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Old 01-10-2013, 19:32   #1
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pirate Pirates/safety

Don't worry I'm not asking your opinions on firearms. I own plenty and already have my own opinions on them.

What I would like to know is the reality of safety in cruising to the bvi. Ultimately my goal is to one day sail to the bvi. Whether it be from newport to bermuda and then down or to bounce down the coast and then island hop over I want to end up there. Now I know its not as grandiose/sexy as circumnavigating but it is my dream, and if I get to do it once I can honestly say I can die happy. If I don't and all I do is sail around the north east well hey it beats working.

What are the risks (pirate or criminal wise) with different routes to get down there and then once your there. Has anyone actually encountered any "questionable ships/individuals" ? Is there certain areas to avoid or habits that make you stand out to be a target. I chartered a catamaran out of tortolla 12 years ago but we flew down so I am unfamiliar with the security risks of cruising down.

Thanks for any input you may have.
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Old 02-10-2013, 04:17   #2
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Re: Pirates/safety

stay home where it is "safe"
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Old 02-10-2013, 04:22   #3
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Re: Pirates/safety

The direct answer is . . . . No, there is essentially no risk of pirates along that route. You are much more likely to get mugged ashore in a US town.

Decades ago, there was some (small) risk around the Bahamas, when drug smugglers were looking for a "clean final delivery vessel" . But they have moved on to subs and container ships and don't bother us cruisers any more.
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Old 02-10-2013, 04:23   #4
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Re: Pirates/safety

Well the east coast of the US is very dangerous , full of cruisers armed to the teeth and with attitude. after that no issues.

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Old 02-10-2013, 04:46   #5
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Re: Pirates/safety

According to Coops,
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ml#post1351879

They are now known as the Islands, apparently Chuck Norris has been there.
Probably not much point in going now
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Old 02-10-2013, 04:48   #6
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Re: Pirates/safety

Quote:
Originally Posted by ontherocks83 View Post
Don't worry I'm not asking your opinions on firearms. I own plenty and already have my own opinions on them.

What I would like to know is the reality of safety in cruising to the bvi.
Has anyone actually encountered any "questionable ships/individuals"
Its a very serious point you raise. I sailed from New York to the BVI's from September last year through January this year. Being from Australia it was all new to me.

Yes, there certainly is a reality to it and those questionable types abound.

I didn't have guns but I would have blasted the crap outta the subway attendant in New York City for failing to understand me when I asked what the difference is between Uptown and Downtown.

Then in the city standing right in the middle of the road in the intersection was a questionable type, Wearing a blue hat and uniform he was waving at me! I would have let go at him too.

Then when I got to the Carolina's it was like they were speaking another language and kept telling me to "come back now y'hear" but every time I did they looked at me like I was a bit dim. Me!!

Lastly I got to Key West..... even the locals in Key West think the place is full of Questionable Types.

So, in general, be careful out there!


BTW the BVIs are fine.
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Old 02-10-2013, 05:10   #7
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Re: Pirates/safety

Most of the pirates on the East Coast have badges and blue lights!
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Old 02-10-2013, 05:16   #8
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Most of the pirates on the East Coast have badges and blue lights!
True, why be an old school pirate when all you have to do is elect a new wave pirate to send the tax collector for your wealth.
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Old 02-10-2013, 05:19   #9
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Re: Pirates/safety

I is quite apparent that one of two things are in play concerning the replys you have received: one is that the respondents are totally ignorent of the question or they are equally ignorent of the answer.
If you refer to Caribbean Crime Statistics - Caribbean Murder, Property Crime Rates
you will have sufficient knowledge to determine what safety precautions you should take. As for the matter of guns aboard, I have never encountered the need for a weapon aboard on the trip that you have outlined. Were I to venture to some of the more desolate and unfriendly parts of the world, the situation may differ. For now we haven't even locked the boat (except in Nassau) for the past five years.
Travel in peace with piece of mind.
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Old 02-10-2013, 05:34   #10
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Having cruised for many years from the Great Lakes to Trinidad, visiting 16 countries, the only place that we experienced crime was in Florida. It was a break-in that occurred while we were off the boat. There are countries that we have avoided such as Haiti, Jamaica, and Venezuela. As an American citizen/resident you have already acquired the skills to avoid crime.

At sea there are no areas that pose a risk between New York and the BVI. Still watch the pirates that run boat yards everywhere. Rich
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Old 02-10-2013, 08:53   #11
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Re: Pirates/safety

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I didn't have guns but I would have blasted the crap outta the subway attendant in New York City for failing to understand me when I asked what the difference is between Uptown and Downtown.
Been there, done that. Why do New Yorkers think that anyone else is born knowing what directions "Uptown" and "Downtown" in New York mean?
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Old 19-10-2013, 04:47   #12
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Re: Pirates/safety

Rather than a gun, has anyone investigated the possibility of using a green laser 'star pointer' as an anti-intruder device. Apparently they are not cheap as the 450 mW model can push $1,300 - but they are legal, portable, and relatively small. It would be nonlethal yet probably effective in disrupting the vision of any aggressive miscreants. I imagine that it could also be used to look at potential navigational hazards and even pointing out celestial objects to visitors.
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Old 21-10-2013, 17:42   #13
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Re: Pirates/safety

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Rather than a gun, has anyone investigated the possibility of using a green laser 'star pointer' as an anti-intruder device. Apparently they are not cheap as the 450 mW model can push $1,300 - but they are legal, portable, and relatively small. It would be nonlethal yet probably effective in disrupting the vision of any aggressive miscreants. I imagine that it could also be used to look at potential navigational hazards and even pointing out celestial objects to visitors.
Wicked Lazers .com (no affiliation but previous customer) has some great ones for considerably less money.
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Old 21-10-2013, 18:15   #14
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Re: Pirates/safety

My suggestion, stay away from Land!!!!!
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Old 21-10-2013, 21:56   #15
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Re: Pirates/safety

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Wicked Lazers .com (no affiliation but previous customer) has some great ones for considerably less money.
Wow, Andy73 is right about the site - which I noticed at the top of the page when I returned here, guess I never paid attention before as I apparently missed it. Arctic has a 2 watt model that will throw a beam 55 km for half an hour for $600 - and it even has a holster and comes with protective eyeglasses and a lock to prevent unauthorized use. I had no idea one could get such power in such a small rugged package. It sounds like it may have real potential for those of us in third world countries where we are not allowed to have firearms - I am thinking that such a device will really trump a machete if one is out of its reach. Apparently for $80 more you can get a white light head for a really bright white light. These units also have several function settings and variable power - they often have an SOS setting and a strobe functional setting among others. So far I have not seen if the strobe frequency can be adjusted - but if it can then it might be possible to set these things to strobe at the same frequency that triggers the 'flicker effect' which can have hypnotic, disorienting, and or paralyzing effects (the flicker effect is reputed to cause crashes of single engine aircraft when the pilot looks through the spinning propeller and is affected by one of the above effects and stops flying/landing the aircraft).
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