Security - What do You Do ?

[goboatingnow]

honestly if I was in such places that I had to close up the boat while on her, Id sleep on deck and begone in the morning

Dave

[Lagoon4us]

Originally Posted by Paul L

No sympathy is a little harsh. Up until this incident the anchorage off Club Nautico was considered safe. After the robbery the boat was in the slip next to me Shelter Bay.

Ahh the difference between being there and simply reading about it, Happy to here he is in one piece and it was only theft. Cheers

[Lagoon4us]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

honestly if I was in such places that I had to close up the boat while on her, Id sleep on deck and begone in the morning

Dave

And thats the way "YOU do it" cool.

[jeremiason]

We have been cruising Pacific Mexico and Central America for just over 22 months...

So far we have not experienced any crime, but several fellow cruisers have... All of those crimes have been property related with no direct confrontations... Most of these were dinghy thefts or property thefts. Most of the thefts occurred in areas that had previous been reported as dangerous or high theft anchorages.

The common theme among these incidents was in most cases the property was unsecure....

One buddy boat in Mexico hoisted his dinghy off the water and the next morning his outboard engine was gone, because he forgot to put the lock on the outboard.

Another boat in Costa Rica left his boat for a couple of hours and someone stole his laptop and shoes from inside the main cabin. His companionway was wide open, but he closed his cockpit enclosure while he was gone. To add insult to injury the thief cut the eisenglass instead of using the zippers.

Lets be honest... A Boat invasion by some motivated criminal it is very scary, dangerous and possibly lethal, but the fact is you are probably never going to experience that type of crime. In the last year I have read about 4 or 5 different boats expereincing this thoughout the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico....

Five boats attacked versus 20,000 or more recreational boats floating around the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico are pretty low odds.

In the same time, I have heard of countless boats having their outboards stolen or stealing something else from boats....

I think the answer is clear... Lock you property, make sure you stay in safe anchorages and report suspicious people to the rest of the anchorage via the VHF Radio.

[micah719]

Is there a huge cultural difference between East and West Panama? Or Central & South America in general? Ex-Spanish or Ex-Portuguese, there are more than enough incidents in sufficient number to justify taking at least basic precautions. Gimme a break, three practically naked men swim out, and not a whisker is stirred...no sympathy for stupidity.

The 3 robbers reached the vessel apparently by swimming from the shore, since they appeared naked and wet on board (wearing only underpants). I was the only person present on board at that time since my 2 other crew members had departed for the night with vessel “Morning Cloud” for a rope handling assignment through the Panama Canal.

The robbers entered the boat through the main door and confronted me in my bed shouting “police…police” and demanding “Dinero”. One robber pulled me out of bed and repeated the demand for “Dineiro”. In order to comply, I went to the navigation table to look for my wallet which was no longer there. They threatened violence if I didn’t present them with my wallet and the keys for the safe. After giving them the keys for the safe, they tied up my hands with electric tie wraps and made me sit down and keep still in the corridor of the port hull. At this time they emptied the contents of the safe and searched the remainder of the boat for valuables. A while later they tied my legs together with electric tie wraps and a short time thereafter the boat fell quiet and I assumed that the 3 robbers had left the boat.

Do we lock our doors when we leave the house? Can someone get in the house when we are asleep, even when it is hot and only screen doors are shut? I grew up in a sleepy little coastal suburb far from the scummy areas of Brisbane, and yet we practised basic precautions. Once had a scruffy longhaired suspicious character peek in the window while we were at breakfast. Dad yelled "Hey!" and took off out the door. The prospective B & E junkie took to his heels. The world isn't safe wherever you are, some places much worse than others, but by simple prudent precautions and by not whimping out instantly you can prevent your house being invaded, your belongings taken, and ffs permitting yourself to be surprised in bed by three naked men!

And yet some folks seem to take offence at being robbed when they take their obtanium laden floating palaces (the locals would see it this way) into places where lawlessness is legendary, and has been for a long time. No sympathy, all I can add is that I'm glad it wasn't worse, and hope the man has learnt his lesson. The hard lessons of life often get repeated until we learn, or get thrown out of school.

[Lagoon4us]

LMAO I grew up in Wynnum/Manly/Lota area, agree totally....

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by micah719

Is there a huge cultural difference between East and West Panama? Or Central & South America in general........

Do we lock our doors when we leave the house? Can someone get in the house when we are asleep, even when it is hot and only screen doors are shut? ........
And yet some folks seem to take offence at being robbed when they take their obtanium laden floating palaces (the locals would see it this way) into places where lawlessness is legendary, and has been for a long time. No sympathy, all I can add is that I'm glad it wasn't worse, and hope the man has learnt his lesson. The hard lessons of life often get repeated until we learn, or get thrown out of school.

Yes, there is a large difference between Colon and Panama City (that is between the S side and the N side of the country) One is a Caribbean background and the other is Spanish.

You may think it is 'silly, stupid, asking for it or what ever' to leave your boat unlocked and open at night, but that is the way the vast majority of cruises leave their boats. In the last 2 years of cruising we've 'locked up' at night probably 3 or 4 times. These were areas that may uneasy radar went off. The problem with the uneasy radar is that it works great in my own culture, but not so good in areas where I don't speak the language nor know the customs.

If I thought I had to secure the boat every night, I'd probably quit cruising. That said, I do secure the dink every night.

[Lagoon4us]

Originally Posted by Paul L

Yes, there is a large difference between Colon and Panama City (that is between the S side and the N side of the country) One is a Caribbean background and the other is Spanish.

