Armed robbery in Panama

[PortClydeMe]

Did this really happen? No offense, and I wish you both well if it did. I'm just suspicious these days. If you're sailing around in an expensive cat, you must have some cash back home - somewhere. Is that correct?

The penmanship reminds me of the French fellow whose Morris reportedly dragged anchor in the Bahamas, and is now 'somewhere' in the Atlantic.

Good to know the BOSS called off the rape.

I also belong to the zero FaceCrap camp.

Good luck!

[fivecapes]

They have a Bavaria 46, not a cat.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by icemate

It's been a long time since I transited the Panama Canal. Lucky for me I was taking a yacht through for an elderly owner and was not at the Panama Yacht Club when robbers entered with the security guard laughing and robbed everyone in the club of money and jewelry. One had his pants taken down and a gun inserted in the rear end. A week earlier, another boat owner was at the ATM outside the Yacht Club gate and was robbed as the money was comming out of the machine. I was luckier as I was robber only of a golf chain and medal that had sentimental value given to me by my deceased mother. Luckily I caught the robber and the police arrested and had a swift court hearing where he was given 6 months prison with a beating every day for 6 months. Only got part of the gold chain back but I was able to see what the robber looked like after one of the beatings. Not pretty but satisfying. When in Panama, beware.
As another reply states, most of the islands in the Pacific are full of very nice people and no boarding happens. I hope you continue if you are able as there are beautiful islands to visit.
The Iceman
S/V Buffalo Chips

Bear in mind that the YC and the events you describe took place in Colon, which for the most part is a full on slum and indeed a dangerous place. It is not representative of most of Panama.

By contrast, this is the first trouble Ive ever heard of in Nombre de Dios, ever. I think it is likely bleeding over from Linton Bay where there have been repeated problems recently.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by fivecapes

They have a Bavaria 46, not a cat.

Its interesting the first-world centric perspective of many cruisers. Ive heard many state that they have a modest boat and therefore dont appear "rich". This is definately not the perspective of the locals. To them, anyone who can sail around in a yacht of any type without having to do physical labor every day just to survive is wealthy beyond their wildest dreams.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by belizesailor

Its interesting the first-world centric perspective of many cruisers. Ive heard many state that they have a modest boat and therefore dont appear "rich". This is definately not the perspective of the locals. To them, anyone who can sail around in a yacht of any type without having to do physical labor every day just to survive is wealthy beyond their wildest dreams.

I am a Brit who lives in Portugal and the locals think because of that I must be rich..

[Dulcesuenos]

Originally Posted by endlesspursuit

I think Catnewbee posted the link for your information. Not for your opinion of FB.

No kidding grumpy farts here for sure, a cruising couplele is robbed, the woman almost raped, but hey lets not discuss cruising or crime prevention etc, let's just bash FB, Catamarans, "wealthy people" and Panama......
Personally I hope the criminals are caught, it sounds like the same ones from a prior robbery the week before.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Dulcesuenos

No kidding grumpy farts here for sure, a cruising couplele is robbed, the woman almost raped, but hey lets not discuss cruising or crime prevention etc, let's just bash FB, Catamarans, "wealthy people" and Panama......
Personally I hope the criminals are caught, it sounds like the same ones from a prior robbery the week before.

Grumpy old fart here..
No problem discussing crime and prevention.. just dislike having to join another website to view the post and then do so..

But hey.. feel free to vent like the rest of us grumpy farts..

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by boatman61

I am a Brit who lives in Portugal and the locals think because of that I must be rich..

Same thing in Central America...all gringos are seen as rich...and relatively speaking it is true in the majority of cases.

[jmh2002]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Grumpy old fart here..
No problem discussing crime and prevention.. just dislike having to join another website to view the post and then do so..

But hey.. feel free to vent like the rest of us grumpy farts..

