Missing sailor in the caribbean

[fatherchronica]

The inventory is because many writers are rewarded by the word. William F Buckley was one. He could say in 348 pages what my mother could say in 2 paragraphs.

[belizesailor]

Many boats, like Cordylia who just posted, transit these waters without incident. The piracy events are infrequent, but have increased in their sophistication in recent years. Most of the events well off shore in recent years were carried out by a team of many armed men in multiple pangas coming from a mother ship.

Ive transited this area years ago when trouble was less common and less organized. I would love to exlplore the Nica Banks more, but not these days.

Both the USCG & Colombian Coast Guard patrol are present in the area (more so around Providencia/San Andreas), but it is a very large area. Providencia/San Andreas are enjoyable stops without security issues.

I have several friends who have crossed without trouble recently. Me, I will give the area a pass for now. Trouble is that it is the natural route between the NW & SW Carib.

[s/v Moondancer]

The number of attacks reported on the Security Net off the Nicaraguan Banks is very disturbing and some of them could easily have got 'out if hand.'

We transited that area S to N about 7 yrs ago. We had the nav lights off and the AIS on receive only.

We cruised the Caribbean and Central America full time from 2008 to 2014 and our impression is that the area is more dangerous now than it was in 2010 but that might just be increased reporting of incidents since during our time there we knew personally the owners of 5 boats that were attacked. We still have pictures of bullet holes in one of our friend's boat.

[Cordylia2]

[QUOTE=belizesailor;2919818]Many boats, like Cordylia who just posted, transit these waters without incident.

No. We had two incidents which we reported to CSSN.

[belizesailor]

[QUOTE=Cordylia2;2919907]

Originally Posted by belizesailor

Many boats, like Cordylia who just posted, transit these waters without incident.



No. We had two incidents which we reported to CSSN.

Without an actual attack I meant.

But regardless, many do in fact transit this area with no troubles. However, Ive regrettably taken it out of my plans for the immediate future...shame, so many cool spots to explore.

[GordMay]

Greetings and belated welcome aboard the CF, Cordylia2.

[rogerosborne]

I have been reading about this missing sailor and ran upon other stories where the Captain, ie father was killed by pirates and others having their boats ransacked in the middle of the night. But I do not hear of stories of sailors using force to protect themselves, ie being armed. Or, they are never reported.
What is conventional thought of sailing with loaded weapons to defend yourself?
I understand it is a nuisance that you must declare what guns you have on board when entering a port and must turn them in while being docked or moored.
Thinking of being a solo sailor in the near future, the reports are disturbing and I do not own a gun now but being a solo sailor I am rethinking this.

[belizesailor]

Hopefully we can avoid turning this into a gun thread (yeah right), but my2c:

The dilema, is in deciding when to use arms. There are several categories of potential threats on the Nica Banks: There are indeed friendly fishermen who may approach you to trade. There are also individual(s) dirt bags in boats who will likely move along at the first show or force. Then the other end of the spectrum in these waters are full on prepared pirates (motherships, multiple pangas, heavily armed, likely some type of relevant experience). If you choose to fire on those guys then you had best have a lot more in your arsenal than 1 weapon. To complicate matters, these bad guys sometimes send out individual pangas posing as fishermen to check out potential target boats (this is reported in some of the CSSN incident reports).

So, how do you make that call?

Hopefully we can discuss this subject as it pertains to cruising without it just degrading into a gun rant.

[model 10]

[QUOTE=belizesailor;2. To complicate matters, these bad guys sometimes send out individual pangas posing as fishermen to check out potential target boats (this is reported in some of the CSSN incident reports).

That's a comfort. I'm pretty sure there are more attractive targets than our boat.
I heard a third hand story about a boat that was ransacked off Honduras this year. The people were familiar with the area and some of the locals. A fisherman came onboard and called some of his buds who called more buds Before long there were 20 people on the boat. They started taking stuff. The people locked themselves inside while the bad guys stripped the boat.

[Cordylia2]

Originally Posted by GordMay

Greetings and belated welcome aboard the CF, Cordylia2.

Thanks GordMay, we've been reading for a long time but kept quiet until this topic hit close to home.

