My journey into piracy and the birth of Black Flags, Blue Waters

My journey into piracy and the birth of Black Flags, Blue Waters

Piracy, epic tales of stand-offs, plunder, high-seas mystery, and intrigue are about how this story gets started. A story that is true, a manuscript that is currently in progress. Black Flags, Blue Waters is the offspring blog/vblog that has birthed from this event. An event which made us reevaluate the values of our lives and change course.

It all started when my 15-year-old son and I were arrested for Piracy, an unbailable charge, considered greater than murder in some countries. In jail, a second-by-second assault on the soul, a day-to-day degradation of the self, an oppressive steel and brick umbrella that transforms seconds into hours and hours into days. My son Himalaya and I waited for our inquisition hearing that was scheduled 36 hours after our arrest.

I learned first hand long ago when I was 12 years old, that locks didn’t cure; they strangled. And now nearly 42 years later, my son Himalaya, who we call H, is paying that painful price like I did for his experience, learning more today about the world than he knew yesterday – the hell of the prison system – and I prayed he would survive it!

The stand-off at sea is a story in itself. We carried all legal documents SPA from the yacht owner and all proper boat documentation. We also gave copies of all paperwork to the Philippine Coast Guard before we boarded the boat, and I was not about to let anyone board the ship without showing any document or proof that they had the right to stand on the ship. This was a 5hr epic standoff story in itself that will soon be told.

During the inquisition, we learned of an alleged new owner. So, I signed a waiver to settle out of court because I knew that the alleged new owner/complainant got the yacht back without harm or damage only a few hours after we set sail.

Also, I believed the alleged new owner/complainant would dismiss the case/charges on the understanding that I did not know the sailboat had been sold, was not aware of any illegal activity, and was only acting in good faith.

I was given the next 7 days to file a counter-affidavit. The case was on the fiscal level, and we are trying hard to resolve it before it was filed in Court. Since it is non-bailable, by all means, we did not want to sit in jail while battling it off in court- this could have taken 1-2 years. That said, the complainant then demanded php500,000- or 10,000usd for her to withdraw the case when we preposed to settle out of court.

On the advice of multiple attorneys, who I will quote, ” you will spend more time in jail and money on attorneys battling this out in court than you will be paying the complainant for her demands”. Weighing the cost-Benefit Principle, I then paid 10k USD, and the complainant signed an affidavit of desistance. The counter affidavit and affidavit of desistance were filed. We waited for another 2 weeks for the prosecutor’s resolution counting the hours, counting the days. Each morning when I woke up, it seemed like a fucking reverse nightmare, everything was a state of grayness, numbness, and hopelessness, with a lot of uncertainty.

When we were released after 1 month in a Philippine jail on trumped-up charges of piracy for delivering a yacht, which turned out as an elaborate money extortion scheme, it left us, desperately pondering our choices- either lose our humanity and take the bitter road to resentment or take a positive turn and make a better world for our children and our collective in the larger world. We wanted to build a life that would inspire us to do good and to make a difference. And so, we decided to embark on a journey of exploration and discovery that would take us to different parts of the world, where we could learn about different cultures, meet new people, and engage in acts of kindness and generosity.

Our mission was simple: to spread kindness and positivity wherever we went, to help people in need, and to make the world a better place, one small act at a time. And so, we set out on our sailboat, with nothing but a few hundred dollars and a sense of purpose, determined to make a difference.

Our journey took us to different parts of Southeast Asia, where we met people from all walks of life, from fishermen and farmers to artists and entrepreneurs. We learned about their cultures, their struggles, and their hopes and dreams. And in every place we visited, we tried to do something to make a difference, whether it was teaching English to underprivileged children, distributing food and supplies to people affected by natural disasters, or simply lending a listening ear to those in need.

As we traveled, we documented our experiences and shared them with the world through our blog and vlog, Black Flags, Blue Waters. Our hope was that by sharing our journey, we could inspire others to take action and make a difference in their own communities.

And it seems that our mission has struck a chord with many people. We have received messages from all over the world, from people who have been inspired by our story and have started their own projects to make a difference. We have also been invited to speak at various events and conferences, where we have shared our message of kindness and positivity.

Our journey has not been easy, and we have faced many challenges along the way. But through it all, we have remained committed to our mission and to each other. We have learned that no matter where we go, or what we do, we can always find ways to make a positive impact.

As we continue on our journey, we are excited to see where it will take us next. We hope to visit more parts of the world, meet more people, and engage in more acts of kindness and generosity. We believe that our journey is not just about us, but about all of us, and that together we can make the world a better place, one small act at a time.

So, join us on our journey, and let’s make a difference together.