Just for information, since this thread has already been totally hijacked by the FB discussion, the FB pages with this incident are both open Public pages:

Sailing the Caribbean: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2285...2455157679410/

and the orginal, Sailing Seatramp (pinned post at the top): https://www.facebook.com/SailingSeat...819?__tn__=K-R

So no need to join, register, be concerned about followers, or even think about FB to view these links - you are just visiting a web page.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by jmh2002

Just for information, since this thread has already been totally hijacked by the FB discussion, the FB pages with this incident are both open Public pages:

Sailing the Caribbean: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2285...2455157679410/

and the orginal, Sailing Seatramp (pinned post at the top): https://www.facebook.com/SailingSeat...819?__tn__=K-R

So no need to join, register, be concerned about followers, or even think about FB to view these links - you are just visiting a web page.

Just one problem with that, as a former FB member who quit the links you posted just take me to a login page in my name.. and no further.
Seems Google shares with FB.. Shares with CIA..
May work for someone who has never joined.

[jmh2002]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Just one problem with that...

I logged out of FB and tested the links to be double sure before posting (even though that is how a public page works - ie: it's public, for everyone to see).

Tested a third time especially for you and took a screenshot:



And clicking on the "Sailing Seatramp" header takes me to their full page, still without logging in.



So it seems something might be wrong with things on your side @boatman61

If you get the following type of screen, click "Not Now" to bypass it.



Hope this helps.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by jmh2002

I logged out of FB and tested the links to be double sure before posting (even though that is how a public page works - ie: it's public, for everyone to see).

Tested a third time especially for you and took a screenshot:



And clicking on the "Sailing Seatramp" header takes me to their full page, still without logging in.



So it seems something might be wrong with things on your side @boatman61

If you get the following type of screen, click "Not Now" to bypass it.



Hope this helps.

Can't screenshot the login page so cannot prove it..
So no... No help... and no way am I rebooting/whatever that account.

[waterman46]

Originally Posted by endlesspursuit

I think Catnewbee posted the link for your information. Not for your opinion of FB.

Yes, many do not like FBook but what does criticism of it have to do with the thread subject?

My heart and prayers go out to any who face such situations. We are now seriously considering cancelling all our plans to transit canal West to East and cruise Western Caribbean. Maybe its just not worth the risk, increased insurance and hassle so we may stay on the best coast.
Getting no response in several hours to DSC emergency calls from vessels in sight and the Panamanian Navy/CG is really inexcuseable. I hope the problem was just something to do with this individual case and not systemic. Again, it makes me hesitant to cruise these waters.

[ptards]

We moved to Charleston, SC two years ago and FB is a way to keep up with friends & family back in NJ. I will un-follow friends that start going on political rants, but for the most part I just lurk. Its no different then CF, in fact the Lagoon (I joined even tho' we haven't purchased ours yet) owners group seems to be much more alive on FB then it is on CF, not a criticism, just an observation, BTW I read about Seatramps issue several days before I saw it here. Not a big fan of what Zuckerberg and his henchmen did to Lucky Palmer. The sunset is a lot earlier the further south you go, check out Anelema.

[Montanan]

Originally Posted by waterman46

Yes, many do not like FBook but what does criticism of it have to do with the thread subject?

My heart and prayers go out to any who face such situations. We are now seriously considering cancelling all our plans to transit canal West to East and cruise Western Caribbean. Maybe its just not worth the risk, increased insurance and hassle so we may stay on the best coast.
Getting no response in several hours to DSC emergency calls from vessels in sight and the Panamanian Navy/CG is really inexcuseable. I hope the problem was just something to do with this individual case and not systemic. Again, it makes me hesitant to cruise these waters.

Enough already about viewing a public Facebook page link, geez it's not a .xxx site. Stay on subject or stay off the subject.

Snipet from the OP: "After we were free again we lifted the anchor as I just wanted to go back to Marina Linton to get some help and try to manage to block all our bank accounts. On this 7 miles trip we were sending Pan Pan via VHF and issued a DSC distress messages too. We could see container ships on the AIS. Nobody was responding."

The situation while personally distressing to the persons onboard did not appear to require the immediate response or aid of fellow mariners.


As I understand DSC calls there are three types and three types of responses, or NON-RESPONSES, as detailed below:

Distress:
A distress alert should be transmitted if, in the opinion of the Master, the ship or a person is in distress and requires immediate assistance.

