Events:
Vandalism – deliberately mischievous or malicious destruction or damage of property
Theft – no weapons, no violence, possibly boarding the yacht
Attempted theft – unsuccessful theft, see above
Burglary – breaking and entering a locked yacht while crew is away
Attempted burglary – unsuccessful burglary, see above
Robbery – boarding a yacht by one or more persons with weapons
Attempted robbery – unsuccessful robbery, see above
Assault – injuries to and/or physical restraining of crew in the course of a robbery
Assault resulting in death – injuries to or physical harm to a person that results in death
Piracy – boarding and theft on or of a vessel while underway
Attempted piracy – unsuccessful piracy, see above
Suspicious activity – threatening or potentially dangerous activity by others
Other – details in description
COUNTRY | LOCATION | DATE | EVENTS | STOLEN-ITEMS | HOW-SECURED | NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Grenada | Grenada Clarke's Court Bay | 5/7/2019 2:00 | Theft | not determined | Locked | victim vessel #5, see news item |
Grenada | Grenada Mt. Hartman Bay | 5/6/2019 1:00 | Theft | not determined | Locked | Victim vessel #4, see news item |
Grenada | Grenada Hog Island | 5/29/2019 0:00 | Theft | not determined | Locked | #9, see news item |
Grenada | Grenada Mt. Hartman Bay | 5/21/2019 1:00 | Theft | not determined | Locked | #8, see news |
Grenada | Grenada Clarke's Court Bay | 5/20/2019 0:00 | Theft | not determined | Locked | victim boat #10, see news |
Grenada | Grenada Hog Island | 5/15/2019 1:00 | Theft | not determined | Locked | victim # 7 see news item |
Grenada | Grenada Hog Island | 5/12/2019 2:00 | Theft | not determined | Locked | #6, see news |
Grenada | Grenada Hog Island | 5/1/2019 1:00 | Theft | not determined | Locked | see news item |
Guatemala | Rio Dulce Livingston | 2019-11-20 02:00 | Theft | Tohatsu 9.8 2S outboard | Locked | A yacht anchored off Livingston discovered that their Tohatsu 9.8 HP outboard had been stolen overnight while they slept onboard. The outboard had been locked to the raised (also locked) dinghy. The thieves were quiet and apparently sawed/cut thru the transom locking clamps. A report was made to the port captain. CSSN NOTE: This is the second (locked) engine theft from a raised (locked) dinghy that has been reported this month in this location. |
St. Lucia | Rodney Bay Gros Islet | 2019-11-15 22:00 | Theft | 3m RIB / 15HP Yamaha | Locked | A cruiser's locked dinghy was stolen from the Gros Islet jetty during the Friday night street party. A police report was made to the Gros Islet police, the marine unit and an announcement was made on VHF. |
Guatemala | Livingston | 2019-11-15 09:00 | Theft | Yamaha 8HP outboard motor | Locked | Two (2) yachts were rafted together and anchored off Livingston. Overnight, a locked and lifted dinghy had its Yamaha 8HP outboard motor stolen. The engine was locked to the dinghy and the thieves apparently used bolt cutters, as no metal shavings/shards were found in the dinghy. No police report was made, but the theft was reported on the local VHF before departing that morning for a foreign port. |
Panama | Bahia Nombre de Dios | 2019-11-08 19:00 | Assault | Everything- Cash, personal devices, boat electronics and gear, clothing, liquor and cigarettes | N/A | UPDATED REPORT: This report replaces our prior preliminary report. The victims made contact with CSSN and provided additional details about the event. A monohull sailing yacht with 4 men and 2 women onboard departed Linton Bay and due to unfavorable conditions made an unplanned stop in Bahia Nombre de Dios, anchoring there at about 13:00 HRS. There were no other yachts present in the bay. At about 19:00 HRS, just after dark they were approached and overrun by 8 men who arrived in 3-4 pangas (engineless boats). The men concealed their faces and had hand guns (1 semi-automatic and a revolver) and knives. The crew was restrained and for approximately 45 minutes the men stole everything they could - cash, personal devices, boat electronics and gear, clothing, liquor and cigarettes. After the robbers departed the crew was able to remove their restraints and they returned to Linton Bay and berthed at the marina. The women were taken to the hospital for evaluation/treatment. Reports were made to the police, CG, port captain, and the home country consular officials contacted. The Panamanian police began their investigation and have made 6 arrests as of 12 November 2019. CSSN NOTE: There have been similar incidents reported in this same bay in the recent past. The first occurred in July 2019, and the most recent less than a week prior. |
St. Martin (French) | Grand Case | 2019-10-29 01:00 | Theft | 12 FT center console dinghy / 40 HP Honda outboard | Locked | An in-the water but cable locked dinghy (center console / 40 HP Honda) was stolen overnight. The dinghy was not operable when stolen, and apparently the thieves abandoned it. A police report was made and the Gendarmes recovered the dinghy/outboard (only minor damage) and returned it to the owners. |
Guatemala | Río Dulce Shell Bay | 2019-10-11 17:45 | Theft | 10 FT AB dinghy / 25HP Yamaha outboard | Locked | Owners were onboard their yacht anchored 100M off Nana Juana marina, among approximately 10 other boats with their dinghy tied at the bow and cable locked to the yacht for the night. They discovered their 10 FT dinghy/25 HP outboard had been stolen between 1700-1815HRS. An immediate search was performed in an attempt to locate the dinghy, but it was not successful. Reports were made to the police, navy, marina and fuel station. A reward has been offered. |
St. Martin (French) | Lagoon | 2019-09-25 01:00 | Theft | dinghy / 30 HP 2S outboard | Not Locked | Overnight an in-the-water and not locked dinghy with 30HP engine was stolen. Current owner had purchased the dinghy secondhand and did not have a bill of sale, so no police report was made. |
USVI | St. Croix Frederiksted | 2019-09-22 13:00 | Attempted theft | none, not successful | Locked | Owners returned to their dinghy that had been chain locked to the Fredriksted pier from 1300-1500HRS. It was apparent that attempts had been made to defeat the chain, and start the engine, an oar was broken, and the stern anchor pulled. Several dive boats that were also using this dock were questioned but had no information. A police report was made, and VIPC indicated that there had been other issues at this dock and that patrols there would be increased. |
Honduras | Roatan West End | 2019-09-03 23:00 | Theft | Dinghy outboard, 2.5HP | Not Locked | One of two yachts in the anchorage discovered that the 2.5HP unlocked outboard had been removed from their in-the-water dinghy overnight. The yachts’ crew normal practice was to remove the engine at night, but they did not do so on this night and an opportunistic thief took advantage. |
Grenada | Halifax Bay | 2019-09-03 03:00 | Theft | dinghy/outboard | Not Locked | Charter crew found that the painter on the in-the-water and not locked dinghy/outboard had been cut , and the dinghy stolen overnight. It is not known if a police report was made. |
SVG | Union Clifton Harbor | 2019-09-02 19:00 | Burglary | Cash+ | Locked | Guests on a charter yacht that had taken a mooring in Clifton harbor returned from dinner ashore to find that the locked yacht had been broken into. Cash+ was stolen. A police report was made the next morning. |
Grenada | Grenada St. George's outside lagoon | 2019-09-01 04:00 | Theft | Phone, backpack, wallet, cash, credit cards,passports, identity papers, headlamp | Not Locked | A catamaran anchored surrounded by 50+ yachts in the area near Ross point was boarded overnight while owners slept onboard. One crew member was sleeping in the unlit cockpit, another in a cabin below. The boarder/thief entered through the fully open salon door. The theft was discovered in the early morning Sunday when the crew member attempted to find the phone. Also missing was a backpack which had contained miscellaneous items including a headlamp and wallet (cash, credit cards, passports, identity documents). A complete police report was made the next morning (Monday) with the assistance of a friend/translator on a yacht anchored nearby in this popular anchorage off St. George's. The police indicated that a forensics investigator would visit the yacht later that day, which did not happen. A passing Coast Guard boat (unaware of what had happened) was hailed down, and they explained that only the police could conduct the required onboard forensics investigation. No investigators communicated or arrived and the yacht departed. |
Grenada | Anse la Roche, Carriacou | 2019-08-23 06:00 | Theft | Jimmy Sticks SUP | Not Locked | Owners awoke to find one of their stand up paddleboards (SUP) had gone missing overnight. At sunset it had been secured with a line to a shroud. No wind overnight to suggest it had been blown up and overboard. Reported on the local VHF net, and a local search the next morning did not locate it. |
Grenada | Grenada Clarke's Court Bay | 2019-08-22 22:00 | Theft | dinghy fuel | Not Locked | All ten (10) dinghies left at the outer Woburn dock that night were found to have had their fuel siphoned from their fuel tanks. Other dinghies (est. 5) alongside yachts in the bay had experienced a similar problem during the prior week. It is not known if police reports were made by the affected owners. |
Dominica | Prince Rupert Bay PAYS dock | 2019-08-20 14:00 | Vandalism | None | Locked | Owners returned to their dinghy at 1400 HRS at the PAYS dinghy dock to find it had been vandalized. It was full of sand and water, life jackets had been shredded, oars removed and the engine lifting harness compromised. Nothing was stolen. The PAYS office was closed but a report was made to a young man who was swimming nearby and identified himself as a member of PAYS. Owners departed at first light. |
SVG | Bequia Princess Margaret Beach | 2019-08-17 20:00 | Attempted theft | None | Not Locked | Owners were away from their yacht anchored off Princess Margaret beach for 30 minutes, and returned at 2000 HRS to find a swimmer onboard. The cockpit was lit and the door locked. He had entered thru a closed but not locked hatch. He immediately jumped overboard and swam to the beach. A police report was made. CSSN NOTE: This is the third boarding/theft reported at this location in the last few weeks. |
Panama | Linton Bay | 2019-08-16 21:45 | Theft | 11FT dinghy / 15HP Yamaha engine | Not Locked | The crew and their dog were in the lighted cockpit when their unlocked in-the-water 11FT dinghy with 15HP Yamaha outboard was stolen. A swimmer cut multiple lines that secured the dinghy in its lifting harness. A report was made to the police and coast guard. A search the next morning located the dinghy, minus the outboard engine. |
Grenada | Grenada St. George's Inner Harbour | 2019-08-13 20:00 | Robbery | Chart plotter, cash and cigarettes | Not Locked | A cruiser was asleep in his bed at a private dock in the inner lagoon when he was awakened by an intruder holding a fishing knife with a 6 inch blade to his chest, advising him to be quiet/still while he communicated with an (unseen) accomplice who was in the main cabin. The cruiser complied, and the men departed a few minutes later. The victim went to the main cabin and found that the cables had been cut and the chart plotter removed, cash and cigarettes had also been taken. He went to the road and found a nearby policeman who then summoned CID, who arrived promptly. A report was made, forensics were taken and an investigation was begun. No arrests/charges have been made to date. |
Grenada | Grenada St. George's Inner Harbour | 2019-08-13 14:00 | Theft | fuel siphoned from dinghy fuel tanks | Not Locked | Separate owners of two (2) dinghies at the Foodland dock found their outboard fuel had been removed during the daytime (between 1400-1600 HRS). |
USVI | St. Croix Christiansted | 2019-08-09 02:30 | Theft | Cash, attempted theft of tools | Not Locked | An occupied catamaran was docked at the Christiansted boardwalk public pier. At 0230 HRS the owners were awakened and discovered a man had boarded and entered the yacht through the unlocked saloon door. He had rifled purses and wallets and taken cash, as well as some tools. When confronted he dropped the tools and quickly departed. The owners remained on watch and the thief returned 3 more times between 0230 and 0400, in each case he fled after being confronted. |
SVG | Bequia Princess Margaret Beach | 2019-07-29 20:30 | Theft | Cell phone | Not Locked | Owners left their catamaran anchored off Princess Margaret beach for dinner ashore. The hatches and sliding door were all locked, but a small sliding window between the galley and cockpit was left cracked for ventilation. They returned to find wet footprints in the cockpit and the cellphone that had been on a charger just inside the window had been stolen. |
SVG | Bequia Admiralty Bay- Port Elizabeth | 2019-07-29 20:00 | Theft | dinghy 360 light | Not Locked | Owners left their dinghy at Mac's pizzeria dock for dinner ashore. When they returned they found that the (not locked) 360 degree light had been stolen. They departed early the next day, no police report was made. |
SVG | Union Clifton Harbor | 2019-07-29 02:00 | Theft | 4 large fenders and 2 pieces of 3/4” x 60 feet dock lines | Not Locked | While owners were sleeping their yacht was boarded and thieves entered from the deck into the crew cabin and stole 4 large fenders and two 3/4" dock lines of 60 feet each. |
Martinique | St. Pierre | 2019-07-28 03:00 | Theft | 12’ West marine inflatable dinghy and 30hp Yamaha Outboard including safety gear, cooler, depth sounder, shoes etc in the dinghy. | Locked | While monohull owners slept onboard in their forward cabin, thieves stole the lifted and locked to the yacht dinghy from its davits at the stern. The thieves arrived prepared with bolt cutters and knives and defeated both the stainless steel locks, that had exposed hasps/shackles (for the outboard to the dinghy, and the dinghy to the yacht). They cut numerous retaining lines, and the davit lines, but were unable to cut the dyneema bridle/harness. Apparently, the thieves misjudged the weight of the 30HP outboard and it, as well as the small rowboat type dinghy they had used were found the next day underwater, sunk to the bottom below the yacht. Both were retrieved. The RIB dinghy had been set adrift, and was found 8 miles offshore by another yacht, and returned to the owners. All of the items in the dinghy were untouched. A police report was made, and the coast guard notified. |
Bonaire | Kralendijk | 2019-07-26 02:00 | Theft | Dinghy/outboard (recovered minus fuel tank) | Locked | A dinghy was locked and tied to the Budget Marine dinghy dock near the Venezuelan consulate. Between 2400 and 0200 HRS it was stolen. Police were notified, three officers responded in a timely fashion and took a report as well as scanned the water with spotlights and notified the coast guard. After sunrise, the incident was reported on the local cruisers VHF net. Other cruisers assisted with a search and the dinghy was found washed up on the shore of Klein Bonaire, minus the fuel tank. The lock for the dinghy itself had been pried open, but the bar lock on the outboard was intact. |
