Cargo ship Zhenhua 4  is seen at a Shanghai port in this picture, January 22, 2009. [China Daily]

They used water cannons, self-made bombs, and beer bottles on the high sea to ward off an attack by Somali pirates.

But it was their courage, more than the weapons, which kept the pirates at bay for four long hours in the Gulf of Aden. Help in the shape of two Malaysian warships and a helicopter did, of course, play the major part.

The 30 sailors who fought off the pirates on December 17 sailed into Shanghai on board Chinese cargo ship Zhenhua 4 on Thursday. They returned home to the relief of their families and friends and a warm welcome from people around.

Thankfully, no one was injured in attack, said the 57-year-old captain, Peng Weiyuan.

"I think we did what we were supposed to do," Peng said. "To say we were not afraid at all would not be true. But we held on and that helped deter the pirates."

"All the sailors showed immense courage. I'm very proud of them," Peng said.

Nine pirates armed with rocket launchers and heavy machine guns boarded the ship at 12:43 PM (Beijing time) on December 17. The 30 sailors locked themselves in the cabins, using fire hydrants and self-made firebombs to keep the attackers at bay.

The beer bottles worked as real weapons, flying like missiles and exploding on impact. And the shards of broken glass made walking on the deck difficult for the pirates because most of them were barefoot.

Peng said they succeeded because of careful preparation.

Ten days before the ship entered the Somali waters, the captain began a drill to fend off a possible pirate attack.

The drill was thorough to the last detail, and that helped the sailors maintain calm during the real attack.

Peng ordered the crew to cut off the ladder that connected the deck with the cabin area. The pirates had a difficult time attacking the sailors locked in the cabins six meters above the deck.

Wu Minxiang, the helmsman, said the fight against the pirates was a "heart-shaking experience". The 57-year-old had traveled through the Somali waters "scores of times" but never thought he would be engaged in "a real fight" with the pirates.

Wu recalled seeing pirates' speedboats charging at them at 19 nautical miles an hour, while their 30-year-old cargo vessel could move at less than 10 nautical miles.

"We were very nervous at first seeing the first pirate climbing on board," Wu said. "But minutes later, we were in battle using whatever we could lay our hands on to attack them."

Zhu Dingming, Wu's wife, did not share his excitement, though. She said she had not slept properly for more than a month, ever since reports about her husband's experience emerged.

Zhou Xiufeng, spokesman for Shanghai Yuhai Shipping Company, the agency that provided the sailors, said the ship is scheduled to sail through Somali waters in February again.

"The best way to avoid a pirate attack is to seek Chinese navy ships' protection," Zhou said. Two Zhenhua Machinery Co ships crossed the troubled waters off Somalia, escorted by the navy ships, earlier this month.

(Xinhua News Agency January 23, 2009)