Attack in Venezuela

[s/v Moondancer]

There is now a good report on Noonsite.com about the boat attacked at gun point off the coast of the Paria Peninsula about 25 miles from Trinidad.

Venezuela: Yacht boarded by armed pirates whilst en-route from Trinidad to Puerto La Cruz — Noonsite

A friend, I talked to last week, has a boat in the Marina in Puerto La Cruz. He told me that the marina is nice, very very cheap but essentially an armed camp with lots of armed security.

There is also a report that it is now possible to check in and out of Los Roches. Boats leaving there and arriving in Bonaire, in the last few weeks, do not report any problems.

http://www.noonsite.com/Countries/Ve...os-roques-2013

Please let us keep the thread on track about attacks on cruising boats, how to protect oneself and details of boats that have recently been to Venezuela.

[JPA Cate]

Good morning Moondancer, and whoever else is about,

"It would seem that Buddy boating for security reasons is very difficult to maintain, and may offer little other than an illusion of safety." [from the skipper of Joana.]

I am really glad to see this in writing at long last. If you plan to buddy boat with someone, be aware that it is quite challenging. The faster boat will continually have to be slowing down, and if you are to stay within 1/4 mi. or so of each other, it takes a lot more effort than you anticipate. Learned by doing, in Tonga, 1990.

Furthermore, I imagine that it looks like a two for the price of one sale to the bad guys.

Therefore, place me in the "protection aspect of buddy boating is illusory" camp.

FWIW,

Ann

[colemj]

I agree with you. Even evenly matched (or identical) boats can get separated by a large distance simply due to less tangible things like helmsman skill or autopilot brand/age or the decision on one boat to reef a bit earlier than the next, etc. It doesn't take much or long to get 5+ miles separation.

And in this case, even if the other boat was just 1 mile ahead of the attacked boat, that is 1 mile dead up-wind, up-current and up-waves to get back to the boat under attack.

The deed is done by then.

Mark

[s/v Jedi]

It has been reported a zillion times here and in many other places to NOT sail there as there are pirates and almost every yacht gets boarded and robbed and the crew killed frequently.

But then there are always those who know better and counter that; it is safe enough, if we have to think about these things we better not leave at all etc. Peopler reading that think it is a hoax, go there anyway and get boarded or even killed. Must not feel good when advising it is safe enough.