Puerto Rico | Big Island Puerto Real | 2019-07-24 20:00 | Burglary | Unknown | Locked | Owners had berthed at Marina Pescaderia in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico. After being away from the boat for 4 days, they returned to find the boat had been burglarized. The lock on the companionway had been compromised, and was found with some sort of lock pick left stuck inside. The interior was completely ransacked and owners have not yet determined what was stolen, but few valuables had been left in the boat. A police report was filed and the marina management notified. Unfortunately the security cameras on premises were not operational. A police investigation is expected next week. |
Martinique | St. Pierre | 2019-07-23 00:00 | Attempted theft | None, not successful | Locked | Owners anchored just offshore in St. Pierre awoke after a rainy night and discovered their in-the water and well locked dinghy had been tampered with. An attempt to remove the outboard was made as evidenced by one of the transom clamps being fully loosened. The theft was thwarted by the locking mechanism that prevented the second clamp from being turned. |
SVG | Bequia Princess Margaret Beach | 2019-07-20 20:00 | Theft | Cash and a LED flashlight | Not Locked | Owners of a monohull anchored off Princess Margaret beach left a radio playing and put on a light in the cockpit when they went ashore for dinner from 1830-2130 HRS, they did not lock the yacht. On their return they discovered that a thief had boarded and stolen cash, an LED flashlight and damaged a wardrobe, likely because they did not understand the closure mechanism. A police report was made, as well as announced on the VHF net.. |
Grenada | Grenada Hog Island | 2019-07-19 23:00 | Burglary | not determined | Locked | 2 of 8 yachts affected |
Grenada | Grenada Hog Island | 2019-07-19 23:00 | Burglary | not determined | Locked | 3 of 8 yachts affected |
Grenada | Grenada Hog Island | 2019-07-19 23:00 | Burglary | not determined | Locked | 4 of 8 yachts affected |
Grenada | Grenada Hog Island | 2019-07-19 23:00 | Burglary | not determined | Locked | Problems with break-ins continue in Grenada. Eight additional (8) yachts were discovered to have been burgled in the Hog Island area. None of these boats had persons living on board, but some of the boats had minders/guardianage services. It is not possible to define what was taken at this time, but owners are being notified. Many of the recent yachts sustained significant damage as well as theft. Police have taken forensics, and cruisers are in the process of reestablishing nightly patrols. A reward has been offered for information leading to arrest/convections. Read a prior CSSN News item (June 2019) here. |
Grenada | Grenada Hog Island | 2019-07-19 23:00 | Burglary | not determined | Locked | 5 of 8 yachts affected |
Grenada | Grenada Hog Island | 2019-07-19 23:00 | Burglary | not determined | Locked | 6 of 8 yachts affected |
Grenada | Grenada Hog Island | 2019-07-19 23:00 | Burglary | not determined | Locked | 7 of 8 yachts affected |
Grenada | Grenada Hog Island | 2019-07-19 23:00 | Burglary | not determined | Locked | 8 of 8 yachts affected |
Panama | Bahia Nombre de Dios | 2019-07-13 19:30 | Robbery | Cash, personal communication devices, laptops, entertainment electronics, videocameras, credit cards, satellite phone, drone, EPIRB | N/A | A monohull with 2 persons on board departed Linton Bay, Panama for the San Blas islands. Engine issues caused the yacht to make an unplanned stop in Bahia Nombre de Dios, where no other boats were anchored. The necessary repairs were completed but the hour was late and entering the San Blas in the dark was not an option. The crew planned to lock themselves in securely for the night. They were down below and surprised just after sunset at 1930 HRS by noise on deck. The captain went up to the cockpit and was ambushed and then restrained by 2 swimmers who had boarded and concealed themselves behind opposite sides of the spray hood. Immediately a boat with 4 other men arrived and the captain was held at gunpoint, and then forced back down into the cabin. He had alerted his crew and she had locked herself into a cabin. There were now 6 men onboard, with their faces concealed by t-shirts. The leader held a semiautomatic handgun to the captain’s head. The crew decided the cabin would not remain safe and decided to cooperate fully and came out of the cabin. For 45 minutes the men ransacked and inspected every space in the yacht, stealing cash, credit cards, phones, cameras and video equipment, laptops, a drone, EPIRB, etc. Several of the items were well concealed. Some of the men appeared to be high on drugs, and were only marginally under the control of the armed leader. Two of the men forced the crew member back into a cabin and indicated they intended to rape her, but the leader prevented this. Once they had collected all things of value all 6 men departed in their boat. Finally, certain the men had departed the crew exited the cabin and untied the captain. They upped anchor to return to Linton Bay. They noticed their EPIRB blinking in the water near shore, apparently it had been dropped in the water and self-activated. The crew activated DSC and called pan pan on VHF but had NO response. AIS showed large ships nearby. The yacht arrived back at Linton Bay at 2200 HRS. The Linton Bay marina security team noticed the bright light the crew was waving and went immediately to the anchored yacht. After understanding the situation marina personnel acted quickly and contacted Aeronaval (coastguard) who arrived in a few minutes from their nearby station. Some photos were taken and they indicated they would return with police on Monday, (24+ HRS later). Which they did, and they transported the victims to an inland town to make a formal police report. After many hours waiting no report was made due to the lack of a translator. A second meeting was scheduled and the translator was available and the formal report finally made 2 days later. Follow up sessions to collect forensics on the boat were scheduled for later in the week. The victims have informed their consular officials who are expected to assist. CSSN NOTE: Unintentionally the water activated EPIRB fulfilled part of its intended purpose. After quick confirmation from the owner’s shore side contacts, who had up to date travel plans for the yacht, it was recognized that the unexpected “land” location was an emergency. Direct contact was then made with a nearby (2miles) police station and Aeronaval station (5 miles) but no action was taken by either. DSC and pan pan calls by the yacht did not generate any response or assistance. |
Panama | Linton Bay | 2019-07-11 01:00 | Robbery | everything | N/A | At approximatley 0100 HRS five (5) men armed with guns boarded a foreign flagged catamaran anchored off the Linton Bay marina. The captain surrendered "everything" at gunpoint. |
SVG | Union Frigate Island | 2019-07-09 23:59 | Theft | dinghy and 5HP outboard | Not Locked | Ten(10) boats were in the anchorage overnight. Three (3) left dinghies in the water, 2 of which were locked, but a charter boat left theirs unlocked. It was stolen overnight, the line cut. A police report was made. |
SVG | Canouan, L'Ance Guyac | 2019-07-07 04:00 | Attempted theft | None | Locked | A cruising catamaran was at anchor just south of L'Ance Guyac point on Canouan. At 04:00 am on 07/07/19, occupants were awoken by a noise on deck and found a man onboard trying to unlock the dinghy, which was raised and secured with a chain. The boarder jumped in the water and disappeared on a small red and white dinghy without a motor. |
SVG | Canouan Charlestown Bay (Tamarind Hotel) | 2019-07-04 03:12 | Attempted theft | None | Locked | Sleeping owners were awakened by a noise on deck and opened a hatch just as their sensor light came on and illuminated a man trying to gain entry to the salon. The intruder jumped overboard. The Coast Guard was notified and arrived after a delay. An unsuccessful search was made of shore, and they took a report. All hatches and companionways were locked at the time of the boarding. All valuable items on deck were also secured and locked. |
Saint Martin (French) | Chicken Island | 2019-07-03 00:00 | Theft | Dinghy and outboard Honda 10hp | Locked | An in-the-water cable-locked inflatable dinghy with a 10hp Honda outboard was stolen sometime during the night of 7/3/19 while the owner was asleep onboard. |
SVG | Canouan Charlestown Bay (Tamarind Hotel) | 2019-07-01 02:00 | Theft | Cash | Not Locked | A catamaran with 11 persons onboard was boarded overnight while owners and guests were sleeping. The door was closed and locked, but the thief apparently entered through an open hatch in the children's sleeping quarters. One of the owners was awakened by gusting winds and saw the thief rummaging at the chart table and quietly alerted her husband who made noise and turned on lights. The thief unlocked and then departed through the salon door, jumped overboard and swam away. |
Martinique | Grand Anse D'Arlet | 2019-06-29 05:00 | Theft | wallets and phones | Not Locked | While the captain was sleeping aboard a yacht at the dock in Grand Anse d'Arlet, thieves boarded the boat and stole wallets and phone. They returned to the yacht for a second attempt, but the owner was awakened by the flashlight and gave chase down the dock to the street. A witness on the beach nearby described the perpetrators as three youths. A police report was made. |
Honduras | NE of Gorda Bank and 50nm East of Guanaja | 2019-06-28 00:00 | Suspicious activity | None | N/A | A sailing vessel enroute from Providencia, Columbia to the Bay Islands, Honduras at 16 27.700' N 84 50.914' W at 22:45 sighted two boats off their bow approximately 5 nm away. The crew on the vessel began monitoring a conversation on VHF 16 in Spanish involving three boats after hearing the word “velero” (sailboat). The VHF conversation eventually seemed to suggest that a plan was being made to attack the yacht. One of the captains was heard to say “I have no fish in my boat, let's see if we can put something else in it.” At this point, the yacht went dark and changed course 60-90 degrees to starboard. After about 30 minutes, one of the vessels that had been sighted was determined to be approaching on an intercepting course. This boat was raised on the bow and the stern like a typical Caribbean steel fishing boat of ~60 feet. About 1 hour later at 16 29.157'N, 84 58.678'W, the vessel had approached within 500ft but then stopped. VHF 16 conversation resumed with one captain calling the other two boats, only one of which responded to hails. The yacht continued its course at maximum speed, with no further pursuit. A report was made to the port captain in Roatan after arrival. |
Honduras | NE of Gorda Bank and 50nm East of Guanaja | 2019-06-27 00:00 | Attempted Piracy | None | N/A | A monohull transiting from Providencia, Colombia to the Bay Islands, Honduras was approached by a white pilothouse fishing vessel ~ 45ft on June 27 at 00:00, position 16 20.486' N 82 57.469' W. The yacht deviated to starboard 20 degrees and the fishing vessel matched course change to follow. The yacht again deviated to starboard and started their engine and increased speed to 8 knots. The suspect vessel again took an intercept course and closed to within 150ft, then matched the yacht’s speed and tried to come along aside. At this point, the yacht released sails and made a hard turn to port, passing behind the stern of the other vessel. They shut off all lights, changed course again and motorsailed at 8 knots away from the vessel. The suspect vessel initially turned to follow but did not increase speed and eventually resume its original course. No attempt to contact on VHF 16 was made by either vessel. The sailboat continued its course to Roatan and encountered suspicious activity the following night (see related report). A report was made to the Port Captain in Roatan after arrival. |
SVG | Canouan Charlestown Bay (Tamarind Hotel) | 2019-06-13 03:00 | Theft | cash and phone | Not Locked | While owners slept a thief boarded and entered their closed, but unlocked yacht. Cash and a phone were stolen from the chart table. |
Panama | Linton Bay | 2019-06-03 01:00 | Theft | Highfield dinghy / Yamaha 15HP outboard | Not Locked | An in-the-water and not locked dinghy was stolen overnight, The owners found the cut painter the next morniing. A police report was made. The dinghy was found nearby, minus the outboard engine (which had been locked to the dinghy). |
St. Martin (French) | Marigot Bay | 2019-05-26 13:00 | Theft | Tools and hypalon dinghy patch kit | Not Locked | After arrival around midday, owners took their dinghy to the Marigot dock, where they secured it carefully (dinghy and engine well locked). When they returned 2 hours later, they found that the unlocked seat compartment and bow locker had both been rummaged, and tools and a dinghy repair kit had been stolen. A report was made on the local VHF net. Another dinghy at the same dock was also similarly rummaged, but nothing was taken. |
Grenada | Grenada Mt. Hartman Bay | 2019-05-24 22:00 | Theft | dinghy/outboard | Not Locked | An in-the-water but not locked dinghy was stolen from a yacht in the bay. The owner was onboard and found the cut line. A report was made to the Grenada Coast Guard. |
Grenada | Grenada Mt. Hartman Bay | 2019-05-24 22:00 | Burglary | Unknown at present | Locked | An unoccupied but locked catamaran was burgled overnight. No further details are available. CSSN NOTE: If you are the victim, please contact CSSN to provide more complete information for this event. |
SVG | Canouan Charlestown Bay (Tamarind Hotel) | 2019-05-20 03:15 | Attempted theft | nothing, attempted break in though saloon sliding door | Locked | Owners awoke at 03:15 HRS when they heard the door handle on their saloon sliding door being rattled during an attempted breakin. They scared the thief who jumped in the water and disappeared. A police report was made the next day, and a good description of the thief was provided to the SVG police, who seemed aware of this individual and the persistent but unresolved problems in this anchorage. |
Panama | Bocas del Toro | 2019-05-20 00:30 | Theft | 2 laptops, smartphone and binoculars | Not Locked | Overnight while owners slept onboard their yacht anchored off the Bocas Marina, a thief boarded through a small but unlocked hatch. Two (2) laptops, a smartphone, binoculars and other items were stolen. A police report was made. |
Antigua/Barbuda | Antigua Falmouth Harbor | 2019-05-04 01:00 | Theft | RIB dinghy/outboard | Not Locked | An unlocked RIB dinghy/outboard was stolen from the Falmouth dinghy dock on the evening of regatta festivities. A thorough search was conducted during daylight the next day, and the dinghy not found. A police report was made by the owner. Several days later, another search of the same area was conducted, and the dinghy (with engine) was recovered, and is being safely held until the owner returns to Antigua. |
Antigua/Barbuda | Antigua Falmouth Harbor | 2019-05-04 01:00 | Theft | RIB dinghy/outboard | Not Locked | An unlocked RIB dinghy/outboard was stolen from the Falmouth dinghy dock on the evening of regatta festivities. A thorough search was conducted during daylight the next day, and the dinghy not found. A police report was made by the owner. Several days later, another search of the same area was conducted, and the dinghy (with engine) was recovered, and is being safely held until the owner returns to Antigua. |
