I enjoyed the movie - it's my favorite ride a Disneyland... but I was
looking for up-to-date opinions on the threat of piracy in the
Caribbean. If you go to Google and search of information, all you get
is the movie stuff etc. Try changing the word to "Piracy" with
Caribean and you get hits related to offshore software theft....

I have no experience with small boat cruising in the Caribbean. An
aquantance of mine is looking into a bareboat charter in the area.
She was online discussing it with someone that started filling her
head with concerns about pirates. Sounded like she was really freaked
by the thought of their boat being boarded by thugs and her and her
friends being beaten, robbed, raped.... or worse.

She lives in Piedmont - a part of Oakland, CA. I told her she was
probably more likely to get carjacked in her own neighborhood, than
hijacked on a boat south of Florida. But I also told her I told her I
would ask about it.

So what parts of the Caribbean would be considered "high risk" for a
small group of young adults on a 50-something foot sailboat? I don't
imagine that the demographic make up of the group or the size of the
boats makes a difference - but if it does...

While I myself might be prepared to go such a cruise armed in some
way, I am hesitant, for a couple of reasons, to to suggest to her that
someone on the trip should have a gun. Primarily, I am concerned that
saying something like, "maybe you should have a gun on board," would
make it sound like she should be worried. Secondly, I don't know if
she or any of her companions know how to handle a gun in such a
situation.

I don't want this to be a gun issue, but I know someone is going to
bring it up ... and I'll likely be sorry it was me.

Let me "bottom line" with a general question. What personal security
risks should be considered for someone considering a bareboat charter
in the Caribbean?

Thanks in advance.

Most places guns are more hassle than they are worth and without proper
training on how to use them defensively can be down right dangerous.
Most places you must surrender them on entry and return to the same port
of entry to reclaim them on departure.

Besides, with the exception of some spots along the Venezuelan and
Colombian coasts most of the pirates in the Windwards and Leewards run
souvenir shops ashore. It is wise to take normal precautions like
locking up your dinghy in some spots and staying in contact with one of
the HAM or SSB nets that work the area.

Curtis CCR wrote:
I enjoyed the movie - it's my favorite ride a Disneyland... but I was
looking for up-to-date opinions on the threat of piracy in the
Caribbean. If you go to Google and search of information, all you get
is the movie stuff etc. Try changing the word to "Piracy" with
Caribean and you get hits related to offshore software theft....

I have no experience with small boat cruising in the Caribbean. An
aquantance of mine is looking into a bareboat charter in the area.
She was online discussing it with someone that started filling her
head with concerns about pirates. Sounded like she was really freaked
by the thought of their boat being boarded by thugs and her and her
friends being beaten, robbed, raped.... or worse.

She lives in Piedmont - a part of Oakland, CA. I told her she was
probably more likely to get carjacked in her own neighborhood, than
hijacked on a boat south of Florida. But I also told her I told her I
would ask about it.

So what parts of the Caribbean would be considered "high risk" for a
small group of young adults on a 50-something foot sailboat? I don't
imagine that the demographic make up of the group or the size of the
boats makes a difference - but if it does...

While I myself might be prepared to go such a cruise armed in some
way, I am hesitant, for a couple of reasons, to to suggest to her that
someone on the trip should have a gun. Primarily, I am concerned that
saying something like, "maybe you should have a gun on board," would
make it sound like she should be worried. Secondly, I don't know if
she or any of her companions know how to handle a gun in such a
situation.

I don't want this to be a gun issue, but I know someone is going to
bring it up ... and I'll likely be sorry it was me.

Let me "bottom line" with a general question. What personal security
risks should be considered for someone considering a bareboat charter
in the Caribbean?

Thanks in advance.

--
Glenn Ashmore

I'm building a 45' cutter in strip/composite. Watch my progress (or lack
there of) at: http://www.rutuonline.com
Shameless Commercial Division: http://www.spade-anchor-us.com

Most places guns are more hassle than they are worth and without proper
training on how to use them defensively can be down right dangerous.
Most places you must surrender them on entry and return to the same port
of entry to reclaim them on departure.

Besides, with the exception of some spots along the Venezuelan and
Colombian coasts most of the pirates in the Windwards and Leewards run
souvenir shops ashore. It is wise to take normal precautions like
locking up your dinghy in some spots and staying in contact with one of
the HAM or SSB nets that work the area.

