German yacht pirated in Ancol

German yacht pirated in Ancol

JAKARTA (JP): Five people pirated a German yacht which was
anchored in Jakarta Bay on Sunday, severely wounded the
navigator, and made away with all navigation equipment and other
belongings, the yacht owner said yesterday.

Richard Glattki, the German owner and captain of the yacht,
the M.S. Schleswig, said that the incident cost him Rp 30 million
(US$12,244) in losses.

"The piracy took place at 1 a.m. on Sunday. The pirates
stormed the yacht, which was anchored near the Horison Hotel in
Ancol, and attacked the yacht navigator, Peter Loos, with sharp
weapons," Glattki said.

Loos, a German, was asleep on the boat at the time, he said.
He possibly resisted at first, but probably surrendered when he
was outnumbered, Glattki said.

He said Loos fell unconscious after sustaining a severe head
wound. His arms were also severely injured. This enabled the
pirates to make away with all the navigation equipment, as well a
small refrigerator and $2,000.

Glattki became concerned when he was unable to make radio
contact with Loos in the afternoon. He immediately rented a
motorboat from Ancol to take him to his yacht.

He said that he found Loos unconscious and lying in a pool of
blood, and he rushed him to MMC Hospital in Kuningan, South
Jakarta. "I don't know whether Loos will survive, but his
condition is improving," he said.

He said he was not particularly concerned about the material
loss. "The pirates seized the instruments and other belongings,
but they shouldn't have hurt my friend," said Glattki, who works
for his wife's company as an engineer.

"It's a pity for Loos. He's a close friend of mine and has no
one here. It was me who invited him to join me on the boat. Loos
just separated from his wife last year," Glattki said.

Despite the piracy, however, Glattki said he did not have any
plans to leave Indonesia.

"Nothing will change. I will replace the stolen instruments
and continue sailing to a number of islands. I love the beauty of
Indonesia," he said.

He said that he used to invite friends -- Indonesians,
Australians and Germans -- to travel to Indonesian islands on his
boat free of charge.

Glattki explained that his boat -- a tug boat which was
converted into a pleasure yacht -- dropped anchor in Jakarta Bay
because he could not afford mooring his boat at Marina Ancol.

"I used to moor the boat at Marina Ancol, but later stopped
because of the high cost. PT Pembangunan Jaya Ancol charged me Rp
1.3 million per month. Besides I had to pay another Rp 1.6
million for membership," he said.

Heru Winarko, an officer of North Jakarta Police precinct, to
whom Glattki reported the incident, said it was dangerous to drop
anchor even two miles off shore.

Heru said police were investigating the incident, but he was
pessimistic of finding the perpetrators due to the absence of
witnesses. "Unfortunately the only witness is in a coma," he
said.

Glattki further said his boat was licensed to travel in
Indonesian waters. "I have clearance approval for the boat by the
Ministry of Defense and Security to travel to many Indonesian
islands, including Seribu Islands, Karimunjawa, Lombok, Bima,
Flores, Bangka and Bintan," he said.

The permit, issued on Dec. 20, 1996, allows the boat to make
calls at various ports for tourism purposes. The permit is valid
until July 25, 1997. (hhr)