Caribbean - Pirated Waters ?

[capn_billl]

Crime seems to be on the uptick everywhere right now, but these incidents seem to be the same group of people. It only takes one active crook to make an entire area seem crime ridden. I wouldn't take any special precautions, except have a plan in case and be alert of surroundings, etc...

[Janae]

Thanks for all the tips/advice/information. As a female sailor, I figure safe better than sorry. Petty theft I can handle.

Cheers!

[boatman61]

LOL..... as a female sailor Your biggest threat will be all those solo male sailors out there hitting on you....

[Janae]

Originally Posted by Hud3

...

BTW, you mentioned plans to sail from the Gulf to Central America, that "piracy was becoming more and more common in the Keys", and linked an article that refers to St. Vincent. Might you be getting your geography a bit muddled? Those three areas are pretty far apart.

That's the intended goal: sail down through the Virgin Islands, Dominica, ABC's and work our way back up. Some of the best diving in the world here, can't pass it up!

[osirissail]

Originally Posted by savoir

There have not been any pirate attacks reported in the Caribbean in the last 3 years. The period may be longer but I couldn't be bothered searching back that far. . .

Either you are not familiar with the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico or you are not doing any research that is available to actual cruisers. There have been well over a hundred confirmed and reported "pirate" attacks in the Caribbean in the last 3 years. Triple that amount if you count the ones known but not reported. See the Caribbean Safety and Security Net and Noonsite and Caribbean Compass for information relevant to cruising boats. Reports on commercial shipping, freighters, tankers, and other large commercial ships do not concern themselves with private recreational boats - us.
- - As to definition of "pirate/piracy" it is not the Hollywood movie or popular thriller novel definition. It is commonly used to describe any assault or thievery accomplished or attempted on a person and/or vessel in the water. On land you would use the names, burglar, mugging, stick-up, murder, assault and battery (some folks lump in taxation and LEO potty police).
- - The Gulf of Mexico is not the Caribbean. It is the body of water bordered on the north and east by the USA; on the south by Cuba; and on the west by Mexico to the Yucatan. The big body of water south of there and north of South America bounded by the Caribbean Islands; South America and Central America (south of the Yucatan) is the Caribbean.
- - Since there is little or very few actual islands in the Gulf of Mexico, pirate activity is extremely rare. Also there is very, very little cruising activity in the Gulf of Mexico except for cruisers transiting the area to get to the Caribbean.
- - As poverty and unemployment escalates around the world and specifically in the Caribbean Basin - and - as illegal drug activity increases pirate activities have escalated. Some of the apparent increase in numbers is due to better reporting, but with a significant drop in cruisers entering the Caribbean due to financial pressures back home, it would also be normal to see the statistical incidents per yacht to increase. Few targets with same or growing number of bad guys ends up with higher visibility of incidents.
- - All that being said, there is still very few cruisers who experience bad incidents. Some of that is due to avoidance of known trouble areas, currently like St. Vincent and Venezuela. Fewer boats going into the danger areas usually is associated with fewer incidents.
- - Increased awareness and increased common sense security precautions by formerly totally naive cruisers has also cut into the successful pirate incidents and shifted them to the "attempted" category. Places like St Martin which is much more dangerous than St Vincent almost never publishes and reports incidents and only word of mouth is available to know what is happening there.
- - Bottom line - if you cruise avoiding known current danger areas and are "street-wise" when you are at a destination, it is unlikely you will have bad experiences. There are enough naive or lazy or clueless cruisers out that the pirates have enough easy targets and can avoid the "hard targets." You pick which group you want to be in.
- - The problem with "paradise" is that you get lazy and complacent and then you get hit. Happened to me 3 times in 3 years until I got my sh8t together and tightened up my security procedures. Each time was because I didn't follow any common sense security procedures and had grown to assume that "paradise" in the islands was like the Garden of Eden and didn't notice or pay any attention to the snake.

[GordMay]

Not to put too fine a point on it, piracy isn’t the only bad experience one can experience, whilst cruising. It’s a very specific crime - but merely one of many.

In it’s simplest definition, Piracy is an “Illegal act of violence, detention, or plunder (depredation) committed for private ends, by the crew of a private ship (usually) against another ship on the high seas*.”

