Honduras: Sailing Boat Boarded and Robbed by Pirates

[foolishsailor]

On Saturday morning, June 2nd at approximately 8:30 AM, my sailing vessel, US flagged Southern Star, registered in Delaware, DL8764AB, was intercepted and boarded by 2 young men, who threatened us with a large pistol and took off money, jewelry and equipment with a value in excess of $11,000, US.

....and more interesting is his summary

2. Although there was no violence with regard this incident, an important reason for that was our immediate “Stockholm” approach. Not every boater will take that tact

I wonder how it would have gone if they had instead tried to defend themselves?

Please read link before commentary...


http://www.noonsite.com/Members/val/R2012-06-07-1

[captain58sailin]

This will start another brush fire. IF you were able to detect their intentions far enough away to prevent them from boarding then you might not get robbed. If you are willing to trade your life for possessions then you might prevent them from boarding. You have no way of knowing if these individuals will kill you anyway if you do cooperate. Even if you were to throw a Molotov cocktail into their skiff, it would take the focus off robbing you and put them in the water to keep from frying. I for one vote to resist.

[rognvald]

What we believe we would do and what we actually do may be very different. We are all hardwired with a "fight or flight" instinct that is encoded in our genetic makeup and honed by our life experiences. And, one cannot generalize about his/her reactions to a violent encounter since every situtation is different. But, a vessel's owner and crew should have a specific plan that they have practiced beforehand and be prepared to execute it when a life threatening situation occurs so that they can act decisively and quickly. They should think about the possible repercussions of their actions and be comfortable with their ultimate decision. Otherwise, if your survival instinct fails under pressure, it could well be catastrophic. My personal approach is to be cautious, but decisive and to meet force with force when all else fails. Even in a worst case scenario where everything goes wrong, you know you were proactive to countermand the attack. There is another element to this thread that needs mentioning and that is: cruisers who disregard the warning signs of potential violence and continue to cruise in questionable areas share equal responsibility with their attackers since they have thrown all caution to the wind and are equally culpable since without their presence there would be no crime. We live in a rapidly changing world and cruisers need to vote with their dollars and support those crusiing areas that welcome their money and cultural exchanges. Afterall, sailing/cruising should not be an exercise in survivalist training.

[David_Old_Jersey]

If the wife had been keeping a proper lookout she could have provided early warning of their attack. and then leapt overboard into their boat armed with an axe - no quarter given.

Or summit.

[tropicalescape]

Originally Posted by David_Old_Jersey

If the wife had been keeping a proper lookout she could have provided early warning of their attack. and then leapt overboard into their boat armed with an axe - no quarter given.

Or summit.

If she is anything like my ex wife no ax would be needed...DVC

[Boatguy30]

Sounds like someone would have died. $11,000 is pretty cheap compared to the cost of that.

Also consider the Hondurans my have been the nephews of a local political official. Wouldn't fancy spending time in a jail there waiting for a murder trial.

[bstreep]

I'm not taking sides. The problem is that if no one resists, and there are no repercussions, they will keep at it.

We are then faced with voting with our dollars/euros.

[Boatguy30]

Originally Posted by bstreep

The problem is that if no one resists, and there are no repercussions, they will keep at it.

Whilst that does seem to make sense, recall it was Einstein that said common sense was a set of prejudices developed before the age of 3.

There are people that resist all the time up in Jacksonville and they have a very high murder rate and violent crime rate. The best way to avoid the problem is to stick to safe areas. This part of Honduras is generally considered pretty safe, but there are certainly issues at least once a year. It is further east along the miskito coast there have been MANY murders and boardings. Overall, I'd say one murder and this robbery is about average for this area.

Heaps more crime and murders in the Rio Dulce than the Bay Islands.

[bobconnie]

No one, I repete No One, Has the right to board your vessel without your permission! Personaly they would never gotten close enough for a hand gun to be any good for them !! A 10 gauge flare gun from world war 2 would have sunk there panga or what ever ya want to call it !! from 40 yards away !! and cleared ther deck if I so wanted to!! I don't like to carry the things I do carry but the world makes me do It !! No one will hold a gun to my head or my wifes head anytime I can keep them from it !! Leave no witness, and sail away!! to bad so sad another lost fisherman!! thats my 2 cents !!

[sv Winterlude]

Originally Posted by Boatguy30

Heaps more crime and murders in the Rio Dulce than the Bay Islands.

Wow, not our experience. We were robbed in Utila, but we didn't have any trouble in the Rio. We were probably just lucky in our timing ... May 2005 - December 2006 -- in & out of the river as usual, of course.

[Boatguy30]

I guess if they kill you before they get the gun on your wife all is sweet.

[elliebell]

Originally Posted by bobconnie

No one, I repete No One, Has the right to board your vessel without your permission! Personaly they would never gotten close enough for a hand gun to be any good for them !! A 10 gauge flare gun from world war 2 would have sunk there panga or what ever ya want to call it !! from 40 yards away !! and cleared ther deck if I so wanted to!! I don't like to carry the things I do carry but the world makes me do It !! No one will hold a gun to my head or my wifes head anytime I can keep them from it !! Leave no witness, and sail away!! to bad so sad another lost fisherman!! thats my 2 cents !!

Couldn't agree more. This is the world we live in.

[Boatguy30]

Coast guard boards people all the time without permission.

Should we shoot them?

[Hotel L]

Originally Posted by bobconnie

No one, I repete No One, Has the right to board your vessel without your permission! Personaly they would never gotten close enough for a hand gun to be any good for them !! A 10 gauge flare gun from world war 2 would have sunk there panga or what ever ya want to call it !! from 40 yards away !! and cleared ther deck if I so wanted to!! I don't like to carry the things I do carry but the world makes me do It !! No one will hold a gun to my head or my wifes head anytime I can keep them from it !! Leave no witness, and sail away!! to bad so sad another lost fisherman!! thats my 2 cents !!

I third this motion.

[Nauti-Nauti]

OK. Some good thoughts here. First let me say how sorry I am for the victims. Earlier this year there was a violent attack in "safe" Belize. Now another attack in Honduras. I have resisted the urge to use force as a practiced and standing SOP for our selves and vessel. The thinking being, nothing is worth my wife's' life. I could take these actions for myself, but would not want to jeopardize her well being. That being said, when is enough, enough? I think we need a major change in the laws (maritime treaties) that would more easily allow us to be armed. A shot fired in the air would more than likely ward off most of these coward attackers. The word would soon spread, we are not weak easy targets. Do any of you admit to being armed and how do you handle that with going in and out of countries?