Panama | San Blas island Mono | 2019-05-02 01:30 | Assault resulting in death | Outboard engine | Not Locked | CSSN PRELIMINARY Report CSSN has verified a limited number of facts with the victims’ designated representative. The situation remains dynamic as the investigation by Panamanian authorities moves forward, and the legal process follows. Three pirates boarded the family yacht, located near Dad Naggwe Dubbir island in the Guna Yala/San Blas islands of Panama in the early hours of May 2, 2019. The captain died of wounds received in the attack, and other family members were injured. Three suspects were taken into custody in the Colon jurisdiction. CSSN partner Noonsite has included a limited report on their site: https://www.noonsite.com/news/panama-guna-yala-isla-surdub-isla-mono-new-zealand-cruising-family-attacked-and-father-fatally-injured/ Multiple press reports contain information that has not been verified (some of it inconsistent), but might be considered helpful, particularly those portions attributed by direct quote to family members. https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12227565&fbclid=IwAR1vUS2-itGjF_Obym5kxri--fcFCR-mIx26ZHi-_Mu9k07xqM-YoQ5INrg https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6991097/Wife-father-shot-dead-point-blank-range-Caribbean-pirate-reveals-survived.html?fbclid=IwAR3ebZ9IynefExLtkN9uee4kFOge-qXnfkvX_lzKpVtF5c-QG-LJH3qAI0E CSSN will update this report as information is verified and made available to us. |
USVI | St. John Coral Bay | 2019-04-22 02:00 | Theft | Dingy and Outboard Motor | Locked | A dinghy locked to the Coral Bay dinghy dock was stolen sometime on the 22 or 23 of April, 2019. The dinghy was tied and cable locked to the dock and the cable was cut. The dinghy was found 3 days later, damaged, minus the new Yamaha 2 stroke and other contents. A police report was made. CSSN NOTE: Two other dinghies were stolen in the same timeframe from this dock, but details are incompete. If you are, or know the victims, please complete or encourage an easy online report. |
USVI | Water Island | 2019-04-21 22:00 | Theft | West Marine PHP-310 Dinghy with Yamaha 4-stroke 6Hp Outboard | Not Locked | The nearby yacht's 3meter dinghy with a Yamaha 4S 6HP outboard was stolen from the Dinghy's Beach Bar in Honeymoon Bay between 7-10PM. It was not locked, and a thorough search of the area was made. |
SVG | Bequia Admiralty Bay- Port Elizabeth | 2019-04-21 21:00 | Theft | White 360 light for the Dinghy | Not Locked | A dinghy locked to the Admirlaty Bay dinghy dock had its white 360 dinghy light stolen between 8-10PM. A report was made on the VHF net. |
Martinique | St. Anne | 2019-04-21 01:00 | Theft | inflatable paddleboard | Not Locked | Overnight, an in-the-water, unlocked inflatable paddleboard was stolen. The cut line was discovered the next morning. |
Martinique | St. Anne | 2019-04-18 17:00 | Theft | hard dinghy with 2HP engine | Not Locked | An unlocked dinghy/2 HP outboard was stolen from Caritan dock in daylight hours. A police report was made. |
Nicaragua | Edinburgh channel, Nicaraguan banks | 2019-04-11 17:42 | Piracy | everything from deck, 12 scuba tanks, RIB dinghy, liferaft , all dive gear, stern anchor , all navigation electronics + | Not Locked | A Canadian flagged yacht with 4 persons onboard departed Roatan, Honduras for Isla Providencia, Colombia. At 1742 HRS, at a position of 14-50N, 82-47W, approximately 23 miles ESE of Cabo Gracias a Dios, they were approached by 2 local fishing boats (pangas) with about 10-12 men. Initially they asked for food and drink, which the crew provided. The 2 pangas drifted back a bit and were seen making calls on handheld VHF radios. Two (2) additional pangas then arrived, and all 4 (now 20-25 men in total) surrounded the yacht, and began ramming the yacht, damaging the stern ladder and swim platform, damaging the hull on both sides, and then began boarding the yacht. The crew had begun MAYDAY calls on VHF and retreated and secured themselves safely below, protected by interior security bars that covered all hatches and companionways. Mayhem ensued topsides, as the pirates ransacked and destroyed sails, halyards, cushions, etc. The pirates used fishing knives and the yacht's heavy winch handles to smash all port lights, the pilothouse windows, and the plexiglass hatch (which they then discovered was protected by interior security bars). The pirates proceeded to steal all electronic and navigation equipment, scuba tanks, scuba gear, the yachts RIB dinghy, liferaft and various other items. The crew continued with VHF MAYDAY calls (no response) and activated DSC (no response). They activated the SOS function on their inReach satellite communicator and received prompt text replies, indicating the Nicaraguan Navy had been informed of the situation, but could not give a time of arrival on the scene. After about 40 minutes the pirates had seemingly exhausted themselves, and stolen, discarded overboard or destroyed almost everything within reach of the topsides. The 4 pangas departed back toward the Nicaraguan coast. The yacht proceeded under power and set course directly away from the coast, to Providencia, and arrived there the next afternoon having had no contact from the Nicaraguan Navy. Reports were made to the Colombian Port Captain and Coast Guard. Some repairs were effected and the yacht will soon continue on to Panama, where further repairs will be made and a report will be made to Canadian consular officials. This event differed in some respects from prior small boat piracy events in the region. Please review the CSSN Central America regional Piracy Zoom-Tap, Know&Go interactive infographic for complete information on those events, and review the CSSN region specific Piracy Precautions – Central America page. A well thought out and executed plan protected this crew from physical harm. Additional details and insights provided by the captain are available here, on Noonsite, a longtime CSSN partner. |
Panama | Bocas del Toro | 2019-04-08 23:59 | Theft | 10 ft fiberglass dinghy with 15hp Yamaha engine | Locked | May 13, 2019 CSSN – UPDATE: . The victims have advised CSSN that the local police took no real interest or meaningful action following the theft of the outboard. However, via the local community they were offered an opportunity to “repurchase” their outboard for $100, which they did. A dinghy locked to the floating dock at the boatyard was stolen overnight. The dinghy, minus the outboard was recovered later from the mangroves. A police report was made. |
Martinique | Le Marin Marina | 2019-04-06 22:00 | Theft | 3.5m dinghy, 30 HP Mercury outboard | Locked | A 3.5m dinghy with a 30HP Mercury outboard locked (chained) to the Indigo Factory dinghy dock at the marina was stolen between 10-11:30PM. The dinghy minus the outboard was later recovered and returned to the owner. |
BVI | Virgin Gorda Spanish Town | 2019-04-05 01:00 | Attempted theft | None, not successful. | Locked | On a mooring just north of the Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbour entrance, among about 10 other yachts, owners awoke to discover that they had been boarded overnight. Their flag pole had been broken, as well as the sat phone antenna and MOB light/pole. Their in-the-water, but chained dinghy, apparently the target of thieves, remained secured. The owners reported the attempted theft and damage to the paid mooring minder the next morning. |
Puerto Rico | Vieques Esperanza | 2019-04-04 20:00 | Theft | 20 HP Suzuki outboard | Locked | Owners returned to their locked dinghy at the Esperanza community dock and found that 20HP engine (also locked to the dinghy) had been cut from the transom, while at the dock. The locked dinghy remained, but thieves had sawed through the clamping bolts and stolen the engine . A police report was made. |
Trinidad/Tobago | Trinidad Hibiscus Gas Platform | 2019-04-04 10:30 | Attempted piracy | None, not successful | N/A | CSSN PRELIMINARY REPORT : A 53’ Trinidad flagged monohull transiting from Trinidad to Grenada with 2 persons onboard was approached by 8 pirates in an open piroque at 10:30 AM, at approximate position 11-24N, 61-36W, about 16 miles NNE of the Hibiscus gas platform, and 37 miles south of Grenada. The pirates 40 ft. boat had 2 large outboards, was white/blue with an orange bow and approached from the east. The pirates fired warning shots into the air and indicated they wished the yacht to stop. It did not. Additional warning shots were fired as the helmsman attempted to use the VHF radio, which he did not. High seas prevented the piroque from successfully approaching and boarding as the yacht maintained full speed and began zigzag maneuvers. Additional shots were then fired at the boat and helmsman, damaging the hull and coach roof, but no injuries were sustained. The pirates gave up and fled the area at high speed to the west. Reports were made by the victims on arrival in Grenada to both Grenada and Trinidad/Tobago Coast Guard (TTCG). Yachting Services Association Trinidad/Tobago (YSATT) indicates that TTCG are on “High Alert” and have added assets and increased patrols in the area. As the overall situation in nearby Venezuela is not expected to improve, plans are being formulated to form escort/convoys. Float plans filed with TTCG and North Post Radio remain the best method for communicating with officals there. Additional details are expected and CSSN will update this report when they are received. |
Honduras | Guanaja El Bight | 2019-04-03 20:00 | Theft | snorkel gear | Not Locked | Snorkel gear was stolen from a catamaran's (not locked) topside lounge. Police were informed, and were responsive. With the assistance of local businesses, the police held a community meeting, including visiting cruisers, to address concerns about recent instances of petty theft from yachts. |
SVG | Canouan Charlestown Bay (Tamarind Hotel) | 2019-04-03 00:01 | Theft | Cash | Not Locked | A charter catamaran was moored off the Tamarind Beach Hotel dock. While sleeping, they were boarded and cash was stolen from 2 purses in the salon, which was not locked. Some loose bills found on the floor the next morning alerted everyone to the theft. The thief had taken care to replace the wallets in the purses and put them carefully back in place on the chart table. A police report was made. |
Guadeloupe | St Francois | 2019-03-31 16:30 | Attempted theft | Not Locked | Motoryacht owners decided to snorkel in an area about 100m from their yacht. They noticed a local open motor boat with one man aboard idling slowly around the anchorage, and saw him tie up to a nearby mooring, jump in, swim to their boat, climb the ladder and enter their salon. They immediately began shouting and swimming back towards their vessel, which alerted others on boats in the anchorage who also began shouting at the intruder, who then jumped off the yacht and swam back to his boat and then motored away. Owners returned to their yacht and used their dinghy to pursue the individual, who had moored off the beach. When confronted he said he “did not steal anything”, and “sorry”. Vessels in the anchorage were notified by VHF, and the marina dock master was provided a picture of the intruder’s boat. | |
USVI | St. Thomas Independent Boat Yard | 2019-03-26 16:00 | Theft | dinghy | Locked | Owners discovered that their dinghy, which was locked to the boatyard dinghy dock, had been stolen. |
Colombia | Isla Providencia | 2019-03-26 11:00 | Theft | dinghy anchor | Not Locked | A visiting yacht had deployed a stern anchor (line plus chain rode to anchor) behind its dinghy at the concrete wall of the town dock. On their return to the dock after a walk, they found the stern anchor and its entire rode had been stolen. A report was made to the Police and the Port Captain, but no witnesses could be located. |
Honduras | Roatan North Coast | 2019-03-25 09:30 | Theft | 3ipads, 1 iPhone, liquor, clothing, sunglasses, | Not Locked | Owners left their catamaran unlocked to go diving, and on their return discovered wet footprints onboard. The swimmer had brought a dry bag and had stolen 3 iPads, an iPhone, liquor, sunglasses, clothing and shoes. The owners found footprints and drag marks for the bag ashore. The police were notified. |
Martinique | Anse a l' Ane | 2019-03-22 20:00 | Theft | Suzuki 4S outboard | Locked | A dinghy was lifted on davits and cable locked to the yacht while the owners were absent between March 16-22 . On their return, the owners found the dinghy remained locked to the yacht on the davits, but the outboard ( also locked to the dinghy) had been stolen. A police report was made. |
St. Lucia | Rodney Bay Gros Islet | 2019-03-19 05:00 | Theft | 14’ dingy 50 hp Yamaha outboard | Locked | Overnight, while trawler owners slept on board, their in-the water cable-locked dinghy was stolen. They discovered the cut cable early the next the morning. VHF calls to the police and coast guard were not answered. Reports were made to the police and Rodney Bay marina. |
Martinique | St. Pierre | 2019-03-16 23:00 | Theft | 9ft Aluminium AB dinghy with locked 9.8 Tohatsu 2 stroke outboard | Not Locked | Overnight, while owners slept onboard, their in-the-water and not locked 9ft aluminium AB dinghy with locked 9.8 Tohatsu 2 stroke outboard was stolen. They discovered the cut painter early the next morning. A police report was made. |
Panama | Bocas del Toro | 2019-03-16 02:00 | Theft | panga with outboard | Locked | Overnight, a panga + outboard was stolen from the west side of Carenero. The panga was found the next day, minus the engine. A police report was made. |
Grenada | Halifax Bay | 2019-03-06 00:05 | Theft | dinghy/outboard | Not Locked | The 2nd of 2 dinghies stolen from cruising yachts overnight. Dinghy was found sunk in the mangroves the next day, minus the outboard engine. |
Grenada | Grenada Halifax Bay | 2019-03-06 00:00 | Theft | Walker Bay dinghy/3.5HP 4S Mercury outboard | Not Locked | A cruising yacht was anchored in the bay and had their in-the-water, not locked dinghy stolen overnight. The dinghy, minus the outboard,fuel tank and an oar, was found sunken in the nearby mangroves the next day. The owners made a police report. A second yacht in the bay ( see next report) also had their dinghy/outboard stolen this same night. |
Martinique | St. Anne | 2019-03-04 21:30 | Theft | dinghy, 30HP outboard | Locked | A cable locked dinghy/outboard was stolen from the dinghy dock at the La Dunette restaurant. A police report was made. |
Panama | Portobello | 2019-03-02 00:00 | Burglary | 15HP Yamaha outboard engine | Locked | An unoccupied and locked catamaran in the bay was burgled between 2/24/2019 and 3/3/2019. The thieves gained access by damaging the sliding door, and stole the outboard engine that was stored inside. The outboard had been securely locked to the inside of the hull with 8mm stainelss steel chain and a padlock. A police report was made. |
Martinique | Le Marin - Carenantilles Shipyard | 2019-02-26 00:02 | Theft | 2 Yamaha outboard engines 15HP and 4HP | Guard | An unoccupied yacht was berthed at the Carenantilles pontoon while owners were away. Overnight on Feb 25/26, 2 outboards were stolen from the yacht. Both outboards were securely locked with high quality locks to the pulpit/rails. Guards noticed the theft and the yard apprised the owners. A police report was made, but CCTV proved unhelpful as focus had been on the working/storage areas vs. the pontoon. |
