Recent Pirate Attack - Talked to the Captain in Shelter Bay

[Panamajames]

Pirates attack off the Nicaraguan Banks

Created by sue. Last modified on 2009-11-02 16:30:32
Not a good time for a fire fight.. 30 year old Captain on Chile flagged boat said they treated them very nice. Got the outboard, cash, radios, food and things that could be sold. Left the dingy. Juan said he begged them for his laptop and they left it.

Topic: Piracy Reports 2009
Countries: Nicaragua

This is a report from s/v Blu Interlude, a 47' sailing vessel.

At 0700 on Monday 26 October, 2009, we were under way along the Nicaraguan Banks, about 16 miles off Cabo Gracias A Dios (GPS position Lat: 15 4.7' N / Long: 82 55.1 W).

We were flagged down by a green panga approximately 25' with 4 men on board. Some of the Pirates were wearing para military clothing. We slowed the boat down and then the pirates pulled shotguns and pistols and boarded us.

At gun point they tied all three of us up and then took cameras, money, dinghy outboard, watches, sun glasses, hand held GPS and VHF radios and cell phones. They were on board for about 45 minutes searching the boat for valuables.

The attack was reported to the Coast Guard at San Andreas Island, Columbia on Tuesday October 27, 2009.

Juan Pablo Del Solar Goldsmith
Captain
SV Blu Interlude

[Panamajames]

All are safe at Shelter Bay. 3 flew home to Chile and Captain is alone and needs to get the boat to Valpariso. Very experience young man.. After canal he thinks he can sail it himself.


Noonsite: Pirates attack off the Nicaraguan Banks

[sneuman]

He shoulda opened fire and gone down in a blaze 'a glory, don't ya think?

[Panamajames]

either you are nuts or I am.

[sneuman]

Originally Posted by Panamajames

either you are nuts or I am.

Panamajames: My point is that they got away without injury or death. For a few hundred dollars worth of inanimate objects, these people walked away unscathed.

In a separate thread you have suggested we should all carry firearms aboard. Can you explain how the situation (and the result) might have been different if the cruisers had been carrying a weapon?

[cdennyb]

...and in a un-related incident...4 dead pirates were found floating amind their burning wreckage today. Several shots to the head and body appeared to have stopped them in their tracks... film at 11.

[Panamajames]

Some people have no business with guns. Guns are not used in all situation. I know a little about the mind sense of the bad guys. They are not as predictable as you may think. They do not value life as we know it. I am just saying have a plan and I recommend having a gun for a weapon if you know how to use it. You can have control of the situation or let the bad guys have control. I am a controlling person from youth and not bad guys are going to rob me, rape my love one or kill me if I can help it. I was shot here in Panama so I am a little prejudice. I am not paranoid and feel secure most of the time. I think a little different now and plan differently than before. A legal gun is included in my planning. I think the situation, if I am overwhelmed and out numbered then it is a different situation and I react accordingly.

Good luck to you Mr. Neuman

[Scottie2]

Originally Posted by sneuman

He shoulda opened fire and gone down in a blaze 'a glory, don't ya think?

sneuman: Can we not go there again, PLEASE?

[sneuman]

Originally Posted by Panamajames

Some people have no business with guns. Guns are not used in all situation. I know a little about the mind sense of the bad guys. They are not as predictable as you may think. They do not value life as we know it. I am just saying have a plan and I recommend having a gun for a weapon if you know how to use it. You can have control of the situation or let the bad guys have control. I am a controlling person from youth and not bad guys are going to rob me, rape my love one or kill me if I can help it. I was shot here in Panama so I am a little prejudice. I am not paranoid and feel secure most of the time. I think a little different now and plan differently than before. A legal gun is included in my planning. I think the situation, if I am overwhelmed and out numbered then it is a different situation and I react accordingly.

Good luck to you Mr. Neuman

That's fine. You're entitled to your opinion and your course of action is your own. I do, however, find it odd that given your post on the other thread that you'd highlight this particular incident in which armed thugs met unarmed cruisers and the result was that no one was shot and no one got hurt.

Let's try a thought experiment: Imagine the skipper was carrying a gun.

