But the motorized skiffs were smaller, lighter, and completely relentless in their high-speed chase. The lead pirate boat managed to cut through the heavy wake, accelerating past the sailboat’s stern and pulling up dangerously close along the left side of the fiberglass hull. An attacker stood at the bow of the skiff, preparing to leap across the gap onto their deck.
Thinking fast, Sam scrambled across the cockpit and instantly released the rope holding the heavy metal sail beam in place. With no tension holding it back, the massive aluminum pole swung violently across the deck like a giant baseball bat. Driven by the force of the wind, the heavy beam struck the front of the closing pirate boat with a resounding crash. The impact shattered the skiff’s fiberglass railing and threw the attackers completely off balance, forcing their boat to veer wildly off course into the rough waves, temporarily neutralizing the immediate threat.