Transmission: May Day repeated 3 times

the nature of distress,
the ship's last known position (latitude and longitude),
the time (in UTC) the position was valid,
type of subsequent distress communication (telephony),

Actions on Receipt of a Distress Alert
Ships receiving a DSC distress alert from another ship should normally not acknowledge the alert by DSC since acknowledgment of a DSC distress alert by use of DSC is normally made by coast stations only.

Only if no other station seems to have received the DSC distress alert, and the transmission of the DSC distress alert continues, the ship should acknowledge the DSC distress alert by use of DSC to terminate the call. The ship should then, in addition, inform a coast station or a coast earth station by any practicable means.

Ships receiving a DSC distress alert from another ship should also defer the acknowledgment of the distress alert by radiotelephony for a short interval, if the ship is within an area covered by one or more coast stations, in order to give the coast station time to acknowledge the DSC distress alert first.

Ships receiving a DSC distress alert from another ship shall:

watch for the reception of a distress acknowledgment on the distress channel (2187.5 kHz on MF and channel 70 on VHF);
prepare for receiving the subsequent distress communication by tuning the radiotelephony receiver to the distress traffic frequency in the same band in which the DSC distress alert was received, i.e. 2182 kHz on MF , channel 16 on VHF;
acknowledge the receipt of the distress alert by transmitting the following by radiotelephony on the distress traffic frequency in the same band in which the DSC distress alert was received, i.e. 2182 kHz on MF, channel 16 on VHF:
"MAYDAY",
the 9-digit identity of the ship in distress, repeated 3 times,
"this is",
the 9-digit identity or the call sign or other identification of own ship, repeated 3 times,
"RECEIVED MAYDAY".

Urgency;
Transmission -
"PAN PAN", repeated 3 times,
"ALL STATIONS" or called station, repeated 3 times,
"this is",

Reception of an Urgency Message:

Ships receiving a DSC urgency call announcing an urgency message addressed to all ships shall NOT acknowledge the receipt of the DSC call, but should tune the radiotelephony receiver to the frequency indicated in the call and listen to the urgency message.

and lastly, Safety

Transmission:
With "SECURITE", repeated 3 times,
"ALL STATIONS" or called station, repeated 3 times,

Transmission of safety messages
Transmission of safety messages shall be carried out in two steps:

announcement of the safety message,
transmission of the safety message.
The announcement is carried out by transmission of a DSC safety call on the DSC distress calling channel (2187.5 kHz on MF, channel 70 on VHF).

The safety message is normally transmitted on the distress and safety traffic channel in the same band in which the DSC call was sent, i.e. 2182 kHz on MF, channel 16 on VHF.

The DSC safety call may be addressed to all ships, all ships in a specific geographical area or to a specific station.

The frequency on which the safety message will be transmitted shall be included in the DSC call.

The transmission of a safety message is thus carried out as follows:

Announcement:

tune the transmitter to the DSC distress calling channel (2187.5 kHz on MF, channel 70 on VHF);
select the appropriate calling format on the DSC equipment (all. ships, area call or individual call);
key in or select on the DSC equipment keyboard:
specific area or 9-digit identity of specific station, if appropriate,
the category of the call (safety),
the frequency or channel on which the safety message will be transmitted,
the type of communication in which the safety message will be given (e.g. radiotelephony),
in accordance with the DSC equipment manufacturer's instructions;

transmit the DSC safety call.
Transmission of the safety message:

tune the transmitter to the frequency or channel indicated in the DSC safety call;
transmit the safety message as follows:
"SECURITE", repeated 3 times,
"ALL STATIONS" or called station, repeated 3 times,
"this is",
the 9-digit identity and the call sign or other identification of own ship,
the text of the safety message.

Reception of a safety message
Ships receiving a DSC safety call announcing a safety message addressed to all ships shall NOT acknowledge the receipt of the DSC safety call, but should tune the radiotelephony receiver to the frequency indicated in the call and listen to the safety message.