Anthony Cummins, alias Captain Tonz has travelled the world's oceans in what can best be described as a '''maritime''' profession modern-day pirate ''. Now retired from the Navy, he has lived through incredible adventures, capturing ships, confronting maritime authorities and meeting figures of power, accomplishing just about everything you'd expect a pirate to do.
And yet, his background is far removed from traditional clichés. At the age of 13, when he was still a young boy with no bearings, he chose to escape, not by the beaten track, but by building his own wooden boat. This solitary gesture marked the beginning of an extraordinary nautical adventure, in which the sea became his only refuge and field of expression.
From fugitive in search of freedom to respected pirate, he forges his life among waves and storms. His experiences aboard ships with multiple destinies propel him into a world where daring and mastery of the sea's elements are his greatest allies. Behind this pirate's trajectory, this man shaped by hardship, this " Whisperer of the Sea "In this first part of our report, we open a window on the world of today's pirates.
At the age of 13, you built a wooden boat and ran away. What made you decide to leave and turn to the sea at such a young age?
I was a motherless child in an abusive home, and I was looking to escape. Looking back, I must have thought that a boat represented freedom.
Can you describe the experience that took you from teenage runaway to full-fledged pirate?
At the age of 15, I signed up for my first boat, the English Star of the Blue Star Line, for an around-the-world voyage from London to New Zealand. I had no knowledge of pirates; I was simply completely drawn to the sea. Unfortunately, in South Africa, I was arrested under apartheid laws simply for talking to black people. It was my own crewmates who provoked this traumatic event. Deported to Mozambique, I eventually rejoined the ship, but instead of showing me compassion, the captain and crew blamed me. I lost all my wages for the whole trip and had to work without pay until we returned. Back in London, I was blacklisted and it was almost impossible to find work on other ships.
When you met a pirate captain at the age of 17, what was the exact nature of the operation that led you to follow in his footsteps?
By sheer luck, I found a job on a small Swedish boat. After a very bad start, I discovered that I had special skills for maneuvering the boat in difficult conditions. As a result, I was sought out and offered a higher-paying job on another Swedish ship, not knowing at the outset that its captain was a pirate. This captain was incredibly unconventional and had skills and attributes in navigation techniques that made me realize that he was a ''pirate'' marine magician i fell in love with everything he did and he taught me everything I needed to know to imitate him. For the first time in my life, I was respected for my abilities.
You captured and stole boats while being pursued by the maritime authorities. What were the motivations behind these acts? Was it purely financial, or was there a deeper reason?
Good question. Looking back, I think it was both financial and because failure, as with any pirate action, would be unacceptable as a failed mission would mean no more work, not to mention a strange innate certainty that I could get the job done. I won't deny the satisfaction and perhaps the boost to my ego that gave me the confidence to take on other difficult tasks.
You've had many encounters with politicians and personalities of power. How did you navigate in a world where personal interests and geopolitical stakes were so high?
Yes, sometimes that aspect was a bit difficult, but I think my success in those moments was due to my honesty and the fact that these powerful people knew I was a pirate and so I often had an advantage in my dealings with them.
In Saudi Arabia, the sheikh knew who I was. But an even more striking example would be in the Philippines, where I was recognized and accepted as much by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, several members of Congress and a three-star Philippine general as by the communist insurgents they were fighting.
Until then, the only line of contact between these groups was through Catholic priests. I discovered that being a pirate put me in the same position as a priest, because I was considered a pure neutral. I allowed myself to be used to reinforce my neutrality and its advantages: for example, the general would inform me of an imminent attack on the NPA insurgents knowing that I would pass this information on to the insurgents themselves, which was the general's intention for his own reasons.
This same kind of neutrality was evident in all my work in Southeast Asia. Everyone I met knew that I was completely neutral, which enabled me to sympathize with both or all sides at the same time. I also think that the more '' bold '' with important people, the easier things can be, including understanding and agreement.
I ended up being invited to stay at the president's private residence, where everyone knew who I was. It's funny how today, only 3% of people ''.. normal '' consider me a pirate. You're right, the stakes are high, but it's a long and complex story... to be told another time.
You seem to have experienced some extreme situations at sea. What were the greatest difficulties you faced?
What prompted the captain of another boat to ask for my services was the rumor circulating on the Baltic that I was a young lad capable of working miracles at the helm. This reputation spread because of a single wave.
We were sailing from Klaipeda to Copenhagen when we were hit by a hurricane-like storm. During this storm, an anomaly occurred: a giant wave was coming straight at us. It was so frightening that the captain and crew were scared to death. In the 40 seconds leading up to its arrival, I had the impression that everything around me was happening in slow motion. The first mate and a tall Swedish sailor came towards me to take the helm, but something inside me woke up. I was strangely connected to the wave, and the closer it got, the stronger that connection became. I pushed the mate and crewman away, telling them I understood. The captain looked at me, his face pale, for he knew that everything now depended on me, a 17-year-old. I felt no pressure, no fear. I was in perfect harmony with the wave, not really knowing how, but knowing that we were one. I'd managed to get the boat through the wave. The captain and the Swedish sailor surrounded me with hugs and handshakes, relieved. I have no idea how this connection with the sea came about. It simply happened, created by the sea itself. I just accepted the connection.
Over the years, this bond developed until I became a '' Sea Whisperer '' (a "Whisperer of the Sea"). So the answer to your question is that, if you have the connection, there's no difficulty. With a connection, the sea will show you the way, what to do and how fast. To the uninitiated, some events may seem extreme, even impossible, but that's just the sea and me working together. For us, it's just a job.
You've also been arrested several times. How do you handle these tense moments? Do you have a method for staying calm and preventing things from getting out of hand?
Yes. Apart from my first arrest in Durban, where I spent most of my time feeling sorry for myself and crying, the second arrest was a period of learning. It was in Stralsund, East Germany. I was stripped naked in a tiny cell with an armed guard. I started shouting, demanding to see the British embassy and all that usual nonsense until the guard had had enough and took the safety off his automatic pistol and pointed it at me. That's how I learned that protesting wasn't a good option and that silence was more effective.
Behind the figure of Captain Tonz, the rebellious pirate, lies a complex man whose path, forged by a quest for justice, makes him a strong personality. In this second installment, we delve deeper into the reality of this man, far from the clichés of piracy, to discover what truly guides his morality.
In the photos published in this article, Captain Tonz has chosen to conceal his eyes with a black band to preserve his anonymity.
