we were about three minutes away from the yachts when the skipper of the fair-weather sailor screamed over the radio that there was a large dhow bearing down on them loaded to the gunwales with gun toting pirates , at least he knew his nautical terminology , although using our radar it had become obvious to us that the high speed launch was not a novice ; he was just the sheep dog , herding the yachts into a bay so that the shepherd could then come in for the coup de grce .