asked “where’s is my boy” (they had seen my son Ry earlier). I passed them my screw driver and told them to “hold this for a second”, then grabbed my bag with the portholes & tools and bolted. As they slid down the slippery deck, I scampered down the anchor rope onto the sharp coral in my tennis shoes, then jumped into the ocean and ran up to the beach where Anne & Ry were innocently beachcombing and yelled out “RUN”. Anne said “what have you done this time?” We ran up the hill to our driver who had been watching the caper unfold and hurried away in his car.
I was excited & yelled “I got the portholes”.
The portholes are now fitted in my man shed at Yallingup.
Thanks for sharing your story Rich.
———————————–
Share this:
Like this: