piracy attack in trinidad

[rapanui 2]

Screenshot_20190415-141933_Facebook (2).jpg
still want my flamme thrower!!!!

[Group9]

Just fishermen wanting to sell some catch.

These cruisers just panicked because of the use of gunfire to signal this innocent intention.

[GordMay]

Trinidad and Tobago’s Coast Guard has been referred to as the ‘ghost guard’, in a report* which looked at possible piracy issues and rising crime in Trinidad and Tobago, as a result of the growing black market trade with Venezuela.
According to a report in the Times published December 29, 2018, several people interviewed by reporter Colin Freeman expressed concern over the possibility of piracy as Trinidad and Tobago lies mere miles from the northern coast of Venezuela.
Freeman spoke to Cedros councillor Shankar Teelucksingh who said the TTCG, nicknamed the ‘Ghost Guard’, often turns a blind eye, either due to fear or bribery.
The Times was told that there have been hundreds of kidnappings in the past few years, both by pirates and Venezuelan security officials.
“Pirates of the Caribbean – how turmoil in Venezuela has triggered a crime wave off the coast of Trinidad”
* ➥ https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/p...idad-msd92bbxn

A 2017 report* has noted that the number of piracy attacks in the Caribbean has increased by as much as 160 percent, up from 2016.
A recently released Maritime Piracy Report from One Earth Future's (OEF) Oceans Beyond Piracy programme revealed piracy attacks occurred off the coast of Caribbean islands such as Martinique, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and St. Lucia.
In South America OEF also noted an increase in attacks off the coasts of Guyana, Suriname and Venezuela.
According to the report, 71 pirate attacks were recorded in Latin America and the Caribbean in 2017, an increase of 160 percent from 2016.
“A New Approach is Needed to Combat Maritime Threats Says One Earth Future in Its Latest Report”
* ➥ https://oneearthfuture.org/press-rel...-piracy-report

[john61ct]

Rig a really big slingshot.

Spearguns

Sonic weapon?

da Vinci style focusing mirrors?

Or maybe avoid those areas. . .

[Paul L]

Sounds pretty terrifying. Lots of cruisers head to Trinidad for hurricane season storage and boat repairs. Largest storage area in tbe Carib.
A few years ago I spoke with the folks on Explorer who were boarded and shot up (boat, not crew) leaving Trinidad. The boat still had a bullet hole in the nav station.

[danielamartindm]

It would stand to reason that with their economy crashing, Venezuelan pirates might be willing to travel longer distances to expand their ranges. Has anyone studied or commented on this possible trend? Trinidad used to be fairly safe. Along similar lines, how many nautical miles offshore of Venezuela is now deemed "safe" from pirates, and what was it ten years ago?

[barnakiel]

These were not pirates, just fishermen. Beware at times calling spade a spade ends up in posts deleted and accounts suspended.


Did they fly the infamous scull and olive branches ensign? No? Fishermen!


And RBdeV is an amazing country, full of warm people. All RBs are! They have order and progress there. Don't get swayed by capitalist propaganda.



Does the report say anything why the cruisers attacked the fishermen?


Etc. Same old stuff. Crowds will crowd to crowd places as soon the h. season approaches. You can't help. People do not read news. Too busy posting selfies on their Insteadgrams.


;-)
;-(


barnakiel

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

These were not pirates, just fishermen. Beware at times calling spade a spade ends up in posts deleted and accounts suspended.


Did they fly the infamous scull and olive branches ensign? No? Fishermen!


....

Do you have more info than what the OP posted on this incident? Fishermen do not fire on the sailboats they come upon.

[senormechanico]

Just poor fishermen trying to turn their lives around.
Rich white yachties obviously rayceest !

[Oceansailor]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

These were not pirates, just fishermen. Beware at times calling spade a spade ends up in posts deleted and accounts suspended.


Did they fly the infamous scull and olive branches ensign? No? Fishermen!


And RBdeV is an amazing country, full of warm people. All RBs are! They have order and progress there. Don't get swayed by capitalist propaganda.



Does the report say anything why the cruisers attacked the fishermen?


Etc. Same old stuff. Crowds will crowd to crowd places as soon the h. season approaches. You can't help. People do not read news. Too busy posting selfies on their Insteadgrams.


;-)
;-(


barnakiel

If there is 8 fisherman in the pirouge there is no more room for
fish;-)

[john61ct]

Sarcasm really does nothing to add value to an important topic.

[Oceansailor]

Originally Posted by john61ct

Sarcasm really does nothing to add value to an important topic.

I agree. So why is there eight people in a pirogue 30 Nm from the coast. I do not think it is fishing or drug trafficking as some suggested here in Grenada.

[john61ct]

I do not think anyone sincere believes they're not pirates

[GRIT]

Similar situation happened to us in 2000, it's been a crapshoot for years there. Everyone always poopaahs those who worry about such things, it's "rare". Sure, but when it's "you" it doesn't matter how RARE it is!

For you folks who say "just stay away from dangerous places". Could you tell me exactly how far away we should stay? Are there Union, or geographical rules for Pirates?
I understand, in the Indian ocean, Somali pirates, on their Mother ships, ventured up to 800 miles from Somalia.

It's easy to say "stay away" for those of you who live in warm, first world, countries, where there might be a million square miles of "safe" ocean, on which to cruise. But for those who cruise the Caribbean, "Safe" is relative.

St Lucia, esp Rodney Bay, isn't really "safe". St Thomas, on land, at night? Honduras? Guatemala, even up the river? Nicaragua? Columbia? There are lots of incidences with regards to violence against Cruisers in all these places, several murders too. Some while ashore, and some while at anchor, or under way.

These are places that are very popular with cruisers, so if you avoid "unsafe" areas, you're going to miss a lot of the Caribbean.

I think to say "avoid unsafe areas", makes a lot of sense, until you have to define unsafe. Everywhere is "safe" until something happens... then it's not "safe". So, how long until it's "safe" again?

Those who cruise the Pacific are spoiled for "Safe areas", at least until you reach indonesia, you have to search pretty hard to find recurring violence against cruisers.

For the rest of us, I'd suggest having some way to defend yourself. It's a difficult subject, and many forms of "defence" are illegal in many countries. To each his/her own.

But for me. "Just don't go" doesn't work, most of the time.

Cheers, and be safe out there.
Paul.

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by john61ct

Sarcasm really does nothing to add value to an important topic.

So what was your sonic weapon and slingshot post?