Curtis CCR wrote:
I enjoyed the movie - it's my favorite ride a Disneyland... but I was
looking for up-to-date opinions on the threat of piracy in the
Caribbean. If you go to Google and search of information, all you get
is the movie stuff etc. Try changing the word to "Piracy" with
Caribean and you get hits related to offshore software theft....

I have no experience with small boat cruising in the Caribbean. An
aquantance of mine is looking into a bareboat charter in the area.
She was online discussing it with someone that started filling her
head with concerns about pirates. Sounded like she was really freaked
by the thought of their boat being boarded by thugs and her and her
friends being beaten, robbed, raped.... or worse.

She lives in Piedmont - a part of Oakland, CA. I told her she was
probably more likely to get carjacked in her own neighborhood, than
hijacked on a boat south of Florida. But I also told her I told her I
would ask about it.

So what parts of the Caribbean would be considered "high risk" for a
small group of young adults on a 50-something foot sailboat? I don't
imagine that the demographic make up of the group or the size of the
boats makes a difference - but if it does...

While I myself might be prepared to go such a cruise armed in some
way, I am hesitant, for a couple of reasons, to to suggest to her that
someone on the trip should have a gun. Primarily, I am concerned that
saying something like, "maybe you should have a gun on board," would
make it sound like she should be worried. Secondly, I don't know if
she or any of her companions know how to handle a gun in such a
situation.

I don't want this to be a gun issue, but I know someone is going to
bring it up ... and I'll likely be sorry it was me.

Let me "bottom line" with a general question. What personal security
risks should be considered for someone considering a bareboat charter
in the Caribbean?

Thanks in advance.

--
Glenn Ashmore

I'm building a 45' cutter in strip/composite. Watch my progress (or lack
there of) at: http://www.rutuonline.com
Shameless Commercial Division: http://www.spade-anchor-us.com

you need a gun, a shotgun, a revolver, a machine gun, a grenade launcher, a
machette, a Swiss Army knife, a Boy Scout knife, a paring knife, a box cutter,
a fingernail clipper and a frickin' brain.

Particularly the last for trollin a board with your b/s. now, get back in
study hall.

I enjoyed the movie - it's my favorite ride a Disneyland... but I was
looking for up-to-date opinions on the threat of piracy in the
Caribbean. If you go to Google and search of information, all you get
is the movie stuff etc. Try changing the word to "Piracy" with
Caribean and you get hits related to offshore software theft....

I have no experience with small boat cruising in the Caribbean. An
aquantance of mine is looking into a bareboat charter in the area.
She was online discussing it with someone that started filling her
head with concerns about pirates. Sounded like she was really freaked
by the thought of their boat being boarded by thugs and her and her
friends being beaten, robbed, raped.... or worse.

She lives in Piedmont - a part of Oakland, CA. I told her she was
probably more likely to get carjacked in her own neighborhood, than
hijacked on a boat south of Florida. But I also told her I told her I
would ask about it.

So what parts of the Caribbean would be considered "high risk" for a
small group of young adults on a 50-something foot sailboat? I don't
imagine that the demographic make up of the group or the size of the
boats makes a difference - but if it does...

While I myself might be prepared to go such a cruise armed in some
way, I am hesitant, for a couple of reasons, to to suggest to her that
someone on the trip should have a gun. Primarily, I am concerned that
saying something like, "maybe you should have a gun on board," would
make it sound like she should be worried. Secondly, I don't know if
she or any of her companions know how to handle a gun in such a
situation.

I don't want this to be a gun issue, but I know someone is going to
bring it up ... and I'll likely be sorry it was me.

Let me "bottom line" with a general question. What personal security
risks should be considered for someone considering a bareboat charter
in the Caribbean?

Thanks in advance.

He is every report of problems in the Caribbean in the last several years
http://www.caribcruisers.com/index.html

On Thu, 1 Jan 2004 08:30:14 -0500, "Bruce"
wrote:


He is every report of problems in the Caribbean in the last several years
http://www.caribcruisers.com/index.html


Bruce,

Looking at the list of incidents in the Caribbean is instructive.
Besides the numerous thefts or attempted thefts of dinks, there seems
to be an unusual number of boardings while people are asleep on the
boat. In these and the dink stealing instances, guns would be
useless. For the boardings some kind of intruder alarm would seem to
be the most valuable addition to a boat.

