Cruising the Caribbean

[danielamartindm]

I am the retiree owner of a 39 foot Leopard catamaran searching for cruising destinations. In reviewing the Caribbean and its crime statistics, I find it not worth the risk of theft, assault, and even murder.

Read the accounts of crimes against world cruisers who had the temerity to be affluent and bring a source of income to the citizens of corrupt, third-world nations in the Caribbean, and you'll notice three things: a general hostility toward America, a determination on the part of local governments to look the other way regarding crimes against "wealthy" yacht owners, and a tendency to blame the victims of crimes perpetrated by locals. There is no justice to be had in the Caribbean for those Westerners who are ripped off, assaulted, and even murdered by locals. The statistics alone bear this out.

I will sail to the Caymans because there have been no appreciable attacks against my kind (free citizens of the world who played by the rules and found enough success to buy a yacht and cruise there). The rest of the Caribbean will do without my dollars, or cell phones, or outboards, or cash, or electronics, or credit cards, or dinghies. Caribbean nations will jail you for a long time if you bring the firearms that you need to defend yourself from their desperate, ARMED, impoverished masses; and half the time, they will even refuse to provide a written copy of your complaint.

I will sail the Gulf Coast of America, and legally carry arms to resist any pirate or generic dirtbag who looks to take what I've worked to have. I don't need "The Caribbean," there are plenty of equally gorgeous destinations in American venues where thieves are actually prosecuted. "The Caribbean," at this point, is a bunch of thieves biting the hand that feeds them.

Dr. Daniel A. Martin

[AZ Parothead]

To each his own. I lived on St Thomas for 2 years and managed not to get robbed, raped, and murdered. I've also traveled extensively in the region and I disagree with your assumption that there's a "general hostility" toward Americans. 99 percent of the people I have met have been the nicest and most sincere people. Take your guns and sail elsewhere.

[danielamartindm]

Live anywhere for a time and you'll learn the patterns of local criminals so as to avoid their abuse. Take your liberal naivete and sail to your next outboard motor/dinghy theft or assault beyond the area of your local purview. Many Caribbean locales now advise yacht owners to always leave one person aboard when anchored. What the hell for, so they can be assaulted when the robbery goes down? We are being used by third worlders. Take the time to read the accounts of those who have been brutalized and robbed. How many even failed to report the crimes? The Left wants to believe that the world is kind beyond the influence of America; it is not, it's a jungle. We need to send Caribbean nations a message: hold your citizens responsible for crimes against visitors, or suffer the economic consequences.

[ReneJK]

genuine question : have you traveled much outside of the US of A before coming to your conclusion ?

In my experience most of the people making these kind of statements and come to these conclusions, the way you seem to have arrived at your conclusion ,havent traveled much outside the US and solely rely on 3rd, 4th xth hand info and scary media

[wayne.b]

Originally Posted by danielamartindm

I am the retiree owner of a 39 foot Leopard catamaran searching for cruising destinations. In reviewing the Caribbean and its crime statistics, I find it not worth the risk of theft, assault, and even murder.

===

I kind of sense that this is a troll but I'll bite once. We have taken our trawler south to the Caribbean twice in the last seven years and have experienced no crime problems at all. We've gone everywhere with the exception of St Vincent's which does have some well documented issues. We do take reasonable precautions of course but do not rely on firearms for safety. To not go there because of crime fears is to miss out on some of the best cruising that you could ever hope to experience.

[danielamartindm]

How about going beyond your limited experiences and statistically re viewing the crime data that occurs to the rest of cruisers who frequent the waters you've sailed? Firearms are not even an issue because of local laws. Read the statistics of crime. Personal testimonials mean nothing next to them.

[Thalas]

OP is a troll, but for those interested, here are two great resources to get a sense of crime levels at different destinations:

https://www.safetyandsecuritynet.com

Noonsite.com —

As you can see from them, other than the occasional petty theft, the Caribbean is actually incredibly safe for travel.

[danielamartindm]

You are in dreamland. Look at the many websites that detail crimes against cruisers in the Caribbean. I suppose the question is, why are you looking to deny an obviou$ problem?

[laika]

Originally Posted by Thalas

OP is a troll, but for those interested, here are two great resources to get a sense of crime levels at different destinations:

https://www.safetyandsecuritynet.com

Noonsite.com —

As you can see from them, other than the occasional petty theft, the Caribbean is actually incredibly safe for travel.

[s/v Moondancer]

The Caribbean is not as bad as you paint and it is still one of the nicest cruising grounds in the world. Yes, you have to be security conscious, which we are, but in 6 years we never had a serious incident. Friends who were less security conscious did have serious problems.

We plan to return to the Caribbean until we are in our 80's! And where else would US east coast boats cruise?

What was in the post that was censored?

[JPA Cate]

As cruisers, we all have to stay within our own comfort zones, and at the same time, no one likes to hear a place s/he has enjoyed denigrated.

The Caribbean has had some issues. So has Chicago, and some people go there for vacations, too. No matter where you are, maintaining situational awareness is a good idea.

I see nothing wrong with putting out warnings, and letting others make their own decisions.

Ann

[model 10]

Maybe western Caribbean cruising is different than you have heard. Aside from a stolen dinghy now and then, there are more gringo murders in my pretty little Oregon town than you will find anywhere down there execpt maybe Honduras.
Frankly people that sound like you do will be better off cruising in Texas or maybe the Bahamas. Guns everywhere.

[travellerw]

Yes.. Now that I have actually been out here for a year and half, I understand how ridiculous these posts are. Sure there are some security problems here in the Caribbean. Where aren't there security problems? As people, boats and money increase so do the problems.. However, its soo much less than many people paint. The Caribbean cruisers safety net would be laughable if you even compared it to the city of 100,000 I used to live in. The rate of crime per cruisers against cruisers is very low.

I'm guessing the OP had a bad experience somewhere (or multiple places) and is using it to slander the whole Caribbean. It not fair to paint all the islands with the same brush.

I encourage people to come out here and create their own opinion. Be smart, protect yourself (lock your boat, lock your dinghy, ect) and come enjoy the greatest cruising ground on earth!

[smj]

Originally Posted by Guy

Maybe western Caribbean cruising is different than you have heard. Aside from a stolen dinghy now and then, there are more gringo murders in my pretty little Oregon town than you will find anywhere down there execpt maybe Honduras.

Frankly people that sound like you do will be better off cruising in Texas or maybe the Bahamas. Guns everywhere.

Have you ever cruised in Texas or the Bahamas?

[laika]

Originally Posted by danielamartindm

There are websites detailing the violent crimes committed against yacht owners in the waters of Caribbean nations. Go there.

Sources?

Originally Posted by danielamartindm

Big monied interests want Caribbean cruising dollars, but Caribbean governments turn a blind eye to crime against our sailing brotherhood.

What non-hostile govt in their right mind has an interest in exploiting a population so stingy and generally thorny as the American ex-pat on a small cruising boat?

Good sir, if you be not a troll, please, go see for yourself. You will meet the nicest people in the world. You will see places and communities you thought no longer existed.