katysails wrote:

Peter spoke of the Guyanas.

I had heard that that was pretty dangerous....drug lord problems,
pirates, etc. My SIL was in Venezuela 2 years ago and said that
although one of the most beautiful places she'd been, was pretty
nasty away from direct civilization...very oppresive....

Maybe my recommendation of a trip to the Guyannas, should have been
balanced by a few warnings.
Yes, I think one should be very conscious of the risks if visiting the
Guyannas. In many places you should not leave the boat unattended.
It should probably be considered more of an adventure than a relaxing
vacation. With the right set of mind, it will probably be interesting
though.

I think Venezuela is more safe in general. Many places are fairly low
risk, while others can be more of a challenge. Lots of cruisers used
to spend most of the hurricane season in Venezuela. Besides the
obvious advantage of avoiding (most of the) hurricane risk, they also
appreciated the low living costs and used the opportunity to stock up
on rum, diesel, canned gods etc. as much as the boat would carry or
the money would allow. Some used the opportunity to get some repairs
or improvements done.

I never went to Columbia, because the attraction was less than my
worries, but it's your own risk and your own decision.

If you are looking for relaxing sail in secure areas, maybe you should
stick with the islands and away from the continent, but I can't se any
reason to stay in the northern part of the lesser antilles.

When going to "risky" places, I think a lot depends on your own
attitude and your appearance to the people you meet. If you look like
a (boat) bum and are fairly "streetwise", you probably will avoid some
of the trouble that people, who look ripe to pluck and has a
self-righteous "US above the rest of the world" attitude, might get
themselves into.
Also, if you travel places like that, you will gradually improve your
ability to judge the situation (and the situations) better.

For me, visits to some of the (moderately) risky places have been
rewarding and well worth the hassle. The fact that I have been able
and lucky enough to avoid serious trouble, can of course not be taken
as statistic proof, but I feel that the risks has been moderate
compared to the value of the experience.

I haven't the latest statistics but St. Thomas probably have a higher
crimerate than any of the islands south of the BVIs.


Peter S/Y Anicula