Sint Maarten (Dutch) | Simpson Bay | 2019-02-23 20:00 | Theft | RIB/18 HP Tohatsu | Not Locked | The sailing school RIB dinghy/18HP Tohatsu at the Sint Martin Yacht Club was stolen from the dock around 8PM. Video surveillance captured the theft which was reported to the police. |
Belize | Placencia | 2019-02-23 01:00 | Theft | West Marine dinghy / Suzuki 15 HP 2S outboard | Not Locked | While owner slept onboard with his large dog in the cockpit, the line to his in-the-water and not locked dinghy was cut. The victim contacted the local police, who advised "not to bother with a report, the dinghy was long gone". |
Antigua/Barbuda | Antigua Jolly Harbor | 2019-02-22 11:00 | Theft | Highfield 3.5m dinghy/Suzuki 2.5 outboard | Not Locked | An unlocked dinghy was stolen from the Basilico restaurant dock during daylight hours, the owners reported the theft to the police and the port captain. |
St. Lucia | Rodney Bay Gros Islet | 2019-02-16 02:00 | Theft | 10' west marine tender with 9.9 HP Mercury outboard | Locked | A yacht anchored off Gros Islet had its new in-the-water and cable locked dinghy/outboard stolen overnight. A police report was made by phone, and the victims were promised an onboard investigation, but it did not happen. The victims flagged down a passing marine police boat, who also seemed disinterested. |
Guatemala | Livingston | 2019-02-15 04:10 | Theft | Dinghy and 15HP outboard engine | Not Locked | A yacht anchored off Livingston had its lifted (but not locked) dinghy stolen overnight, the hoisting lines had been cut . A police report was made. |
Martinique | Le Marin Marina | 2019-02-15 00:00 | Theft | Magma grill and Garhauer dinghy hoist/tackle | Not Locked | A yacht was berthed at Le Marina du Marin, while the owners travelled. Between 2/2/2019 and 3/2/2019 a thief boarded and removed a Magma grill and the Garhauer dinghy lifting hoist/tackle from an unlocked cockpit locker. The owners discovered the theft a few days after their return, and reported it to the marina, the police and the port captain. Unfortunately, the marinas security CCTV coverage did not include the dock area where their yacht was berthed on dock 4. |
Puerto Rico | Vieques Esperanza | 2019-02-13 20:00 | Theft | 12 ft. RIB and 15HP Mercury outboard | Locked | A dinghy was cable locked through a cleat on the Fishermans pier. Thieves used tools to remove the cleat from the dock. A police report was made, and the police indicated this was the second dinghy theft reported to them that week. The dinghy was recovered, minus the outboard, the next day at the nearby Esperanza pier. |
Dominica | Soufriere | 2019-02-12 21:00 | Burglary | cellphone and personal electronics | Locked | A yacht visiting Dominica to provide aid had special permission to use a mooring off Soufriere. When the owners returned to their yacht at about 9:30 PM they found a deck hatch on their well locked monohull had been damaged and pried open using a piece of rebar that the thieves left behind. The thieves stole a cellphone and other personal electronics. A police report was made. The police visited the yacht and took photographs, but more than a week later have yet to provide the promised copy of the report. |
Belize | Placencia Harbor | 2019-02-11 03:45 | Theft | Cash | Not Locked | Two occupants asleep aboard a catamaran anchored in Placencia harbor, Belize were awakened by noise around 03:45 am. The vessel owner witnessed an adult male boarder exiting the cockpit overboard from port transom, capsizing his fishing canoe in his haste to escape. The boarder spoke to owner as he swam away, "I'm sinking, sir." Owner clearly saw his face. Subsequently, the vessel occupants observed water on the floor in the saloon and discovered cash was stolen from a wallet (approx. US$120). The occupants noticed the overturned canoe drifting away and the owner launched the dinghy, retrieved the canoe, and secured it to the vessel. After daybreak, the owner went ashore and made a full report of the incident to the Placencia Police and reviewed mug shots, identifying several individuals that could have been the intruder. The Police retrieved the canoe as evidence. The Police refused to provide a copy of the Police Report to the vessel owner on the grounds that it was "privacy information." The owner went to the local tourist office to also report the incident there, but the office was closed. The owner alerted other cruising vessels in the area (~25 yachts) of the incident via VHF broadcast and answered all questions. The victim vessel departed Placencia later that morning and did not receive any further communication from the Placencia Police. |
SVG | Bequia Admiralty Bay- Port Elizabeth | 2019-02-09 22:00 | Theft | dinghy fuel tank | Not Locked | A charter yacht had its dinghy fuel tank stolen while their tender was locked to the Port Elizabeth main dinghy dock. It is not known if a police report was made, but it was reported on the local VHF net. There were a total of 3 reported thefts at this dock over a 2 day period. |
Honduras | Roatan West End | 2019-02-08 23:30 | Theft | 9.9HP Nissan outboard | Not Locked | While the owners slept onboard, a thief boarded and stole the unlocked outboard from the rail mount of the yacht. A police report was made. A nearby yacht had its dinghy fuel tank stolen the same night. |
SVG | Bequia Admiralty Bay- Port Elizabeth | 2019-02-08 22:00 | Theft | dinghy tool kit | Not Locked | A dinghy tool kit was stolen from an unlocked dinghy locker while the dinghy was secured to the main dinghy dock. This is the second of 2 thefts at this dock that night. It was reported on the local VHF net the next day. |
SVG | Bequia Admiralty Bay- Port Elizabeth | 2019-02-08 10:00 | Theft | Shoes,flashlight and pump | Not Locked | Shoes, a flashlight and the pump were stolen from the unlocked locker of a dinghy at the public/Government dock in Admiralty Bay. Another dinghy at the same dock also had a tool kit stolen from an unlocked bow locker the same night. A report was made on the local VHF net, no police report was made, |
St. Lucia | Rodney Bay Reduit Beach | 2019-02-02 01:00 | Attempted theft | None | Locked | Overnight, and in-the-water and cable locked dinghy anchored off Reduit Beach had its painter cleanly cut. Owner was onboard all night, and did not hear anything unusual. The theft was not successful. A police report was made. |
SVG | St. Vincent Cumberland Bay | 2019-02-01 22:00 | Theft | cash + other items | Not Locked | Crew anchored at the north end of the bay and went ashore for the evening, and did not lock the boat. They discovered the theft on their return, The police arrived the next morning to take a report. |
St. Lucia | Vieux Fort | 2019-02-01 14:00 | Burglary | computers and valuables | Locked | A yacht anchored at about 2PM and everyone went ashore to collect guests at the airport. They returned about 2 hours later to find their locked monohull had been boarded and broken into, and computers and other valuables had been stolen. |
St. Lucia | Rodney Bay Gros Islet | 2019-01-31 02:00 | Theft | dinghy/ 25 HP outboard | Unknown | Overnight, and in-the-water dinghy/25HP outboard were stolen from a yacht anchored off Gros Islet. No further details are available. CSSN NOTE: If you are the victim, or know them, please encourage a complete online report ! |
Colombia | Cabo de la Vela | 2019-01-25 21:00 | Theft | dinghy/2.5HP outboard | Not Locked | An in-the-water and not locked dinghy/2.5 HP outboard was stolen from an anchored yacht at about 9PM. The owner upped anchor to look for his dinghy and found a local fishing boat nearby with 2 men and a boy and saw his deflated dinghy/outboard inside their boat, before the fishing boat motored away. A second yacht anchored in the same bay discovered that their in the water and chain locked dinghy had been slashed. The third boat in the anchorage had lifted and locked their dinghy and had no issues. |
Colombia | Cabo de la Vela | 2019-01-25 21:00 | Attempted theft | theft not successful, thieves slashed tubes | Locked | Thieves attempted to steal an in-the-water, chain locked dinghy, but were not successful. They slashed the tubes before departing. Another dinghy/outboard was stolen the same night from this remote anchorage. A third yacht anchored in this same bay had lifted and locked thier dinghy, and reported no issues. |
Grenada | Grenada Clarke's Court Bay | 2019-01-24 22:00 | Theft | DInghy/9.9 HP Yamaha outboard, dinghy minus outboard later recovered | Not Locked | An unlocked dinghy/outboard at the Woburn dock was stolen, owners later found the dinghy nearby, minus the engine. |
SVG | Union Clifton Harbor | 2019-01-22 19:00 | Attempted burglary | None | Locked | Owners returned to their yacht moored near Happy Island (toward the outside of the mooring area) after an early dinner ashore and found their main sliding door was slightly ajar, and the track had been bent. Upon inspection, it was clear all the large deck hatches of thier catamaran had been fiddled with, as well. The persistent thieves were not successful. No police report was made. |
St. Martin (French) | Marina Royale | 2019-01-17 02:00 | Theft | 25HP 4S Yamaha outboard | Locked | 25HP Yamaha 4S was padlocked to the dinghy, which had been left overnight (locked) at Marina Royale. The simple lock was defeated and the outboard stolen. A police report was made. |
Grenada | Petit Martinique | 2019-01-16 22:00 | Theft | AB dinghy/ 18 HP Tohatsu | Not Locked | The dinghy well cleated to a yacht in the Petit Martinique anchorage was stolen between 6:30 - 8:30PM, while guests were onboard. A police report was made. |
Panama | Portobello | 2019-01-13 23:00 | Attempted robbery | not successfully boarded, deterred by large dog | N/A | A panga with 4+ men attempted to board a cruising yacht anchored in the bay at around 2300 HRS. Surprised, the owner came on deck and responded aggressively verbally, and was only able to dissuade the hostile boarders when his large, 60 lb. dog came on deck. Holstered pistols were visible to the captain. After departing the panga lit up and then attempted to engage with another nearby yacht. The owner spoke Spanish and after much angry yelling the panga departed. Earlier this same night a cruising yacht was boarded by armed men, and the occupants’ pistol whipped and robbed at gun point. See Prior report. (LINK) |
Panama | Portobello | 2019-01-13 21:30 | Robbery | Currency, personal electronics | Unknown | A private yacht with 3 of 7 crew onboard was approached by 6 men armed with handguns, using the pretense of selling water at 2130 HRS. They boarded aggressively and hit one crew member in the head with a gun and then spent considerable time ransacking the boat, terrorizing the crew that was made to lay on the floor all the while the armed boarders repeatedly yelled “cocaine, cocaine”. Cash, phones, computers and electronics were taken. Jewelry was left behind, no drugs were (found) onboard. Coincidentally, the yachts tender, with the 4 remaining crew returned to the boat, which hastened the thieves’ departure without making further direct contact. A full police report was made, to local police and Aeronaval. CSSN NOTE: Attempts to board other yachts in the anchorage were made this same night most likely by this same group of armed thieves. One later boarding was only deterred when the owner’s large dog made its presence known on deck. (See next report) Details of some other attempts/boardings are incomplete. If you were a victim, of a boarding or attempted boarding, PLEASE contact CSSN and complete an online incident report. (LINK to online form) |
Dominica | Prince Rupert Bay PAYS dock | 2019-01-09 21:00 | Theft | RIB dinghy, 6HP-4S outboard | Not Locked | Cruisers left their dinghy unlocked at the PAYS dock to attend the weekly PAYS BBQ. When they returned 2-3 hours later, the dinghy was gone. PAYS made an unsuccessful search for the dinghy. The victims filed a police report the next day, and received the paperwork after a lengthy 2.5 hour wait. |
USVI | St. Thomas Elephant Bay | 2018-12-21 01:30 | Theft | dinghy/outboard | Not Locked | Overnight an in-the-water, not locked dinghy/outboard were stolen from an occupied yacht moored in the bay. This is 3rd unsecured dinghy stolen in this bay this month. Reported to the USCG and DPNR. |
Antigua/Barbuda | Antigua St. John's | 2018-12-20 15:00 | Burglary | Cash, iPod, iPhone, credit card, gold necklace | Locked | While owners were ashore during hte afternoon, their anchored yacht was boarded and thieves used a winch handle found in the cockpit to defeat the companionway lock. After gaining access they then ransacked the interior and stole several small easily concealed items - iPhone, iPod, cash, credit card and a gold necklace. Several calls were placed to 911 and received no followup that day. Calls to the harbour authority on VHF16 were not answered. |
Panama | San Blas East Lemmon Cays | 2018-12-20 01:00 | Theft | dinghy anchor | Not Locked | A stainless steel dinghy anchor was stolen from inside a hoisted dinghy overnight while the owner slept on board. This is the 3rd theft of this nature from this anchorage this month. No further details are available. |
SVG | St. Vincent Wallilabou | 2018-12-17 04:00 | Theft | $80 ECD | N/A | In the afternoon the owners of a private yacht approached the anchorage and engaged a boat boy for tying up to a mooring, agreeing a price of $20ECD for this service. The owners had only a $100ECD bill, and the boat boy agreed to return promptly with their change. He did not return. Later, the crew went ashore and paid separately for the mooring, indicating to the business the name of the boat boy, but they proved unhelpful. The yacht departed the next day. |
St. Lucia | Marigot | 2018-12-16 17:00 | Theft | Cash, credit cards, 3 iPhones, iPad, handbag and 6 bottles of rum | Not Locked | A monohull anchored in an area north of the Marigot Bay harbor and south of Castries. No other yachts were nearby. All 3 onboard went for a snorkel nearby (about 30 meters away) and did not lock the boat. A local transport boat was waiting to unload and anchored about 100 meters away and witnessed the boarding and theft that occurred during the 30-40 minutes the crew was snorkeling. One swimmer kept a watch while 3 others boarded and ransacked the yacht, stealing cash, credit cards, iPhones, iPad, a purse and rum, leaving behind wet footprints that the victims discovered on their return. The witnesses on the nearby boat assisted the victims in making contact with the police. The victims made their first report at the local police station and were told to collect it at a different station. Two days later at the second station, the report seemed to have been “misplaced” when they went to collect it, and they were told to return the next day. They returned, but the report could still not be found, so a new report was completed. The victims indicate that the police seemed disinterested, and they failed to collect any meaningful information (a good description of one of the thieves was available, but not recorded). The subsequent investigation onboard included only photos of areas irrelevant to the theft, and no forensic/fingerprint analysis. |
USVI | St. Thomas Elephant Bay | 2018-12-15 01:00 | Theft | dinghy/outbound | Not Locked | Overnight an in-the-water and not locked dinghy was stolen from a yacht anchored in Elephant Bay |
