Sailor trapped in Internet Café

by Bruce Schwab on 15 May 2007 American Round the World Sailor Bruce Schwab is trapped in an internet café in La Rochelle in Western France. He is there preparing for an Atlantic delivery and went to the bathroom just before closing time, last night his time.

He wrote just a few minutes ago …’Help! I'm emailing from an internet cafe that I've been trapped in all night. No, I'm not joking, although it IS a funny story. After a very late dinner with crewmembers Mike, Carina, Anna, and volunteer Thomas, I came here to catch up on email and download some large weather files.

'I stayed right to closing time...and there were three people in the cafe when I went into the bathroom to use the john and brush my teeth (saving the walk to the other side of the marina after getting to the boat). I heard the sliding of doors and clanking of locks, and rushed out...too late to catch the tired and rushing young employee before he was out of earshot. I guess I took to long to brush my teeth?

'Rattling the doors and some shouts at the late hour was of no use. No phone in here, but of course I have free internet...so I got on Skype and made some calls trying to get the police. I called at least five different police stations. However, my number must have appeared as something strange as they would not answer or I would get a click and disconnect after letting it ring for a long time.

'Called the boat...but evidently the crew had obviously gone to sleep on the boat and turned off all the phones. In the wee hours I wound chatting on Skype with friends in Spain, Florida, and Texas; and trying different numbers to call that we dug up on the internet. No go.

'So here I sit, waiting for morning opening of the opening of the internet cafe. I took a brief nap on a table. Hopefully the new coffee-swilling online gaming internet junkie cafe kid will arrive soon.

'Not much sleep on the table, so I'm a little drowsy. But I guess its good practice for the coming watch schedule. And now I've had a chance to catch up on communication with you....;-)

'When you hear from me again, I will have escaped from the Akromicro Internet cafe, in the old port of La Rochelle. Sheesh.’