About defending yourself, I agree with a BelizeSailor about not knowing what you are up against. Before we departed Providencia, Colombia a few days ago we read the CSSN reports and noonsite and figured that the chances of meeting a pirate were very slim. We decided that should we be boarded, we would be passive because our few electronics and $100 US can be replaced. Our children's and our lives are our only concern. But at 1 am when you have a boat trying to board you while you're doing 8kt under full sail it all becomes more complicated than discussing the merits of molitov cocktails and weather or not to bring a gun. 100 nm later more suspicous activity. Totally different boats (this time three) the same approach would not work for both situations.
My intention is not to highjack this thread but to return to it; Why didn't I know about these two EPIRBS being set off 19 days before I was there? That is why we chose to report to CSSN because frankly I still dont know what I would do if I was boarded by pirates but I think the best approach is to know what you're getting yourself into and I think that this Croatian sailor was attacked by pirates who sank his boat. With respect to the family I hope that I am wrong or that he will be found on his liferaft but either way publicity and search effort need to be greater.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by Cordylia2

Thanks GordMay, we've been reading for a long time but kept quiet until this topic hit close to home.



About defending yourself, I agree with a BelizeSailor about not knowing what you are up against. Before we departed Providencia, Colombia a few days ago we read the CSSN reports and noonsite and figured that the chances of meeting a pirate were very slim. We decided that should we be boarded, we would be passive because our few electronics and $100 US can be replaced. Our children's and our lives are our only concern. But at 1 am when you have a boat trying to board you while you're doing 8kt under full sail it all becomes more complicated than discussing the merits of molitov cocktails and weather or not to bring a gun. 100 nm later more suspicous activity. Totally different boats (this time three) the same approach would not work for both situations.

My intention is not to highjack this thread but to return to it; Why didn't I know about these two EPIRBS being set off 19 days before I was there? That is why we chose to report to CSSN because frankly I still dont know what I would do if I was boarded by pirates but I think the best approach is to know what you're getting yourself into and I think that this Croatian sailor was attacked by pirates who sank his boat. With respect to the family I hope that I am wrong or that he will be found on his liferaft but either way publicity and search effort need to be greater.

Agree that reporting is important for the knowledge of others. Including actions in that report is important too. For example, if you read the CSSN reports in detail you will discover a tactic which has worked: head hard to winward in rough conditions. A well found sailboat can do this and maintain speed...a planning hull panga cannot. Pangas have been successfully evaded on the Nica Banks using this technique.

That technique also avoids a potentially dangerous confrontation...even if you are armed...unlike the movies, in reality the good guy does not always win.

[Dulcesuenos]

Originally Posted by belizesailor

Agree that reporting is important for the knowledge of others. Including actions in that report is important too. For example, if you read the CSSN reports in detail you will discover a tactic which has worked: head hard to winward in rough conditions. A well found sailboat can do this and maintain speed...a planning hull panga cannot. Pangas have been successfully evaded on the Nica Banks using this technique.

That technique also avoids a potentially dangerous confrontation...even if you are armed...unlike the movies, in reality the good guy does not always win.

Pirates are not the only concern, we sailed from providencia to The bay islands 4 months ago, staying 60+ miles offshore, one member of the group was rammed by a Nicaraguan naval vessel and boarded at 2 am. There was fairly severe damage done to their mono hull, broken stanchions and fiberglass damage, the armed boarders were very nice and courteous but completely disregarded the damage done to the vessel during the boarding.

[Hardhead]

Originally Posted by Dulcesuenos

Pirates are not the only concern, we sailed from providencia to The bay islands 4 months ago, staying 60+ miles offshore, one member of the group was rammed by a Nicaraguan naval vessel and boarded at 2 am. There was fairly severe damage done to their mono hull, broken stanchions and fiberglass damage, the armed boarders were very nice and courteous but completely disregarded the damage done to the vessel during the boarding.

Quite honestly, all of this sounds like something to stay away from. Cripes.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by Dulcesuenos

Pirates are not the only concern, we sailed from providencia to The bay islands 4 months ago, staying 60+ miles offshore, one member of the group was rammed by a Nicaraguan naval vessel and boarded at 2 am. There was fairly severe damage done to their mono hull, broken stanchions and fiberglass damage, the armed boarders were very nice and courteous but completely disregarded the damage done to the vessel during the boarding.

Rammed? To me that implies a deliberate act. I assume in fact it was accidental?

[AKA-None]

I guess my next boat should be a Q boat if I’m traveling near there.