Dominica | Prince Rupert Bay Madiba dinghy dock | 2018-12-13 00:00 | Theft | 3.1m Highfield dinghy/9.9HP Honda outboard | Not Locked | The crew went ashore to enjoy reggae night at Madiba at about 11:30PM, and did not lock the dinghy to the dock. About 30 minutes later, they decided to return to the yacht and found that the dinghy was gone. They advised the restaurant, who summoned both the police and PAYS who did a search, and then returned the crew to the yacht moored nearby. PAYS and the coast guard conducted further searches the next day, but the dinghy was not located. A police report was made. |
Puerto Rico | Culebra Public dock | 2018-12-10 22:00 | Theft | fuel line for dinghy outboard | Not Locked | The fuel line for Yamaha outboard was stolen from a dinghy at the town dock |
Guatemala | Rio Dulce Livingston | 2018-12-07 02:00 | Theft | dinghy fuel tank, fuel line, spotlight and shoes, failed attempt to steal the outboard | Not Locked | Overnight while owners slept, items were stolen from their in-the-water, not locked dinghy. Missing in the morning were the fuel tank, the fuel line, a spotlight and flipflops. An attempt to remove the outboard was evident, but unsuccessful as one of the transom clamps was broken previously and required tools to operate, and the other clamp was found in a fully open position. |
USVI | St. Thomas Elephant Bay | 2018-12-05 02:00 | Theft | 10' Folding boat with 18HP Tohatsu outboard | Not Locked | Overnight, a not locked in-the water 10' flexboat with 18 HP outboard was stolen from a yacht anchored in Elephant Bay. It is not known if a police report was made . |
Honduras | Roatan West End | 2018-12-02 02:00 | Theft | Two 80 cu ft dive tanks | Not Locked | Overnight, while owners were sleeping, 2 boats each had an 80 cu ft dive tank stolen from their deck. It is not known if police reports were made. |
Panama | Bocas del Toro | 2018-12-02 02:00 | Theft | 23" panga with 40 HP 2S outboard | Locked | Overnight, a locked 23"ft panga (hard dinghy) with 40 HP 2S Yamaha outboard was stolen. A police report was made. |
Colombia | Cartegena Club Nautico | 2018-12-01 14:00 | Theft | 2.5 HP 4S Suzuki outboard | Unknown | An outboard (2.5HP 4S Suzuki) was stolen from a dinghy at the Club Nautico Marina dinghy dock, reported to the marina and to the police. 10.411929 -75.541534 |
Curacao | Spanish Water | 2018-11-28 14:00 | Attempted theft | none - not successful | Locked | A dinghy was well locked to the dock at the Pirates Nest from 1-4 PM while owners were ashore to check out. When they returned they found one side of a link of the 10mm stainless steel chain had been cut through with bolt cutters, and incomplete cuts were made on the other side of the same link. The yacht departed early the next morning, as planned. A report was made on the VHF net. 12.080345 -68.867071 |
St. Martin (French) | Lagoon | 2018-11-28 14:00 | Theft | dinghy/outboard | Not Locked | An unlocked dinghy/outboard was stolen from TOBY boatyard dock, during the day. It is not known if a police report was made. 18.060457 -63.093488 |
St. Lucia | Vieux Fort | 2018-11-25 01:00 | Attempted theft | None | N/A | Three monohulls were anchored fairly close to each other overnight in Vieux Fort. The crew of the yacht anchored farthest out was concerned about safety and maintained a night watch from the cockpit, and had their motion activated lights at the ready. At about 1 AM they noticed 3 swimmers, each with a submersible light, as they approached the yacht anchored closest to shore. One of the swimmers began boarding by the stern ladder on the 1st yacht while the other 2 swimmers remained nearby. The observing yacht activated their security lights, and all 3 swimmers lights immediately turned toward the observing yacht, then all 3 of them swam away, passing slowly and close by the 2nd yacht. After nearly an hour, stopping several times to turn and observe the watching yacht, the swimmers exited at the beach. The yacht departed at first light, and no police report was made. |
Honduras | Utila | 2018-11-24 02:00 | Theft | fishing rod | Not Locked | Overnight, A fishing rod was stolen from an anchored yacht while owners slept, it is not known if a police report was made. |
Panama | San Blas East Lemmon Cays | 2018-11-23 02:00 | Theft | Jerry can/contents | Not Locked | While owners slept a jerry can/contents were stolen from the deck. It is not known if a police report was made. 9.545834, -78.898789 |
Panama | San Blas East Lemmon Cays | 2018-11-22 02:00 | Theft | Dinghy fuel tank | Not Locked | While owners slept, a thief boarded and stole the dinghy fuel tank which was inside the dinghy, which was on deck. It is not known if a police report was made. 9.544816, -78.900246 |
Dominican Republic | Luperon | 2018-11-21 00:00 | Theft | Portable Yamaha generator, many tools, provisions | Locked | During the night, police stopped/apprehended a suspect carrying suspicious items in his car. They posted pictures of the items along with a photo of the suspect and his driver's license on the Luperon Cruisers Facebook page. The items were not immediately recognized so a search was made of unoccupied yachts. A caretaker of a sailboat whose owner was away discovered that the locked yacht had been broken into and ransacked and identified the items as belonging to that boat. Charges were filed by the caretaker on the owners behalf, and the items were returned to the yacht. Latitude: 19.901762 | Longitude: -70.949311 |
Dominican Republic | Luperon | 2018-11-10 00:00 | Burglary | Honda generator, compressor with hose, water pump and many tools | Locked | Thieves broke into an unoccupied but well locked yacht thru a deck hatch, damaging the hatch. The minder/caretaker discovered the theft the next morning. A stolen dinghy had been used to transport the goods and it was recovered. A report was made to the police, coast guard, port captain, the Puerto Blanco Marina, the tourist office and on the VHF net. CSSN NOTE: In reponse to the recent increase in thefts and boat burglaries, on November 14, 2019, stakeholders in Luperon met and roles/jurisdicitons were clarified, including correct crime reporting procedures. To enhance the security on the water the Navy comandante from Puerto Plata reinstated a patrol boat in Luperon bay with immediate effect. Initially, provisional equipment will be used, but a bigger patrol boat in association with a small patrol boat are expected. Locally, the Navy (call name: Richard) can be reached on VHF channel 68 24/7 in case of emergency. The National Police indicated that a 911-call will activate the patrols around the bay at all times. |
Dominican Republic | Luperon | 2018-11-09 01:00 | Theft | Cash | Not Locked | While the owner was asleep on board, the thief boarded the unlocked boat and stole $150 US cash. Computers and phones were not taken. Footprints were seen on deck in the morning, no police report was made. |
St. Lucia | Rodney Bay Inner Lagoon | 2018-11-07 01:00 | Theft | dinghy/ 9.9 HP 4S Honda outboard | Unknown | An occupied yacht on a marina mooring in the lagoon had its in-the-water dinghy stolen overnight. A report was made to the marina . |
Martinique | Le Marin Marina | 2018-11-07 01:00 | Theft | Highfield 310 dinghy / 4 HP Mercury outboard | Locked | An unoccupied charter catamaran was stern to at the fuel dock. The dinghy was locked to the yacht, hoisted on davits. Overnight, a thief cut the locking cable and stole the dinghy/outboard. A report to the police and the MRCC was made by the charter company. |
SVG | St. Vincent Blue Lagoon | 2018-11-06 02:00 | Theft | 42" charter catamaran and its tender | Not Locked | A charter catamaran was stolen overnight from its mooring in Blue Lagoon. It was located, about 6 weeks later , abandoned, on a mooring in Tortola, BVI . Police are investigating the circumstances. |
Panama | Linton Bay | 2018-10-30 03:00 | Burglary | Everything below deck including 2 TVs, tools dive gear, life jackets , etc. | Locked | An unoccupied boat at anchor was burglarized. The owners had been absent for about 2 weeks and on their return discovered a pry bar had been used to defeat the companionway lock and gain entry. The thieves took many things from below (TV’s tools, dive gear, etc.) and would have needed considerable time to accomplish their thievery. This burglary was the 4th incident in this bay during the last month, use CSSN’s Zoom -Tap, Know and Go ! interactive infographic to review the available information on these incidents. This incident was reported to the police (Aeronaval), and the marina. Nighttime patrols have been put in place recently. |
Dominican Republic | Luperon | 2018-10-29 01:00 | Theft | Cash | Not Locked | Owners left their yacht on a mooring for 3 days for inland travel. On their return they found a deck hatch that had been left closed but not locked was open and that the cabin had been ransacked. Only cash (which had been hidden) was taken. A report was made to the police, coast guard, port captain, the Puerto Blanco Marina, the tourist office and on the VHF net. |
Martinique | Le Marin anchorage | 2018-10-28 23:00 | Theft | hard dinghy/ 2.5 HP Suzuki outboard | Not Locked | An in-the- water and not locked dinghy/outboard was stolen overnight. MRCC recovered this dinghy from the beach at Club Med, where it was abandoned by persons unknown. It was returned intact to the owner. |
Grenada | Grenada Mt. Hartman Bay Marina | 2018-10-27 22:00 | Attempted theft | Dinghy | Locked | At about 2200 hrs a swimmer arrived at a private dock in Mt. Hartman Bay and lowered a dinghy from its davits. He discovered that the dinghy was securely locked to the dock/davits and then attempted to remove the outboard, which was also securely locked . Unsuccessful, he jumped back into the water and swam away. A police report was made, and the owners provided video surveillance to aid the investigation. |
Panama | Linton Bay | 2018-10-23 23:00 | Robbery | Cash, wallets, credit cards, cell phones, cameras, laptops and iPads | Not Locked | A charter catamaran was boarded and robbed at gunpoint by 3 armed men, who arrived at the boat by panga at about 23:00 hrs. Stolen at gunpoint were cash, credit cards, phones, and personal electronics, etc. There were no injuries. The thieves departed in an easterly direction, toward Isla Grande. CSSN NOTE: Details are not complete for this report, unfortunately. A similar incident apparently occurred a month earlier, as well as another on this same night, but neither were reported to CSSN with sufficient detail. Cruisers, the Linton Bay Marina staff and the Aeronaval have now instituted nighttime patrols in the area. |
Grenada | Grenada Grand Mal | 2018-10-14 01:00 | Theft | 11 ft aluminum dinghy/ 5 HP outboard | Unknown | A dinghy/outboard was stolen overnight, no further details available. |
Bonaire | Kralendijk moorings | 2018-10-11 19:00 | Attempted theft | Nothing, thieves unsuccessful | Locked | Around 7PM two young men (swimmers) boarded a catamaran in the mooring field. The yacht was well locked and the security system detected their presence, at the same time a passing dinghy noticed the disturbance and the 2 men jumping into the water. A report was made on the VHF net. |
Curacao | Spanish Water | 2018-10-10 01:00 | Theft | Dinghy and outboard | Locked | An occupied yacht anchored in Cabrita Bay (anchorage C, Spanish Waters) had the in-the-water and cable locked 11 ft. AB dinghy/18 HP NIssan outboard stolen overnight. The painter and cable had both been cleanly cut near the waterline. A report was made to the Police, Port Captain and on the VHF net. |
Trinidad/Tobago | Trinidad Chaguaramas TTSA | 2018-09-16 19:50 | Burglary | dinghy/outboard | Locked | A dinghy/outboard were stolen from an unoccupied yacht. The marina security patrol noticed the activity but were unable to intercept/intervene.Theives were observed departing with the dinghy to the SE, and the CG advised. |
Trinidad/Tobago | Trinidad Chaguaramas TTSA | 2018-09-15 02:30 | Burglary | TBD | Locked | An unoccupied yacht was burgled overnight. (boat #7 of 7 burgled this same night, see prior reports) |
Trinidad/Tobago | Trinidad Chaguaramas TTSA | 2018-09-15 02:15 | Burglary | TBD | Locked | An unoccupied yacht was burgled overnight. (boat #6 of 7 burgled this same night, see prior reports) |
Trinidad/Tobago | Trinidad Chaguaramas TTSA | 2018-09-15 02:00 | Burglary | TBD | Locked | An unoccupied yacht was burgled overnight. (boat #5 of 7 burgled this same night, see prior reports) |
Trinidad/Tobago | Trinidad Chaguaramas TTSA | 2018-09-15 01:45 | Burglary | TBD | Locked | An unoccupied yacht was burgled overnight. (boat #4 of 7 burgled this same night, see prior reports) |
Trinidad/Tobago | Trinidad Chaguaramas TTSA | 2018-09-15 01:30 | Burglary | dinghy/outboard, tools, other TBD | Locked | An unoccupied yacht was burgled overnight. (boat #3 of 7 burgled this same night) |
Trinidad/Tobago | Trinidad Chaguaramas TTSA | 2018-09-15 01:00 | Burglary | Tohatsu 18 HP, other TBD | Locked | An unoccupied yacht was burgled overnight. (boat #2 of 7 burgled this same night) |
Trinidad/Tobago | Trinidad Chaguaramas TTSA | 2018-09-15 00:00 | Burglary | 11ft Apex dinghy with 8HP Mariner outboard, GPS, flare kit, propane tank | Locked | An unoccupied yacht was burgled overnight. The dinghy was raised on davits and locked to the yacht, theives cut the locking cable. The sliding door lock was also compromised, the interior ransacked. Owner noted that a GPS and flare kit were taken from the interior as well as a propane tank from a cockpit locker. A report was made to TTSA management, the Coast Guard and police. Boats on adjacent moorings suffered similar consequnces the same night. see next reports . (boat #1 of 7 burgled this same night) |
Trinidad/Tobago | Trinidad Chaguaramas TTSA | 2018-09-04 01:30 | Attempted theft | Dinghy and engine | Not Locked | Owners were awakened by noise around 0130 HRs and quickly discovered that their yacht had been boarded and their dinghy/25HP outboard had been cut from its davits, by two thieves in an open fishing boat about 16-18 ft. in length. Shining a bright light and yelling by the captain caused the driver of the fishing boat to retrieve his partner from the stolen dinghy, which they abandoned before speeding off toward Chaguaramas, leaving behind the knife that had been used to cut the davit lines. The captain swam out and retrieved the dinghy, and the next day a report was made on the VHF net, to TTSA management, the Coast Guard and the police. |
Panama | Linton Bay Marina | 2018-08-23 00:00 | Theft | 15hp Yamaha outboard engine | Locked | A Yamaha 15 HP outboard was chain locked to the stern of a water stored unoccupied yacht in the Marina mooring field. Its absensce was noted by nearby concerned cruisers and reported to the marina, who contacted the owner about the theft. |
St. Martin (French) | Marigot Bay | 2018-08-08 02:00 | Theft | dinghy/outboard | Not Locked | An and in-the-water (but not locked) dinghy/outboard was stolen overnight. It was secured with 2 lines to the yacht. A police report was made. |
Sint Maarten (Dutch) | Simpson Bay Lagoon | 2018-07-31 02:00 | Theft | bimini frame and mounting plates | Not Locked | The bimini frame and mounting plates were stolen in June/July from an unoccupied yacht stored on a mooring near Bobby's marina in Simpson Bay. |