In this situation, it's likely he would have reached for the weapon. The result would most likely have been a firefight.

Imagine (conservatively) that one person on the yacht was killed and the skipper wounded.

Now, what would we be saying about the incident after the fact? We'd say, "gee, thankfully the skipper had a gun. He managed to save himself and most of the crew."

From what we know of the actual incident, however, the outcome in our thought experiment would actually have been nothing short of tragic - a needless death.

[DaveOnCudjoe]

I worry that an occassional piracy here and there, unchecked, becomes a systemic problem in the region. Government sanctioned, or at least tolerated , piracy is not new to the maritime world. Think the privateers of the age of exploration. unfortunately there are no easy answers to this age old problem in a world of wolves and sheep, even if you're the baddest sheep on the block. Perhaps it's best to be smarter than the wolf. I still think you need some kind of stick. Dave

[Solitude]

As piracy is broadcast more widely, I wonder if more criminal types will take to it.

Piracy Map 2008

[Panamajames]

Originally Posted by sneuman

That's fine. You're entitled to your opinion and your course of action is your own. I do, however, find it odd that given your post on the other thread that you'd highlight this particular incident in which armed thugs met unarmed cruisers and the result was that no one was shot and no one got hurt.

Let's try a thought experiment: Imagine the skipper was carrying a gun.

In this situation, it's likely he would have reached for the weapon. The result would most likely have been a firefight.

Imagine (conservatively) that one person on the yacht was killed and the skipper wounded.

Now, what would we be saying about the incident after the fact? We'd say, "gee, thankfully the skipper had a gun. He managed to save himself and most of the crew."

From what we know of the actual incident, however, the outcome in our thought experiment would actually have been nothing short of tragic - a needless death.

When you are out-weaponed you DO NOT REACH FOR YOUR WEAPON.

Now use the example of 3 guys coming on board with machetes. They rob you beat you and rape your loved one. You had no power to stop them. With a shotgun or pistol you have some control over the situation if you see them board or about to board you warn them off, then protect yourself and your love ones period. Different situations, different outcomes. With no weapon they make the decision. Excuse my french but I make the decisions on my boat period.

[sneuman]

[QUOTE=Panamajames;356461]

When you are out-weaponed you DO NOT REACH FOR YOUR WEAPON.[QUOTE]

Oh, right, because everyone carrying a weapon aboard is trained. Just like everyone carrying a VHF aboard is trained. If you believe that, I invite you to monitor Channel 16 for about 5 minutes.

And even for those people with weapons training, you suggest that rational, correct decisions are going to be made in the heat of the moment.

I would suggest that police officers, who receive extensive firearms training dealing with specific situations and scenarios, are killed or wounded in the line of duty all the time because they make incorrect decisions in the blink of an eye.

[Panamajames]

OK you go defenseless and I go armed. No problema for me. Different strokes for different folks. Hey maybe we can just sit down with the pirates together and smoke some weed and they will go away. Problem is I don't smoke.

I AM trained with firearms and anyone with one should have some training. I have a strong instinct for surviving and will do WHAT I HAVE TO DO. OK problem solved.

You protect your boat and love ones your way and I protect them my way. Hey everyone is different. No one absolutely right here, it JUST DEPENDS ON THE CIRCUMSTANCES.

When you see a gun pointed in your face by a bad guy just put a flower in the barrel and blow smoke in their face.

[sneuman]

Originally Posted by Panamajames

OK you go defenseless and I go armed. No problema for me. Different strokes for different folks. Hey maybe we can just sit down with the pirates together and smoke some weed and they will go away. Problem is I don't smoke.

I AM trained with firearms and anyone with one should have some training. I have a strong instinct for surviving and will do WHAT I HAVE TO DO. OK problem solved.

You protect your boat and love ones your way and I protect them my way. Hey everyone is different. No one absolutely right here, it JUST DEPENDS ON THE CIRCUMSTANCES.

When you see a gun pointed in your face by a bad guy just put a flower in the barrel and blow smoke in their face.

hey, thanks for the advice.

It's the tendency of so many "pro gun" people to view everything in stereotype (e.g., either you're for concealed carry or you're a hippy peacenik) that makes me question their ability to be discriminating in the use of firearms.