* Beyond the limits of the territorial jurisdiction of a country.

According to the PREAMBLE TO THE UNITED NATIONS CONVENTION ON THE LAW OF THE SEA

Article101

Definition of piracy

Piracy consists of any of the following acts:

(a) any illegal acts of violence or detention, or any act of depredation, committed for private ends by the crew or the passengers of a private ship or a private aircraft, and directed:

(i) on the high seas, against another ship or aircraft, or against persons or property on board such ship or aircraft;

(ii) against a ship, aircraft, persons or property in a place outside the jurisdiction of any State;

(b) any act of voluntary participation in the operation of a ship or of an aircraft with knowledge of facts making it a pirate ship or aircraft;

(c) any act of inciting or of intentionally facilitating an act described in subparagraph (a) or (b).

And more here ➥ PREAMBLE TO THE UNITED NATIONS CONVENTION ON THE LAW OF THE SEA

Federal judges in Norfolk wrestle over definition of piracy

➥ Federal judges in Norfolk wrestle over definition of piracy | HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com

➥ Courts Wrestle Over Piracy Definition

[Unicorn Dreams]

There are more Flying Giraffe attacks in the Fl Keys than their are Pirate attacks

[rgscpat]

Janae,

We should worn you though that some California county tax assessors might be considered a bit "piratical". And maybe some law enforcement authorities might do safety inspections in a way that might feel piratical to you.

I don't think anyone here is personally bothered by your question, but your question does speak to a cultural difference. It seems that some new cruisers worry about pirates and hurricanes, whereas more experienced cruisers seem more focused on issues such as doldrums and chafing, inaccessible and hard-to-replace engine parts, the best places for haul-outs, and the availability of their favorite foods in foreign ports.

PS My son sails with the ASU team in Tempe and helps out occasionally as an instructor with the AZ sailing foundation folks. Believe it or not, there are plenty of good sailors in your area with lots of ocean experience. Pat

[endoftheroad]

[QUOTE=osirissail;556998]Either you are not familiar with the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico or you are not doing any research that is available to actual cruisers. There have been well over a hundred confirmed and reported "pirate" attacks in the Caribbean in the last 3 years. Triple that amount if you count the ones known but not reported.

Good point!

About 16 years ago I was held up at gun point by 3 dudes in Buffalo, NY and I never reported it.

[osirissail]

Originally Posted by Unicorn Dreams

There are more Flying Giraffe attacks in the Fl Keys than their are Pirate attacks

Damn, I have been pounding on my key for more than an hour and cannot get any Flying Giraffes to appear on the screen. What's the trick?
[serious question - How do you re-size an inserted graphic and get it to stick?]

[AllezCat]

I just received an insurance quote.
More than double for Caribbean waters than coastal USA.
And automatically excludes Venezuela, Cuba and Haiti.
Perhaps because of the greater risk of theft?
I reckon the anchorages and general cruising are much easier in the Islands than East Coast...

[osirissail]

Originally Posted by AllezCat

I just received an insurance quote.
More than double for Caribbean waters than coastal USA.
And automatically excludes Venezuela, Cuba and Haiti.
Perhaps because of the greater risk of theft?
I reckon the anchorages and general cruising are much easier in the Islands than East Coast...

Interesting, previously Venezuela was okay and Columbia was in the exclusions; now it seems to be reversed . . . .
I believe the Cuba exclusion is strictly political and not a result of "pirate" activity.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by osirissail

Interesting, previously Venezuela was okay and Columbia was in the exclusions; now it seems to be reversed . . . .
I believe the Cuba exclusion is strictly political and not a result of "pirate" activity.

I think thats coz Bush n Obama got 'pissed' when Hugo Chavez 'pirated' the oil..... LMAO big time..
You can mess wiv drugs... but 'Hands of the OIL'...

[Saltwannabee]

Dont belive ANYTHING, the LA Fishwrap said .. its a cut below the SD Onion.

;-)

[garymcg]

Originally Posted by Saltwannabee

Dont belive ANYTHING, the LA Fishwrap said .. its a cut below the SD Onion.

;-)

That's right! You should get all of your information off the internet, preferably from some random guy who lives on a dilapidated boat.....