St. Martin (French) | Lagoon | 2018-07-11 02:00 | Theft | dinghy and outboard | Not Locked | A cruisers dinghy was left unlocked at a local dock overnight, and it was stolen. The dinghy minus the outboard was recovered the next day. |
St. Lucia | Vieux Fort | 2018-06-25 14:00 | Burglary | Cash, kayak, other items TBD | Locked | A charter company catamaran with 3 charter company employees onboard anchored, then locked the boat and went windsurfing. When they returned several hours later they found the locked sliding door had been compromised and the interior ransacked. Cash had been stolen and given the chaos it was not possible for the 3 charter employees to determine if other items may have been taken. A kayak (not locked) on the forward deck was also stolen. A report was made to the Coast Guard. |
St. Lucia | Rodney Bay Gros Islet | 2018-06-22 01:00 | Theft | Dinghy fuel tank and fuel line, dinghy anchor and chain | Not Locked | Dinghy was locked to the boat, and motor locked to the dinghy. Items stolen overnight were unlocked in the dinghy (fuel tank and line,dinghy anchor and chain). |
Guatemala | Rio Dulce Livingston | 2018-06-17 05:00 | Theft | 9ft West Marine RIB/5HP 2S Mercury outboard | Not Locked | A yacht anchored in Livingston was planning an early departure and lowered the dinghy/outboard from the davits at 0430 hrs. At 0515 when preparing to raise anchor, the owner noticed that the dinghy was missing. On investigation it was found that the painter had been cleanly cut. A police report was made. |
Grenada | Grenada Mt. Hartman Bay | 2018-06-16 10:00 | Robbery | handbag | N/A | Two women walking in the Dove Sanctuary were robbed of a handbag by a man wielding a machete. A police report was made. This path is used often by cruisers, and was the site of an attempted sexual assault in 2015. |
Bonaire | Fisherman's pier | 2018-06-14 22:00 | Attempted theft | None | Locked | Between 7PM and 11PM a dinghy locked to the fisherman's dock was rifled and the fuel line disconnected. The tank had been moved but remained, it was locked to the dinghy, preventing the theft. The same night an unlocked fuel tank was succesfully stolen from another dinghy on a nearby dock. (see next report) |
Bonaire | Dive Friends pier | 2018-06-14 19:30 | Theft | Dinghy fuel tank | Not Locked | After sunset, the not locked fuel tank was stolen from a dinghy at the Dive Friends dock. A similar, but unsuccessful attempt was made to steal the locked fuel tank from another dinghy on a nearby dock. (see prior report) |
SVG | Mayreau Saline Bay | 2018-06-12 21:00 | Theft | (new) Mapi 370 dinghy/ 5 HP Yamaha outboard | Not Locked | An unlocked dinghy/outboard was stolen from the jetty while owners were ashore for the evening. A police report was made . |
SVG | Mayreau Salt Whistle Bay | 2018-06-11 23:00 | Theft | dinghy/outboard, cash | Not Locked | While charter guests were sleeping their unlocked yacht was boarded, their cabins and salon were searched and cash stolen from various locations. The in-the-water dinghy/outboard was also stolen. A police report was made. This is the 2nd of 2 boats that were boarded that night in Saltwhistle Bay. (see prior report) |
SVG | Mayreau Salt Whistle Bay | 2018-06-11 20:30 | Theft | Cash | Not Locked | Owners and guests were playing cards in their catamaran’s outer salon, with the sliding door closed to prevent insects. About 8:30 they heard a “bump” and thought it was the mooring ball. Around 9PM they went inside and discovered that a thief had entered thru a screened but unlocked deck hatch and had rifled the cabins and main salon, stealing cash. An interior but locked locker containing sails/ropes had been forced open, but none were taken. A police report was made in Mayreau the next morning, and later as requested in Union Island. This was 1 of 2 boats boarded in Saltwhistle Bay that night. (see next report) |
Sint Maarten (Dutch) | Simpson Bay | 2018-06-08 02:00 | Theft | dinghy/outboard, cellphones and laptop | Not Locked | Owners were asleep onboard their unlocked catamaran, berthed at Blue Pearl Marina. It was boarded overnight and the dinghy/outboard, cellphones and laptop were taken. The dinghy/outboard was found the next day, hidden nearby. It is not known if a police report was made. |
St. Lucia | Rodney Bay Reduit Beach | 2018-06-06 23:59 | Theft | 3m Caribe dinghy w/ 8hp Yamaha | Locked | Owners awoke around midnight and discovered the stainless steel cable locking their in-the-water dinghy to the yacht has been cleanly severed by bolt cutters. A police report was made the next day. |
SVG | Canouan So. Glossy Bay | 2018-06-03 02:00 | Attempted theft | Locked | A catamaran anchored in South Glossy Bay overnight. Well aware of prior problems in Canouan, the owners locked up securely. They were awoken when a swimmer tried to pry open a locked deck hatch. The thief, once discovered, ran forward and jumped overboard and swam away. Minor damage, but nothing taken. They departed Canouan early the next morning. | |
Dominica | Prince Rupert Bay PAYS moorings | 2018-05-19 17:00 | Burglary | No stolen items | Locked | A monohull was 1 of about 9 yachts on PAYS moorings in the bay. When the owners returned to their boat at 1700 HRS they discovered a man inside their boat. He had broken the lock to gain access and rummaged the saloon and cabins in an apparent search for cash (there was none). He jumped overboard as they approached and claimed that he had not taken anything (TRUE) and that there was another man onboard (UNTRUE). The owners called PAYS on VHF and they came to the area ashore and recognized the man, but did not detain him as they believed he had a knife. The next day PAYS took one of the owners ashore to meet with the police at a nearby restaurant (that had also had an incident of some sort that the police were investigating). The police did not visit or take any evidence from the yacht, and the PAYS rep named the man to the police. No follow-up information from the police or PAYS has been provided to the victims. |
SVG | Canouan Charlestown Bay (Tamarind Hotel) | 2018-05-17 21:00 | Theft | 600 EC's and 50US | Not Locked | An unlocked but closed up monohull was boarded while owners were ashore. They returned to find that only cash had been stolen, other valuable items were left behind. No police report was made. |
Cuba | Cienfuegos Harbor | 2018-05-14 02:15 | Attempted theft | None | Unknown | Two men swam out to a dark boat and attempted to steal articles of value and an unsecured dinghy. At 0215 hrs the owner was awakened and chased the would be thieves off. There was no damage and nothing was taken. A report was made to the marina, port captain and on the VHF net. |
Guatemala | Rio Dulce Nana Juana | 2018-05-11 23:00 | Theft | Dinghy , 15 HP outboard | Locked | A yacht anchored in front of the marina had its in-the-water but locked dinghy stolen overnight. The owners discovered that the painter and locking cable had both been cut . The dinghy (minus the outboard) was recovered in the mangroves, but the tubes had been slashed, and the fuel tank, fuel line, manual pump and oars had also been taken. A report was made to the marina and on the VHF net. |
Puerto Rico | Big Island San Juan Club Nautico Marina | 2018-05-11 00:00 | Theft | AB Dinghy and 8HP Yamaha engine | Not Locked | Owners returning to their yacht berthed near the marina restaurant discovered that their dinghy/outboard had been stolen. The dinghy was lifted and well secured on davits, but was not locked to the yacht. A report was made to the marina, coast guard and the police. |
Guatemala | Shell Bay | 2018-05-04 17:00 | Theft | CPAP machine, small electronics | Not Locked | An unlocked yacht was boarded between 5-7 PM while the owners were not onboard. A medical device and small electronics were stolen. A report was made on the VHF net |
Colombia | Cartegena | 2018-05-03 21:00 | Robbery | Cash, tablet, smartphones, camera, laptop, powerbanks, SUP paddleboard | Locked | A yacht with 3 persons onboard arrived and anchored near the control tower at 8PM. About an hour later a small boat came alongside with 4 men armed with knives and machetes. They showed their weapons, boarded, and quickly tied up the 2 men, and sent the woman below to collect the yachts valuables (cash, smartphones, tablet ,laptop, chargers and camera). They appeared to be high, and asked for drugs (none provided). They took the SUP and departed after about 30 minutes. No one was injured. After making a VHF call to the control tower to report the armed robbery, the crew upped anchor and moved close to the Club Nautico marina docks where there is a security patrol. A report was made the next day on the local VHF net. |
Honduras | 100 miles offshore Honduras/Nicaragua border 16N/81W | 2018-04-18 09:00 | Attempted piracy | none, not successful | N/A | Two yachts departed Isla Providencia, Colombia for the Cayman Islands. They traveled northward together on a moonless night with lights and AIS. They were clear of the Gordo Banks region by about 30 miles. Feeling they were out of the piracy danger zone (see prior reports to CSSN) one of the boats raised full sail and began to pull away just before sunrise. At 9 am the second yacht, a French flagged 51ft. monohull with a family of 5 onboard, at position 16-04.31N/81- 18.51W now more than 100 miles off the Honduran coast , sighted a fishing boat of about 10 meters overloaded with a dozen men onboard on an intersecting course. They attempted to contact their friends who were still in visual range on VHF 08, (which they had used sparingly overnight), but without success. They heard another conversation in a strange language/dialect (not Spanish/French/English) that included “barco grande, barco grande”. When they tried to call their friends on VHF 16 the channel was immediately blocked by very loud, continuous music. The suspect pirate boat was able to pull parallel and close to 50 meters, and the occupants displayed a nervous and aggressive attitude. They were not friendly fishermen wanting to trade. No weapons were visible. The yacht had put on all remaining sail and then attempted to add the engine, but it failed. Changing course to the SE put the pirate vessel at a disadvantage to the increasing wind and seas and the yacht was able to increase the distance separating the 2 vessels. Eventually the pirates fell back and the yacht turned northward. The yacht made contact with the French Coast Guard (Cross) by satellite phone, and the French Coast Guard maintained regular contact for the next several hours. At 5 PM, alerted by the French CG, the Honduran navy reached the yacht by satellite phone and advised in English that they were still in danger, and that there were now 2 armed Honduran Naval vessels approaching the area but outside VHF range, who would escort the yacht back to safe port in Honduras. The yacht declined, but welcomed the presence of the Honduran Navy, and continued northward toward their planned destination. Overnight and into the next day the French CG maintained regular satellite phone contact with the yacht, and later alerted officials in Cayman about the yachts expected arrival that evening, and their engineless status. They were met and assisted by Cayman CG/port officials to a mooring on arrival. CSSN would like to thank the volunteer translators who so kindly assisted with this report. |
St. Lucia | Anse La Ray | 2018-04-14 02:00 | Theft | Dinghy and 15 hp yamaha outboard from davits | Not Locked | A yacht was anchored alone in the bay. Theives boarded overnight while the owners slept, and the raised (but not locked) dinghy/outboard was stolen from the davits. A $50 fee was charged when a police report was made. |
Honduras | Gorda Banks | 2018-04-13 11:15 | Suspicious activity | N/A | N/A | A yacht transiting northward from Isla Providencia, Columbia to Grand Cayman, at a position of 15-45 N - 81-32 W was off the Gordo banks and traveling dark, and noticed a suspicious vessel on an intercept course from the WSW at 2245 HRS. At 2315 the suspect vessel was within a few hundred meters, displaying only running lights. The yacht assumed it was law enforcement and turned on its lights and made 3-4 calls on VHF 16 that were not answered. The suspect vessel continued to track on an intercept course and increased speed in clear pursuit. The yacht was now able to identify the large 70+ ft. boat as a fishing trawler type vessel. The yacht was making good speed with full sail and added engine to further increase speed and was able to outpace the suspect vessel, which after 20 minutes gave up the pursuit, then stopped dead and lit up. The captain believes he was a target of opportunity and that the trawler was on the banks to fish. CSSN NOTE: Routing, vigilance and preparation are important. Review summary piracy precautions specific to this area and other incidents on the dedicated regional piracy map, it's easy to Know Before You Go! https://safetyandsecuritynet.org/piracy-passage-precautions-central-america/ https://safetyandsecuritynet.org/regional-piracy-infographics/ |
Curacao | Spanish Water | 2018-04-08 20:00 | Theft | dinghy with 15 HP outboard | Unknown | Dinghy/outboard stolen from Pirates Nest dock, no further details available |
Honduras | Roatan, West End | 2018-04-08 09:00 | Theft | Outboard | Locked | Overnight, an unoccupied (but locked and minded) yacht on a mooring was broken into, and the dinghy outboard engine stolen. The mooring line was cut and the boat had grounded nearby where it was discovered by cruisers. It is not known if a police report was made. |
Martinique | St. Anne | 2018-04-06 22:00 | Theft | dinghy with 6 HP Tohastu outboard | Locked | A cable locked dinghy was stolen between 9-11 PM from the main dinghy dock in St. Anne. A report was made to the police, port port captain, Coast Guard and on the local VHF net. |
Martinique | St. Anne | 2018-04-05 18:00 | Theft | fishing rod and reel | Not Locked | Cruisers went ashore around 17:00 and locked their dingy to the main dinghy dock in St Anne. There was a small telescoping fishing rod and reel in their dinghy, tied in. They returned to the dinghy about an hour later and found that the rod and reel had been stolen . Reported on the local VHF net. |
Colombia | Cabo de la Vela | 2018-04-03 20:30 | Theft | Dinghy and outboard | Not Locked | A yacht was anchored alone in the bay. On the second evening, while they and their dog were onboard, both of the lines securing the in-the-water dinghy/outboard were cut, and it was stolen. They discovered the theft at about 8:30 PM when they went out to hoist and secure it for the night. No police report was made, they departed the next morning for Panama. |
SVG | Union Clifton Harbor | 2018-04-01 01:00 | Theft | New 25HP Outboard | Unknown | A local boat/fisherman had small boat stolen from Clifton Harbor. The boat was set adrift and settled on the rocks and was recovered minus the new 25HP outboard. No further details available. |