Even for those examples when people were robbed at gun point, having a
gun on board would probably not have been helpful. The victim was
usually off the boat and/or was surprised by the robber. If fact, as
I read the list, I could only detect a very few times when I gun on
board might have made the difference. I did not see a single time
when a boat load of armed men approached a boat directly in such a way
that the occupants would have the warning or time to get their gun.
Did I miss something?

Lee Huddleston
s/v Truelove

Your assessment is very accurate. I doubt many have bothered to go to this
link and study it like you have. The post where the guy questioned why they
didn't steal dinghy's was case in point. If you read the site, you will see
that the thieves only want the motor. Dinks are only useful to a cruiser.
These are reports from the victims who are actively cruising the Caribbean.
This is the sum of all complaints from the Safety and Security Net.
Everything else is News Group BS
Bruce

Your assessment is very accurate. I doubt many have bothered to go to this
link and study it like you have. The post where the guy questioned why they
didn't steal dinghy's was case in point. If you read the site, you will see
that the thieves only want the motor. Dinks are only useful to a cruiser.
These are reports from the victims who are actively cruising the Caribbean.
This is the sum of all complaints from the Safety and Security Net.
Everything else is News Group BS
Bruce

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1

On Fri, 02 Jan 2004 04:07:25 GMT,
Lee Huddleston wrote:
On Thu, 1 Jan 2004 08:30:14 -0500, "Bruce"
wrote:


He is every report of problems in the Caribbean in the last several years
http://www.caribcruisers.com/index.html


Bruce,

Looking at the list of incidents in the Caribbean is instructive.
Besides the numerous thefts or attempted thefts of dinks, there seems
to be an unusual number of boardings while people are asleep on the
boat. In these and the dink stealing instances, guns would be
useless. For the boardings some kind of intruder alarm would seem to
be the most valuable addition to a boat.

Even for those examples when people were robbed at gun point, having a
gun on board would probably not have been helpful. The victim was
usually off the boat and/or was surprised by the robber. If fact, as
I read the list, I could only detect a very few times when I gun on
board might have made the difference. I did not see a single time
when a boat load of armed men approached a boat directly in such a way
that the occupants would have the warning or time to get their gun.
Did I miss something?


While there are many good arguments against carrying a firearm on board,
this is not one of them.

Unless you wish to also throw away that fire extinguisher? after all,
*most* fires occur when you are off the boat, or asleep...

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--
Jim Richardson http://www.eskimo.com/~warlock
The real fun of living wisely is that you get to feel smug about it
-- Hobbes

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1

On Fri, 02 Jan 2004 04:07:25 GMT,
Lee Huddleston wrote:
On Thu, 1 Jan 2004 08:30:14 -0500, "Bruce"
wrote:


He is every report of problems in the Caribbean in the last several years
http://www.caribcruisers.com/index.html


Bruce,

Looking at the list of incidents in the Caribbean is instructive.
Besides the numerous thefts or attempted thefts of dinks, there seems
to be an unusual number of boardings while people are asleep on the
boat. In these and the dink stealing instances, guns would be
useless. For the boardings some kind of intruder alarm would seem to
be the most valuable addition to a boat.

Even for those examples when people were robbed at gun point, having a
gun on board would probably not have been helpful. The victim was
usually off the boat and/or was surprised by the robber. If fact, as
I read the list, I could only detect a very few times when I gun on
board might have made the difference. I did not see a single time
when a boat load of armed men approached a boat directly in such a way
that the occupants would have the warning or time to get their gun.
Did I miss something?


While there are many good arguments against carrying a firearm on board,
this is not one of them.

Unless you wish to also throw away that fire extinguisher? after all,
*most* fires occur when you are off the boat, or asleep...

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: GnuPG v1.2.4 (GNU/Linux)

iD8DBQE/9i+Gd90bcYOAWPYRAg1WAKCxB7W5I60rBLaTzyQwiz1nC+PrWQ CfW1hc
3D2PMgdQ7GZ8016wcyvgfK0=
=XApt
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

--
Jim Richardson http://www.eskimo.com/~warlock
The real fun of living wisely is that you get to feel smug about it
-- Hobbes