Bahamas Boat Ramming

[xiabbo]

This thread spooks me. I have spent a lot of time at sea and it is really freaky when another boat approaches because you are in the wilderness. Once when I was a kid working on a fishing vessel on the Cay Sal bank, we were anchored and a shrimper approached. We suspected it was one that was one of several reported stolen. Skipper took out an automatic rifle he had on board and held it so they could see it. They left.

Another time on my way to Cuba, what I believe was a Navy vessel played tricks on me by changing their lights to look like different types of vessels and approached from different angles. Scary.

Another time, while fishing on a snapper boat at night I looked out and suddenly there was a huge submarine that just surfaced about 50 yds away sat there for a while then submerged. Really scary. On that same boat we had some Tomcats buzz us REALLY close. I could see the pilots helmets they were so close.

Makes me think what to do in the poster's situation. I am glad to have formed this plan...I would start the engine, drop sail and go straight at him - then do a dodge as needed and keep performing evasive maneuvers and head for shallow water. I think the best strategy would be to take advantage of my maneuverability and eventually get behind him. I would definitely be on the VHF describing everything I see about the other vessel. The Coast Guard can hear you from very far away. I guess the moral of this story is to expect the worst and hope for the best when some freaktard acts shady.

[capn_billl]

Something to be aware of, in the Gulf of Mexico, Louisianna a few years back a drug runner's ship was ID'ed by law enforcement. To evade capture He and his crew came along side a private yacht, killed the owner and passengers, and tranferred the cargo to the yacht, and placed the yacht passengers in his ship then scuttled it.

The yacht was found stripped, and abandoned several years lator, after having been observed making "deliveries" in several foreign ports, C.A. and Mexico.

[Capt Phil]

Not just in the Gulf, Capn billl... about 20 years ago I helped a single hander on an Oyster 50 tie up at a marina where I was living aboard in the Bay area. Beautiful boat and rather surprised he was on his own. Over a beer he mentioned he was thinking of heading north to British Columbia and as I had a few spare charts of the area north of San Francisco to top of Vancouver Island, I offered them to him and he accepted very graciously. I pegged him as a nice guy.
Six months later I read the boat named Andiamo was seized with heaps of dope off the Mexican coast and would be auctioned off in the near future. Always wondered if my charts went with the boat... ya just never know!!!? Capt Phil

[capn_billl]

Bummer...Note to self...Wipe off any fingerprints from any tools, or charts I lend.

[Capt Phil]

Wish I'd thought of that, Capn_bill... CP

[msponer]

I've only met one evil sailor, and was glad to later see Interpol notices for him spread around marinas in various countries.

Anyways, I know people like him are 1 in 10,000, or even more rare, but... I'm now very cautious with sailors that fit a certain profile.

I do feel like the cruising community failed a bit. That, when, reading between the lines, it's obvious someone had been smuggling drugs, we, as a community, should know they are capable of much more evil things, and maybe it's best to get involved and at least tip the authorities off. This could have prevented other bad things from happening, in this case. But I know it's hard to do that if you are not 'certain', only that there's no other reasonable explanation to how their stories add up. And really, in countries without due process, I feel ... it would be very evil to tell the authorities if the person could reasonably be innocent. But in this case the gentleman was within first world jurisdictions, and I think it really would have been best if he was caught earlier rather than later.

Well, this is certainly a downer to talk about.

[SaltHeart]

First off, I am very sorry to hear about your experience John.
Second, I have learned some valuable lessons from this thread and would like to thank you John for posting your experience as well as all the others that contributed to this thread.