Trinidad/Tobago | Trinidad Hibiscus Gas Platform | 2018-03-29 04:00 | Suspicious activity | During a night transit from Chaguaramas, Trinidad to Grenada at 0400 hours and approximately 6 nm South of the Hibiscus gas platform, a boat about a mile ahead and slightly off to port of the yachts track suddenly switched on an array of nonstandard lights, including a flashing red/green light, and two or three hand held lights. The yachts crew were monitoring VHF 16 and could not determine what this boat was doing or its intentions. After a while they passed it port side to at about a quarter of a mile. The boat then motored around astern of the yacht, and began to follow, gradually closing to about 100yds astern over the next 20 minutes. Once it became clear they were being followed, the yacht went dark, all navigation lights and other visible lighting were doused. Defensive equipment was made ready on deck, and full speed on engine and full sail was made, approximately 7kts. After an additional 20 minutes the suspect vessel dropped back, and once far enough away, the yacht changed course 60 degrees with intermittent further changes over time to make themselves more difficult to find, and to keep well clear of the normal Hibiscus direct route to Grenada. The crew had no doubt they had been checked out as a possible target for attack, and a full report was made to TTCG. CSSN NOTE: Reminder, for those planning this passage there are several important and helpful resources available on the CSSN website. Review Prior piracy incidents in this area using the dedicated Piracy Zoom-Tap, Know & Go interactive map. Review the Piracy Precautions specific to this passage, and file a float plan by email with TTCG/YSATT. | ||
Colombia | Rosarios Islands Isla Grande | 2018-03-21 15:30 | Theft | Dinghy anchor | Not Locked | A yacht anchored near Isla Pirata and the owners/crew took the dinghy to snorkel. While they were snorkeling the dinghy's anchor was stolen, the theives had replaced it with a large rock. |
St. Lucia | Rodney Bay Gros Islet | 2018-03-13 02:45 | Theft | dinghy/outboard | Locked | An in-the water but cable locked dinghy was stolen overnight. The thick stainless cable locking the dinghy to the yacht and the lock on the locking bar of the outboard had both been cut. The dinghy minus the outboard was recovered 50 ft into the marina channel by another cruiser who was assisting his neighbor looking for a second stolen dinghy (see previous report). The Coast Guard was notified. |
St. Lucia | Rodney Bay Reduit Beach | 2018-03-13 02:30 | Theft | dinghy/outboard | Locked | At 02:30 hours the owner/crew of a yacht anchored in Rodney Bay heard some noise, and the owner investigated. He noticed that his neighbors’ in-the-water dinghy was missing, and woke them. He launched his dinghy, and they found the stolen dinghy minus the new 20HP 4S engine floating about 50 ft into the marina channel. The padlock on the outboard and the dinghy locking cable had both been cut. A second dinghy also minus its engine (see next report) was found floating in the same area, and was returned to its owner. The Coast Guard was notified, but did not respond to multiple VHF 16 calls. The owners planned to file a complete report the next morning. A third engineless dinghy was recovered the next mornig froma nearby beach. ( see later report) |
Colombia | Cartegena | 2018-03-12 20:00 | Theft | Carib dinghy with 5hp Mercury | Not Locked | A yacht sailing in the bay of Cartagena anchored next to the village Cano De Loro. At 8PM the owners went to the cockpit and discovered that the line to their in-the-water and not locked dinghy had been cut. A report was made to the Police and Coast Guard. |
St. Lucia | Rodney Bay Reduit Beach | 2018-03-11 02:00 | Theft | dinghy | Not Locked | Owners awoke to find someone else’s dinghy tied to their yacht. The 1 inch line had been cut. The dinghy was returned to the rightful owners, no additional details are available. |
Guadeloupe | Pigeon Island | 2018-03-09 03:00 | Theft | Highfield 260 dinghy with 8HP 2S engine | Not Locked | An occupied yacht anchored about 150 meters from shore had its in-the-water and not locked dinghy stolen between 0300 and 0600 hrs. The line had been cleanly cut, no police report was made. |
Martinique | St. Anne | 2018-03-08 13:00 | Theft | dinghy fuel tank | Not Locked | During the daytime a dinghy on the Club Med beach had its not locked 22 liter Yamaha fuel tank stolen. No police report was made. |
Grenada | Grenada Mt. Hartman Bay Marina | 2018-03-01 22:00 | Theft | dinghy with 18HP Tohatsu | Not Locked | An unlocked dinghy at the Secret Harbour dock was stolen the night of the full moon party, reported to the police and Coast Guard. Witnesses report seeing the dinghy being towed out of the bay. |
Panama | Isla Grande | 2018-03-01 00:00 | Burglary | 8HP Yamaha | Locked | Thief broke into locked yacht and stole a stored 8 HP Yamaha outboard |
SVG | Canouan Charlestown Bay (Tamarind Hotel) | 2018-02-28 02:00 | Theft | iPods, 400EC$, clothing | Not Locked | A charter yacht was boarded overnight while everyone was sleeping. The catamaran was not locked. The victims found that cash, personal electronics and clothing had been stolen from inside the yacht. |
Colombia | Cartegena | 2018-02-27 01:30 | Theft | outboard and fuel tank | Not Locked | An in-the-water yacht had lifted and securely locked its dinghy. Owners had gone to sleep but heard some noise around 0130 hrs and thought it was from a nearby vessel. The outboard engine and fuel tank, however, were not locked to the dinghy and the owner’s discovered they had been stolen in the morning. |
St. Lucia | Rodney Bay Gros Islet | 2018-02-26 23:45 | Theft | Dinghy | Locked | A cable locked dinghy was stolen overnight. Fisherman recovered it floating 3 miles offshore and it was returned to the owner. Some minor damage was noted. Apparently the thief had been unable to defeat the engine lock and left behind an extra oar. It is believed a police report was made. |
St. Lucia | Rodney Bay Gros Islet | 2018-02-26 23:30 | Theft | Dinghy | Locked | A yacht anchored off Gros Islet had their dinghy secured with a painter and a 1cm cable with a plastic sleeve from krypton. It was padlocked at each end. The outboard was secured with a motor lock and the petrol tank with a 2cm steel cable. They retired for the night at 23:30 and at 06:00 the next morning they discovered the dinghy was missing, the locking cable had been cut. At that same time they saw the police motor past with the dinghy in tow. They signaled the police, who came over, and after establishing ownership the police took a report. The police indicated the dinghy had been found on the beach with some inflatable devices that had apparently been used to get to the yacht. There was minor damage beyond the cut cable to the starter cord/switch and the fuel line. |
Grenada | Grenada Chemin Bay | 2018-02-25 23:00 | Theft | Yamaha 15HP outboard, fuel tank and line | Locked | An 11' AB Aluminium dinghy was chained to a motorboat on the beach over night. The Yamaha 15HP outboard was securely locked to the dinghy. The thief was well prepared with tools, and after removing the engine cover, removed the entire powerhead, and then replaced the cover. The fuel line and tank were also stolen. A police report was made. |
Grenada | Grenada Mt. Hartman Bay Marina | 2018-02-24 22:00 | Theft | engine-less dinghy | Locked | An engine-less dinghy chained to the marina dock was stolen. It is not known if a police report was made. |
SVG | St. Vincent Wallilabou | 2018-02-17 17:00 | Theft | Petrol can and dinghy security strap | Not Locked | Cruisers arriving on their monohull in Walliabou were “mobbed” by numerous boat boys and unable to keep an eye on all of them as they secured their boat. The dinghy had to be lowered off the davits to take a line ashore and a fuel can and a strap were taken from the floor of the dinghy. The boat boys were described as "aggressive" and demanded 100EC for help getting a line ashore. |
St. Lucia | Rodney Bay Gros Islet | 2018-02-13 02:30 | Attempted theft | None, failed attempt | Locked | Owners of a monohull discovered the painter on their in-the-water but stainless steel cable locked dinghy had been cut with a knife overnight. The thief was not successful. CSSN would like to thank our information sharing partner, Noonsite, who received this report initially. |
Panama | San Blas Nargana | 2018-02-10 02:00 | Theft | iPad | Unknown | Overnight an iPad was stolen from an occupied yacht, no further details currently available . |
SVG | Union Chatham Bay | 2018-02-06 04:00 | Theft | Two pairs of flip flops | Not Locked | An in-the-water, but chained-to- the-yacht dinghy was visited by thieves overnight in Chatham Bay, Union Island. Unable to remove the well secured engine or fuel tank, the thieves settled on the footware - 2 pairs of high end flipflops, both loose in the dinghy, but covered by a cloth. It was clear that an unsuccessful attempt was made to take the outboard and the fuel tank, both well secured to the dinghy, which was chained to the yacht. The victims wish to share their lesson learned ... clear everything that is not locked from the dinghy. |
USVI | St. Thomas American Yacht Harbor | 2018-02-05 02:00 | Theft | 15' Caribe center console w/40 hp outboard | Locked | A yacht on E dock at AYH had its locked dinghy stolen overnight. A police report was made, CCTV cameras recorded the event and police arrested the culprit. The dinghy was found abandonded and returned to the owners. |
St. Kitts/Nevis | St. Kitts Basseterre | 2018-02-05 02:00 | Theft | Cash, computers, cellphones | Not Locked | While the owners slept their not locked catamaran anchored off Bay Road was boarded, presumably by a swimmer. The thief took cash, computers and cellphones before departing in the yacht's in-the-water and not locked dinghy. The dinghy was later recovered ashore and a police report made in Basseterre, St. Kitts. |
St. Lucia | Rodney Bay Marina | 2018-02-03 10:00 | Theft | dinghy/outboard | Locked | A dinghy/outboard locked to the main dock in Rodney Bay Marina was stolen during the daytime. It is not known if a police report was made. CSSN NOTE: If you are, or know, the owner please contact CSSN to complete an updated online incident report. Multiple incidents (7) have been reported in this area in recent weeks. Use Zoom-Tap, Know & Go to review them easily. |
USVI | St. Thomas Red Hook anchorage | 2018-02-03 02:00 | Theft | 16' Caribe w/yamaha 50 hp | Locked | A dinghy locked to the yacht was stolen overnight from the Muller Bay area of Red Hook anchorage overnight. A police report was made. CSSN NOTE: there are social media reports of additonal dinghy thefts in this area. If you are a victim, or know a victim, please encourage/make a report using the CSSN online reporting form. It's quick and easy and important to help our community understand these events. |
St. Lucia | Rodney Bay Marina | 2018-02-02 22:00 | Theft | dinghy fuel tank | Not Locked | On a Rodney Bay Marina mooring in the lagoon , a not locked fuel tank was stolen from the dinghy. The owner heard noise but the thieves had already gotten away. The owner remained in the cockpit overnight and the thieves returned later with faces covered, but he was able to scare them away. No police report was made. |
St. Lucia | Rodney Bay Marina | 2018-02-02 02:00 | Theft | dinghy/outboard | Unknown | A dinghy/outboard was stolen overnight from a yacht berthed on J dock, no further details are currently available. |
St. Lucia | Rodney Bay Reduit Beach | 2018-01-30 01:00 | Theft | Caribe dinghy with 15HP engine | Not Locked | Overnight an in-the-water and not locked dinghy was stolen, the line had been cut. Owners made a report on the VHF and to the local police. CSSN NOTE: This is the fourth dinghy incident reported to CSSN in the last month in the Rodney Bay area, use Zoom-Tap, Know & Go to easily review activity in the Rodnay Bay area |
Bonaire | Budget Marine dinghy dock | 2018-01-26 13:00 | Theft | 5 gallon fuel tank | Not Locked | A dinghy locked to the Budget Marine dinghy dock had its not locked fuel tank stolen between 11AM and 1PM |
St. Lucia | Rodney Bay Reduit Beach | 2018-01-25 22:30 | Theft | dinghy/outboard | Not Locked | A dinghy was stolen from a not specified dock in Rodney Bay. It was not locked to the dock, but the engine was locked to the dinghy. It was apparently taken to the Redduit beach area and the outboard and fuel tank lock defeated, and then set adrift. A cruiser anchored in the bay noticed it drifting by his yacht at 10:30 PM and rescued it, and the next day turned the engineless dinghy in to Customs who located the owner. It is not known if a police report was made by the owner. CSSN NOTE: This is the third dinghy incident reported to CSSN in the last month in the Rodney Bay area, use Zoom-Tap, Know & Go to easily review activity in the Rodnay Bay area |
SVG | St. Vincent Buccament Bay | 2018-01-25 02:00 | Theft | snorkel gear and binoculars, failed attempt to steal dinghy | Locked | Owners woke to discover that thieves had boarded their locked catamaran overnight. In an attempt to steal the dinghy the thieves had lowered it from the davits until until the locking cable became apparent when it went tight and prevented the theft. The dinghy was left partially suspended. 2 sets of snorkel gear and a pair of binoculars were taken from the cockpit. The yacht departed immediately and no police report was made. |
Guadeloupe | Marie Galante St. Louis | 2018-01-22 15:00 | Theft | spare dinghy painter | N/A | While at the public dock in St. Louis the spare painter for the dinghy was stolen. It was attached to the bow eye with a sewn closed bowline. |
St. Lucia | Rodney Bay Reduit Beach | 2018-01-19 02:00 | Theft | dinghy/outboard | Unknown | Overnight an in the water dinghy went “missing” from a catamaran anchored in Rodney Bay. The next day it was found locked to a marina dock, minus the Yamaha 25HP 2S outboard. 2 local men were there and demanded a reward from the crew to unlock the dinghy. The captain had gone to file a police report and was not available for questions. It is not known if/how the dinghy and outboard were secured, or if the outboard was recovered, or if any “reward” was paid. CSSN NOTE: If you are, or know, the owner please contact CSSN to complete an updated online incident report |
Honduras | Gorda Bank | 2018-01-18 17:00 | Attempted piracy | n/a | N/A | A sailing yacht with 2 persons onboard departed Belize for Panama via Providencia. Off the Gordo Banks at 5PM at a position of 16*36.700N 082*17.280W they observed a small fishing boat with an enclosure on an intersecting course. They immediately altered course 90 degrees and noticed the small boat continued to attempt to follow. 2 other small fishing boats were spotted about 2-3 miles further away. Listening to VHF they heard a discussion in Spanish about stealing a dingy (theirs was on the foredeck) and no other vessels were in the vicinity. The crew hailed a merchant vessel located about 15 nmiles away, and one of the small fishing boats made a false response, attempting to impersonate the merchant vessel. A private VHF DSC call was made to the merchant ship. Radar indicated that the small boats were unable to close the gap into difficult sea and wind conditions, and had fallen further out of range as it became dark. The yacht continued without lights or AIS transmit. The next day VHF traffic in Spanish was overheard discussing “keeping a lookout for a white sailboat that got away last night". The yacht continued to Providencia without further incident. |
Guadeloupe | Marie Galante St. Louis | 2018-01-17 16:00 | Theft | the dinghy painter | Locked | The dingy painter was securely tied to the main dingy dock in Saint Louis, Marie Galante. The dingy chain was passed through the dock cleat and around the painter knot and locked very tightly. Between 8AM and 4PM the painter was cut from the D ring at the front of the dingy and worked out from where it was chained to the dock and stolen. |
