Three sea days; days with no stops, no shore tours, just cruising the ocean. They had stopped in Madeira and would soon be headed out into the Atlantic and across the ocean to Ft Lauderdale, so there would be three days before the saw land again and then more sea days before they got to Bermuda and finally the USA. The forecast was calling for pretty calm seas but being in the open ocean they had brought motion sickness pills just in case. But they did not need them so they were just relaxing out on the balcony with cold drinks watching the water rush by.
After a while they started to notice that the ship seemed to be slowing until it stopped moving at all.
From inside their stateroom they heard an announcement, and he went inside to hear it better. When he returned he told her that apparently there was a boat with refugees in it in distress with a motor that had failed and they had been told to stand by. The coast guard was on the way but would be at least an hour or more and they had been asked not to intervene, just to keep watch. The coast guard would rescue the stranded people when they arrived.
The captain told everyone not to throw things to the people in the small boat, no food or no water, they were not to do anything but keep watch on the boat unless things became serious.
Everyone moved to the ships railing, searching for the boat which was still in the distance; not really close to their ship. This was a bit of an adventure adding to a relaxing day at sea and the guests were all interested in watching it unfold.
The small boat was distant at first, but slowly came closer and closer Then that faulty motor suddenly came to life and it was instantly alongside and that was when the grappling hooks and the guns came out.
No good deed goes unpunished
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