Ken, you are a voice of sanity.

From the LA Times reporting of Zac Sunderland's trip:
Quote:
Notable was the pirate scare. In October, he was 150 miles beyond Indonesia, on a course from Australia to the Cokos Keeling Islands, when he encountered a mysterious boat. The 60-foot wooden vessel did not appear on his radar screen.He tried unsuccessfully to raise its crew on the radio. He changed direction; it changed direction.

Winds were light and he could not escape, so he clutched his satellite phone -- his lifeline -- and dialed his home in Thousand Oaks.

A sister answered. Laurence Sunderland heard his son's panicked voice, grabbed the phone and rushed into his office. Zac's heart raced as he digested the instructions: Load your pistol and flare gun, then issue a radio security alert with your position.

Fire a warning shot if necessary, but at the first sign of aggression, shoot to kill because they'll try to kill you.

Laurence recalls: "For two hours we're sitting here not knowing what the situation was or whether Zac could handle it."