You may think it is 'silly, stupid, asking for it or what ever' to leave your boat unlocked and open at night, but that is the way the vast majority of cruises leave their boats. In the last 2 years of cruising we've 'locked up' at night probably 3 or 4 times. These were areas that may uneasy radar went off. The problem with the uneasy radar is that it works great in my own culture, but not so good in areas where I don't speak the language nor know the customs.

If I thought I had to secure the boat every night, I'd probably quit cruising. That said, I do secure the dink every night.

Agree as posted previous it's the 1% of the time where information indicates there may be an issue or where the "gut feeling" comes to play, surely this incident with previous indication of a likely unsafe area dictated the "Captain" take some precautions..

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by Lagoon4us

Agree as posted previous it's the 1% of the time where information indicates there may be an issue or where the "gut feeling" comes to play, surely this incident with previous indication of a likely unsafe area dictated the "Captain" take some precautions..

I'm not sure what you are referring to as 'previous indication'. Many people choose to anchor off Club Nautico. For myself, I considered it and decided not to. More because of the hassle of the land areas, not because of the anchorage.

I did spend time about 8 miles away in tbe remote areas of the Chargras River. We were the only boat and there are no locals living there. It was a great trip, but from security point of view it could be a bit spooky.

[Skipper65]

Reading all these responses has been entertaining.

I'll offer this solution and recap on how we handle these situations in TEXAS.

1. Don't put yourself in unnecessary dangerous situations....like known crime areas.
2. There is safety in numbers....anchor around other boats.
3. Take proper precautions.....secure your belongings, use appropriate lighting and lock your doors.
4. Buy a dog. Fun companion...and they make the best burglar alarms known to man.
5. Always keep a flashlight by your bedside.....with fresh batteries
6. If your dog barks at night.....investigate....with your fully loaded 9mm Ruger P89 w/15 round clip (an important option)
7. If you see an intruder rowing, swimming or otherwise in the water.....around your boat.....fire a warning shot over their heads and tell them to leave immediately! Say this in a loud voice, even add some vulgarities for effect. That will likely end the threat.
7. If by chance you come upon someone that is actually ON your boat......that's unfortunate.....they should have been in the water. Immediately shoot them twice in the head with your Ruger P89 (or similar weapon). This will immediately eliminate the threat.
8. Throw the body overboard. This serves two purposes. One is to remove the intruder from YOUR boat. Two....the body will discourage repeat offenders. It will wash ashore and alert the other thieves to avoid your boat. They may rob,rape,steal and even murder again....but it's likely it won't be on YOUR boat.
9. Go back to bed, knowing your dog is back on watch and will alert you to any additional threats.

GOD BLESS TEXAS!!

[Lagoon4us]

You win hands down!!! One in the breach as well would be my only improvement!!!!!

[Lagoon4us]

Originally Posted by Paul L

I'm not sure what you are referring to as 'previous indication'. Many people choose to anchor off Club Nautico. For myself, I considered it and decided not to. More because of the hassle of the land areas, not because of the anchorage.

I did spend time about 8 miles away in tbe remote areas of the Chargras River. We were the only boat and there are no locals living there. It was a great trip, but from security point of view it could be a bit spooky.

That's cool i was reading this section on noon-site and read where they don't reccomend the area as in the past, maybe i didn't understand clearly? cheers


This is the first serious incident involving yachts in Colon which has come to our attention this year. Unfortunately conditions in Colon have not improved in the last 10 years. Colon remains a risky place for tourists; snatch-and-run as well as hold-ups are all too common.

We do not recommend that boats use the Club Nautico anchorage as it is not patrolled by the Panama Canal Police boats. It offers easy access with a small boat, there are frequent wakes, and the anchorage is exposed to the north - consequently it encounters severe swells in certain conditions. For boats who wish to anchor while provisioning, arrange for canal transit or conduct other business, anchorage F remains the safest, if very inconvenient, option.

We frequently receive requests from boats to anchor off Shelter Bay, unfortunately the Panama Canal specifically restricts this area, we have been enjoined not to promote or approve anchoring or any other activity - races, dinghy sailing, water skiing etc. - in the area.

[Jerry Woodward]

Originally Posted by Skipper65

Immediately shoot them twice in the head with your Ruger P89 (or similar weapon). This will immediately eliminate the threat.
8. Throw the body overboard. This serves two purposes. One is to remove the intruder from YOUR boat. Two....the body will discourage repeat offenders. It will wash ashore and alert the other thieves to avoid your boat. They may rob,rape,steal and even murder again....but it's likely it won't be on YOUR boat.
9. Go back to bed, knowing your dog is back on watch and will alert you to any additional threats.

GOD BLESS TEXAS!!

Wow, thanks Skipper, I wouldn't have thought to shoot them twice in the head, I might have only done it once......Jesus

[captainKJ]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

exactly +1 KJ, why do people assume that a few lights an a noise will deter anyone, in a quiet or near desolate anchorage.

maybe we should get more lights........2 on deck,,,,,2 in the cockpit,,,,,2 in the hallway,,,,,4 in the bedroom,,,,maybe by this time they will be blind. 2000 watt halogen aught to do it,,,need a big battery bank for them or a start on demand.

better yet,,,, lets just play some rap music for them,,,,either that or some Barry Manilow songs ought to do it.

take the passive route,, just be nice to them

[captainKJ]

Originally Posted by Jerry Woodward

Wow, thanks Skipper, I wouldn't have thought to shoot them twice in the head, I might have only done it once......Jesus

In texas it is,,,,bang, bang, bang, bang, bang,bang,bang,,,,,,re-lode bang, bang, bang, bang, bang,,,bang,,,,re-lode,,,,

wife says you are not stuffing that and mounting it on the wall,,,