Category: News

CSSN has received a report from a witness to a dangerous situation in Barbuda. Two cruisers who had been kiting had just packed their things into the dinghy to return to their yacht when they were aggressively approached, harassed and nearly attacked by 3 large and very aggressive dogs. This is a remote area with no road access or persons living nearby, described as the sand spit close to the wrecked/abandoned Lighthouse Bay resort, near Low Bay.

These dogs should be considered feral, and dangerous.

CSSN has informed an animal rescue organization in Antigua of the situation, and will update this report if any action is taken by them. The Antigua Department of the Environment, and the Barbuda Island Council have also been informed.

CSSN again congratulates and welcomes the ARC/ARC+ participants to the Caribbean. In its 35th year, this year’s 81 boat fleet made the 3000nm passage from Las Palmas, Gran Canaria (with some stopping in the Cape Verdes) to Rodney Bay, St. Lucia. Always a diverse fleet this year’s group, representing 24 countries, of 58 monohulls, 21 catamarans and 2 trimarans brought 408 crew (including 39 kids) aboard vessels from 9.3 to 27metres. The group includes seasoned veterans of the ARC/ARC+ rallies as well as first timers experiencing Caribbean cruising for the first time.

CSSN wishes all new and returning ARC/ARC+ participants safe and secure cruising and we are glad to share our many resources with this well informed group. It’s easy to Know Before You Go! Visit and bookmark www.safetyandsecuritynet.org and if you have not already, subscribe to our very popular ALERTS!, and use our popular Zoom-Tap, Know & Go maps as you plan your cruising adventure.

Ryan and Caroline Spott have been cruising since 2016 with their teenage daughter and middle-aged dog. They left Puget Sound so their daughter could experience the world and their dog could gain enough sea time to get his captain’s license. (he is a terrier; he dreams big) So far, they have traveled from Seattle, WA through the Panama Canal and are currently hunkered down on their catamaran Fizzgig on the US east coast trying to decide what their next destination will be.

Communications and networking are their specialty. Ryan is a full-time systems architect and Caroline owns a business designing, installing and maintaining fixed wireless and fiber optic networks. They enjoy sharing their technical expertise to help other cruisers stay connected. We welcome Ryan and Caroline to the CSSN team!

UPDATE: CSSN has received information from the SVG Coast Guard indicating the location of this event is substantially different from our earlier NEWS report. The correct location is approximately 1.5 miles off the coast of Mustique, at position 12° 50.32´ N, 061° 09.80´ W. The SVG Coast Guard also indicated that they are liaising with the Fisheries Department, Fisherfolks community, and other entities to mitigate against similar occurrences. Additional surveillance by the airwing of the Regional Security System of this area (Fads locations and fishing grounds) has been requested and additional patrols by the Coast Guard are being conducted.

A SVG press outlet has published the following article, it describes piracy against 2 local fishermen off the east coast of SVG. Ten (10) Spanish speaking men armed with AK-47s and a fast boat overcame the fishermen and stole what little they had. A second article included a few additional details, including the armed pirates’ threat of hostage taking.

CSSN has been unable to make direct contact with the victims for a firsthand report, but we have asked SVG Coast Guard and other officials to confirm/correct the published information. We also asked some additional questions. No responses have been received. CSSN will as is our policy, update when and if we receive additional information.

While an act of piracy against a fishing boat is not included in our published incident reports or piracy maps (not a crime against a yacht, per se) this is not a first or single incident. What seems to be a similar set of bad guys did fire shots and attempt to board/pirate a sailing yacht in April 2019, between Grenada and Trinidad, and in September 2019 fishermen from Grenada encountered a similar sounding set of bad guys off the northwest coast of Grenada. As none of these perpetrators have been apprehended, and the chances that they might be are extremely low it remains unknown the range of their intended or consequential activities. It would be wise for all captains anticipating an arrival from offshore or an offshore transit to review their own plans should such an occurrence affect them. When possible, traveling in a well-planned group or convoy should be considered.

It’s a good time for all captains to review the CSSN piracy maps (note the acts against fishermen are NOT displayed there) and understand what has/has not happened in these varied situations. There are helpful piracy planning precautions on the CSSN website. The single best preparation is to have a well-defined and agreed plan. CSSN makes it easy for captains/crew to stay well informed and to KNOW BEFORE YOU GO !