DREW Archibald, 50, a Durban-born, Cape Town-based surfer, and friends were on a surfing holiday to Indonesia's Metwari archipelago last week.
Their charter boat ran into a storm on the first night and a seasick Archibald went on deck, passed out and woke in the sea. Several boats joined the search at daylight, but Archibald was not found in the high seas until the second morning, after he had been in the water for more than 28 hours, dehydrated, sunburnt, stung by jellyfish and pecked by seagulls. A doctor patched him up, he rejoined his buddies and went off surfing.
A true story, with apologies to Don Martin, Mad Magazine and ST Coleridge.
It is an Ancient Surfer
He catcheth one in three,
With long grey board and bra boys
Went East on surfing spree.
Nor he nor wife Anita knew
He’d take an awesome swim,
Twenty-eight hours in Mentawai strait
Before they leashed him in.
“Ah! let me tell, just how I fell
While crossing Indo sea.
On Nagu Laut we pitched about
Was feeling quite queasy…
“While honking into darkness
I woke in soggy brine,
Saw distant ferry steaming off
No chance of any line.”
“Life save thee, ancient Surfer
From friends that treat thee thus!”
“They came about and searched, of course
But dark and storm foiled us.
“I treaded water, swam at times
And saw sun rise on sea.
Small islands passed, I struck out fast
But currents carried me.
“Sharks head high came cruising by
Jellies stung me in a rage.
Seagulls did try to peck my eye,
My nose a scene of carnage.
“Blown out finally
I even thought to drown.
I tried to breathe in water
But I could not keep it down.
“Alone, alone, all, all alone,
Alone in a surging sea!
Then a speck, I screamed like heck
Along sails Barrren-joey.
“Alas! (thought I, my heart beat loud)
How fast she nears and nears!
I could not whistle but only yell
And Tony heard my cries.
“Never have I been so stoked
In my entire life
Even if they were all Ozzies,
Rather than my wife.
“The doctor said I was almost dead
And I thought nearly cactus,
Kidneys buggered, sugar low
Heart rate not great… Won’t stop us!”
“A gnarly tale Drew Archibald
Amazingly it’s true.
Someone, somewhere, somehow
Was looking after you.”
“They make us tough in Saffa-land,
There’s eight days left of trip,
No time to waste good coin, my boy
Grab board and let us rip.”
Today’s Chiel is Gavin Stewart:
Rime of the ancient surfer
Their charter boat ran into a storm on the first night and a seasick Archibald went on deck, passed out and woke in the sea. Several boats joined the search at daylight, but Archibald was not found in the high seas until the second morning, after he had been in the water for more than 28 hours, dehydrated, sunburnt, stung by jellyfish and pecked by seagulls. A doctor patched him up, he rejoined his buddies and went off surfing.
A true story, with apologies to Don Martin, Mad Magazine and ST Coleridge.
It is an Ancient Surfer
He catcheth one in three,
With long grey board and bra boys
Went East on surfing spree.
Nor he nor wife Anita knew
He’d take an awesome swim,
Twenty-eight hours in Mentawai strait
Before they leashed him in.
“Ah! let me tell, just how I fell
While crossing Indo sea.
On Nagu Laut we pitched about
Was feeling quite queasy…
“While honking into darkness
I woke in soggy brine,
Saw distant ferry steaming off
No chance of any line.”
“Life save thee, ancient Surfer
From friends that treat thee thus!”
“They came about and searched, of course
But dark and storm foiled us.
“I treaded water, swam at times
And saw sun rise on sea.
Small islands passed, I struck out fast
But currents carried me.
“Sharks head high came cruising by
Jellies stung me in a rage.
Seagulls did try to peck my eye,
My nose a scene of carnage.
“Blown out finally
I even thought to drown.
I tried to breathe in water
But I could not keep it down.
“Alone, alone, all, all alone,
Alone in a surging sea!
Then a speck, I screamed like heck
Along sails Barrren-joey.
“Alas! (thought I, my heart beat loud)
How fast she nears and nears!
I could not whistle but only yell
And Tony heard my cries.
“Never have I been so stoked
In my entire life
Even if they were all Ozzies,
Rather than my wife.
“The doctor said I was almost dead
And I thought nearly cactus,
Kidneys buggered, sugar low
Heart rate not great… Won’t stop us!”
“A gnarly tale Drew Archibald
Amazingly it’s true.
Someone, somewhere, somehow
Was looking after you.”
“They make us tough in Saffa-land,
There’s eight days left of trip,
No time to waste good coin, my boy
Grab board and let us rip.”
Today’s Chiel is Gavin Stewart:
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