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Old 06-07-2016, 14:20   #46
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Re: Best Central/South American countries for cruisers?

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Bad example to chose, very suspicious circumstances, husband suspected by many (including officials).

Regardles, Yes there are infrequent problems along the Colombian coast, Cartagena has its share of thefts in the anchorage, but its far from being a pirate riddled area to be avoided as suggested. The Honduran N coast is much more deserving of that depiction.

If the logic is that any area is to be avoided because there has been ANY crime, then Bocas should be avoided too. There have been violent crimes against cruisers there too. Not to mention the exploits of the likes of "Wild Bill" ashore.
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Old 06-07-2016, 14:40   #47
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Re: Best Central/South American countries for cruisers?

This is a great thread for someone like me who thought the whole area a crime ridden hellhole. Media vs reality, I suppose.
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Old 06-07-2016, 15:54   #48
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Re: Best Central/South American countries for cruisers?

Crime in Livingston Guatemala anchorage! I heard some cruiser had 2 lines and a pair of sandals stolen the other night. No one was injured or shot.
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Old 06-07-2016, 17:08   #49
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Re: Best Central/South American countries for cruisers?

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This is a great thread for someone like me who thought the whole area a crime ridden hellhole. Media vs reality, I suppose.
Yeah,usually very different, if you want to learn a radical example of media vs reality then just research what the USA media reported (spoon fed to them by govt) about Central America from the 50's thru the 80's...not even close to reality.

Ironically, after that hellish period of history (esp the 80's), Nicaragua has emerged as statistically one of the safest countries in CA...its east coast excluded. Shame, because it is a beautiful and interesting coast line which could make a great cruising ground I think.
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Old 06-07-2016, 17:13   #50
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Re: Best Central/South American countries for cruisers?

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Columbia has its perks... but getting there can be a problem... many cruisers navigate well offshore when sailing to Panama to avoid modern day pirates off the coast.
You seem to be confusing Colombia with Venezuela. The locals will not like that. They will not like their country to be confused with DC either 
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Old 06-07-2016, 17:16   #51
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Re: Best Central/South American countries for cruisers?

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Crime in Livingston Guatemala anchorage! I heard some cruiser had 2 lines and a pair of sandals stolen the other night. No one was injured or shot.
Livingston anchorage has had its issues, but mostly just petty theft that I know of. Things have unfortantely been a bit worse from time to time further up the Rio.
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Old 06-07-2016, 17:37   #52
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Re: Best Central/South American countries for cruisers?

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Bay Islands, Honduras safe? lol.
Varies a lot by island and over time but all currently much better than the mainland. Guanaja for example has only ever had one armed robbery of cruisers that I recall (same as Bocas). Bad guys were caught.

Little visited, but beautiful, Cayos Cochinos (south of Roatan) has never had any issues that Im aware of. One of our favorite places too.
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Old 06-07-2016, 17:51   #53
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Re: Best Central/South American countries for cruisers?

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...
I know HOT, WET is everywhere in CA but is the Rio Dulce prone to frequent Thunderstorm issues?

Bob
The Rio does get heavy rain and lightening in the off season (hurricane season). Winds can get pretty intense in local squalls and frontal passages...got what I guesstimated as gusts to 60 knots at my place there a few weeks ago!

https://db.tt/EKuZ7Ixh
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Old 06-07-2016, 18:11   #54
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Re: Best Central/South American countries for cruisers?

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The Rio does get heavy rain and lightening in the off season. Winds can get pretty intense in local squalls and frontal passages...got what I guesstimated as gusts to 60 knots at my place there a few weeks ago!

https://db.tt/EKuZ7Ixh
We were aboard then and it was certainly windy but it didn't last all that long. Quite a lightning display the next day. The rains have been for short periods but very heavy, good way for checking for leaks, LOL.
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Old 06-07-2016, 18:14   #55
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Re: Best Central/South American countries for cruisers?

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Bay Islands, Honduras safe? lol.
Do you know something I don't on this subject?? If so please enlighten me.
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Old 06-07-2016, 19:51   #56
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Re: Best Central/South American countries for cruisers?

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The Rio does get heavy rain and lightening in the off season (hurricane season). Winds can get pretty intense in local squalls and frontal passages...got what I guesstimated as gusts to 60 knots at my place there a few weeks ago!

https://db.tt/EKuZ7Ixh
Thanks for that. We hope to visit this coming Feb-Mar so "Summer" Lightning should be at a minimum.
As I stated earlier, lightning is my biggest fear!

Great photo, and that collection of Cruising boats looks obviously to be in storage mode.

Bob
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Old 06-07-2016, 21:15   #57
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Re: Best Central/South American countries for cruisers?

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Do you know something I don't on this subject?? If so please enlighten me.
People from the mainland can take the ferry over no problem. The pickings are better with all the cruise ships etc. There are a couple of areas a dumb looking gringo should stay clear of. In broad daylight the store at Barefoot Key Marina was held up. Maybe it's like any other place?
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Old 07-07-2016, 06:10   #58
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Re: Best Central/South American countries for cruisers?

When we visited the Bay Islands, Malaria and Dengue Fever were a much bigger threat than isolated crime. This was also the case at other CA countries we traveled thru.
We shared a cab on Roatan with a guy with advanced stage Malaria, he was "yellow" and deathly... that was very sobering...

Bob
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Old 07-07-2016, 06:58   #59
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Re: Best Central/South American countries for cruisers?

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Thanks for that. We hope to visit this coming Feb-Mar so "Summer" Lightning should be at a minimum.
As I stated earlier, lightning is my biggest fear!

Great photo, and that collection of Cruising boats looks obviously to be in storage mode.

Bob
Cold fronts can extend into March, but rainy season doesn't start until around June.

Had a very dry dry season this year, which is great because with decreased water flow comes salt water ingress and then spawning shrimp...lots of them still running when I was there in early June. Yum.
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Old 07-07-2016, 07:01   #60
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Re: Best Central/South American countries for cruisers?

Over the past couple of years, I've told the good and the bad about Colombia. One thing I've learned on this site is how unaware the posters are of the monitoring of marine traffic off the coast as a result of drug interdiction efforts. It is intense. Colombia would be the worst place to be a pirate that I could think of as there is a huge presence of Coast Guard/DEA in the area using state of the art surveillance equipment, and they are watching you.......trust me on that.

I returned last night from a 5 day cruise, it was beautiful, but as belizesailor says, there is some heavy weather along the coast at times.
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