VICTORIA HARBOR, Hong Kong – Even sailors with the most noble ambitions must beware of rival seafarers with much darker intentions.

Like most high-seas travelers, Captain Harry Nikon, commander of the MV Doulos, the world’s oldest, ocean-going passenger ship, now berthed here, confesses to worries about pirates. His 330 crew members, all Christian volunteers, many operating a “floating bookstore”, probably share such concerns.

“At the moment, we’re not sailing in pirate-infested waters,” Captain Nikon said, “but in the future, we might get there. In light of the many attacks recently in the Gulf of Aden (near Ethiopia), we plan to take defensive measures. Already, we have a lot of training in case we’re chased by boats, and we’ll have more, but (for security reasons) I can’t tell you what.”

Typically, gun-wielding pirates in speedboats will pursue a target vessel, try to climb on and overpower the crew. Then they’ll hold the ship, cargo, passengers and crew for multi-million-dollar ransoms.

GBA (Gute Bücher für Alle), a German-based charity owning the Doulos, has no immediate plans to send it to the Gulf of Aden. Even so, Captain Nikon believes in constant preparedness.

“When pirates approach a ship, they just assume there’s lots of value on it,” Captain Nikon said. “To stop them from boarding, we’ll take preventive measures – not just one, but a lot of different measures. These should be very effective. I can promise that.”

Through charity missions and cultural exchanges, crew members on the 95-year-old Doulos try to spread knowledge, help and hope at each port of call. They came to Hong Kong from Taiwan and plan to visit Cambodia next. Since 1978, this floating bookshop has visited more than 100 nations in Latin America, Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific. Earlier, it served as a freighter, migrant carrier and cruise liner.

Money-hungry pirates won’t care that the Doulos and its saintly crew have a history of good deeds. So Captain Nikon is right to stress precautions.

If attacked, could the friendliest, most peace-loving sailors imaginable really take aggressive actions to defend their home on the waves? No one wants to face the peril to reach a firm answer.

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