Panama | San Blas Wasaladup | 2018-01-14 02:00 | Theft | 11 ft. Boston Whaler and 15 HP Mercury engine | Not Locked | Overnight an in-the-water and not locked dinghy went “missing”. There were 2 separate lines securing the dinghy to the yacht, both were now untied (not frayed or chafed) at the dinghy end but still secure to the yacht. The owners conducted an extensive search that day and did not locate the dinghy. A $100 reward was offered. 3 days later the dinghy was “found” and the promised reward paid. The outboard (which had not been locked to the dinghy) had been removed and was inside the dinghy, the fuel tank and other items were still in place. |
St. Lucia | Castries | 2017-12-28 10:30 | Assault | gold chain | N/A | A captain and his wife were shopping at the vegetable open market in Castries, St Lucia , at 10:30 AM when one male, approximately 20 years of age, assaulted the captain by striking him from behind, pushed him to the ground and then ripped a gold chain from his neck. During the assault, the captain’s wife attempted to intervene, and she was struck several times in the chest. Neither the captain nor his wife required medical attention. The assailant escaped by running away from the market. The captain tried to chase the assailant, but was unable to catch him . The victim reported that during the assault, there were approximately 50 local residents who witnessed the assault, and nobody said or did anything to stop it, or assist them after the incident. A police report was made to local authorities. |
Venezuela- Mainland And Nearshore Islands | Cabo Tres Puntas | 2017-12-28 10:00 | Attempted piracy | none | N/A | A monohull with 2 persons onboard departed Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela for Grenada. At 10 AM, 2 miles off the Paria peninsula, and approximately 10 miles east of Cabo Tres Puntas an open fishing boat with 6 men approached, displaying and firing multiple long guns into the air. The crew immediately altered course and turned offshore. When the pirates came closer the crew fired their flare gun directly at the pirates, and nearly hit them. The pirates, apparently understanding the fire hazard a burning flare would pose to their gasoline fueled boat turned away, dropped back and made no further approaches. The yacht then headed northwest and made safe port at Porlamar, Margarita, where a report was made to local officials. |
St. Lucia | Rodney Bay Gros Islet | 2017-12-23 14:30 | Theft | dinghy and outboard | Not Locked | A yacht anchored approximately 100 meters off Gros Islet, Rodney Bay, St. Lucia, had the dinghy tied alongside during daylight hours. Two offenders, believed to be aged 6 and 10, swam from Gros Islet out to the boat where they untied the painter from the dinghy. They then swam back ashore with the dinghy and went up into the creek. When the victim noticed the theft he alerted other cruisers via VHF and was taken in another yachts dinghy around the area to look for the stolen dinghy. In the creek locals said they saw two young people swimming up the creek with the dinghy. The dinghy was located further into the creek. The outboard had its lock smashed off and it had been removed from the dinghy. Both the dinghy and outboard were recovered. A police report is believed to have been made by the victim. It is understood the witnesses were able to name the offenders involved. |
St. Lucia | Rodney Bay Gros Islet | 2017-12-12 19:30 | Theft | Pair of cargo shorts and a leather belt | Locked | Someone(s) pushed in two small windows' screens on the port side and reached in and stole a pair of cargo shorts and a leather belt. They also boarded the monohull at the transom and destroyed a screen for a small opening hatch at the transom. They also went on deck and destroyed a lock latch in an attempt to open the large overhead hatch on the aft deck. The thief was not able to gain entry to the yacht. A report was made on the local VHF net. |
Guadeloupe | Marie Galante | 2017-12-09 10:00 | Theft | dinghy and outboard | Not Locked | During the night, an unlocked in-the-water dinghy and outboard were stolen by cutting the line while the crew were asleep aboard, reported to the Gendarmes (police) |
Grenada | Grenada Hog Island | 2017-12-05 10:00 | Other | N/A | N/A | A lone female was dropped off at Hog Island. At approximately 10 am she was verbally accosted by a male in a lewd, sexual way. She strongly rebuffed the unwelcomed behavior and was able to get some distance away. Her husband returned to the island shortly thereafter and they departed immediately. A police report was made. CSSN NOTE: This location was the point of origin for a very serious assault in 2016. Even in the daytime is it isolated and best visited in the company of others. |
Panama | San Blas Ustupu | 2017-11-06 08:00 | Theft | 40 ft. of port headsail sheet | Not Locked | When departing, owners anchored just west of Ustupu discovered their port headsail sheet had been cut just behind the track car and the remaining 40 ft. of line stolen. It had been coiled and secured to the lifeline. Their buddy boat reported that sunscreen and bugspray had been taken from their dinghy while tied to the Ustupu military dock. The theft will be reported to the local officials at their next stop westbound. |
Panama | Ft. Sherman Shelter Bay Marina | 2017-11-01 23:00 | Theft | One folding bicycle | Not Locked | Whilst moored at B dock in Shelter Bay Marina, a black folding bicycle was left (set up) and on its stand in the vessel’s cockpit. At some point during the night the vessel was boarded and the bike was stolen. |
St. Lucia | Marigot | 2017-10-29 17:00 | Burglary | cash. watch, wedding ring | Locked | A charter catamaran on a mooring 50 yards west of Chateau MyGo dock was boarded for a second time (see prior report) that day. It had been well locked up after a prior incident before going ashore for dinner. The port bow hatch had been jimmied. Additional cash, a watch and a man’s wedding ring were stolen. A police report had already been made, and these items were added to the original report/list. The police recovered $300 and the wedding ring 2 days later, which were returned to the owners 6 months later when a family member returned to St. Lucia. No charges were filed. At the conclusion of the charter a report was made to the Martinique charter company, which was described as “sympathetic yet not helpful.” |
St. Lucia | Marigot | 2017-10-29 01:30 | Theft | cash | Not Locked | A charter catamaran was assisted to a mooring 50 yards west of the Chateau MyGo dock. As instructed by their charter company, they concealed valuables on board before going to sleep. Sometime after 1:30AM they were boarded as they slept and $500 was taken from the unlocked yachts nav station. A police report was made. Later that evening while ashore for dinner, the yacht was boarded again and burgled. (See next report) |
Honduras | disputed waters off Honduras/Nicaragua border | 2017-10-28 12:00 | Piracy | cash,phone,GPS,computer,dive gear,fishing gear,food,medicine,rum and many small items | Not Locked | A single hander departed Livingston, Guatemala for Isla de Providencia, Colombia. At noon, when about 35 miles offshore of the Honduras/Nicaragua border he was boarded while motoring by 20 men in 3 pirogues. The pirates did NOT display any weapons, but simply overran the yacht. The captain did not resist in any way. The pirates ransacked the yacht for about an hour. They ""took everything"", cash, phone, GPS, computer, dive gear, fishing gear, food, medicine, rum and many small items. The captain was able to negotiate with the leaders and was allowed to keep a navigational computer and a small GPS, as well as some jerry jugs of diesel. The pirates asked for drugs (there were none) before finally departing. There were no injuries. The captain describes that damage to the yacht was out of ignorance, not malice. A report was made to Colombian officials in Providencia on arrival. |
St. Lucia | Soufriere | 2017-10-25 01:30 | Assault | Cash and mobile phones, dinghy | Locked | Guests onboard a chartered catamaran on an SMMA mooring in Soufriere, St. Lucia, were awakened at 0130 am when they were boarded by 4 men. 2 of the men were armed with guns, and 1 with a knife, all had their faces concealed. Three of the men damaged a deck hatch to break into the locked yacht while the fourth cut the davit lines on the dinghy during this violent boarding. There were 6 members in the charter group, 2 families each with a teenage daughter. The women and children quickly locked themselves inside a cabin. There were many threats and a short struggle. One victim was hit in the face with a gun, the other hit on the head. The boarders demanded cash, cellphones and passports. The cash and cellphones were surrendered readily and the passports and access to the locked cabin refused. After 20 terrifying minutes of further threats of violence and death the 4 men left with the dinghy. Reports were made to the charter base and police. The police took NO forensic evidence and told the victims and the charter company that they did “not want any media involved as it might scare tourists”. The charter company has assisted the victims with communications and arranged for a local media outlet to film an interview, which has not been broadcast. The dinghy was abandoned ashore and later recovered. The police have since asked for some details about the stolen cellphones by email, but have not informed the victims of any arrests in this matter. The victims describe this as a “violent, aggressive and prolonged attack that left their families traumatized” and point out that at no point during the charter briefing were they informed of any “no go” or problem areas. They were advised to use the cable and lock provided to secure the dinghy when ashore. CSSN NOTE: As a matter of policy CSSN will publish updates if police confirm to the victims that there has been significant progress in this matter. |
Grenada | Grenada Clarkes Court Bay Marina | 2017-10-17 23:00 | Theft | 185ft 1/2inch Anchor Chain | Not Locked | Overnight 185 ft. of ½ inch anchor chain was stolen. It had been stored in a metal barrel with a closed lid under a yacht located next to the restaurant at Clarkes Court Bay Boatyard. The owners discovered the theft the next day, the barrel had not been moved and the lid had been put back in place. Boatyard security/management was informed immediately, and admitted this was not the first theft of a significant amount of chain from the yard. The boatyard was well searched but no chain was found and owners “put out the word” that all they wanted was the chain back. The next day during a driving rain the owners were told by a boatyard subcontractor that a pile of chain was at the end of the yard, in an area that had been thoroughly searched the prior evening. It was their chain, lying on the same blue bag that had previously contained it, inside the now empty barrel. No police report was filed. CSSN NOTE: While this may seem a satisfactory ending for these owners, others who visit this yard, or any other yard or marina, should ask about any incidents and make certain management has put effective processes in place to prevent theft from the premises. Asking these questions BEFORE you patronize a facility will allow you to make informed decisions, and serves as a reminder of the importance of good security to those responsible for providing it. Those who have put robust processes in place, and then monitor their effectiveness, will be proud to tell you about them. Then make your own inspection. Examples of effective controls include well secured perimeters, gate control with logged access landside, 24HR monitoring of waterside access, robust video surveillance, inspection of exiting vehicles/backpacks, a posted policy of “zero tolerance” and prosecution of offenders. |
Panama | Bocas del Toro | 2017-10-05 03:35 | Theft | 75HP outboard | Locked | 75 HP outboard was stolen overnight. the boat and engine were on a dock lift and both well locked. The power was off to the lift but thieves used an angle grinder to cut the locking cables and tools to remove the bolted on engine. Police are investigating and have made an arrest and recovered another boat/motor stolen from the same dock that night.(see previous report) CSSN UPDATE - November 15, 2017 : The victim has reported that police recovered the 75 HP outboard and made arrests. Those involved have been released on bail while the investigation continues. |
Panama | Bocas del Toro | 2017-10-05 03:30 | Theft | boat with 40 HP outboard | Locked | An in the water but locked to the dock boat in Isla Carenero was stolen overnight. The thieves were well prepared with cutting tools. The dinghy was recovered by police the next day at the nearby marina, minus the outboard. Police made an arrest and recovered the outboard as well. CSSN UPDATE - November 15, 2017 : The victim has reported that police made arrests. Those involved have been released on bail while the investigation continues. |
Curacao | Spanish Water | 2017-09-16 01:00 | Theft | dinghy and outboard | Not Locked | An in-the-water dinghy with outboard was stolen overnight from an anchored yacht, no further details available. CSSN NOTE: We all depend on each other to make reports, if you were a victim, or have direct knowledge about this event please contact CSSN at safetyandsecuritynet@gmail.com (LINK) |
Curacao | Spanish Water | 2017-09-15 10:00 | Theft | dinghy and outboard | Locked | dinghy/outboard stolen from the fishermans village dinghy dock. no further details available. CSSN NOTE: We all depend on each other to make reports, if you were a victim, or have direct knowledge about this event please contact CSSN at safetyandsecuritynet@gmail.com (LINK) |
Grenada | Grenada Prickly Bay | 2017-09-15 09:25 | Attempted theft | None known | Locked | Boat #4 . See prior incident for related information LINK |
Grenada | Grenada Prickly Bay | 2017-09-15 09:10 | Theft | generator | Unknown | Boat #3, see prior incident for related information LINK |
Grenada | Grenada Prickly Bay | 2017-09-15 09:00 | Theft | dinghy | Unknown | Boat #2 . See prior incident for related information LINK |
Grenada | Grenada Prickly Bay | 2017-09-10 00:01 | Theft | single person kayak - blue | Not Locked | Single person kayak (blue) stolen from dock in Prickly Bay, not able to confirm if locked or if a police report was made. |
Panama | San Blas East Lemmon Cays | 2017-09-07 13:00 | Theft | One Casio watch | Not Locked | Before going for a swim at Dog Island, about 300 meters from his yacht, the captain removed his watch and secured it at the top of the swim ladder. He noticed a cayuco with 3 men passing close by his stern and discovered the watch missing when he returned from his swim. No police report was made. |
Grenada | Grenada Prickly Bay | 2017-09-01 04:00 | Theft | generator, dinghy with outboard, other items | Unknown | Multiple breakins/thefts overnight from 4-6 occupied and unoccupied yachts. Minor altercation with thief, who escaped, when discovered by the onboard owners. Not known if police reports were made, details incomplete. CSSN NOTE: We all depend on each other to make reports, if you were a victim, or have direct knowledge about these events please contact CSSN at safetyandsecuritynet@gmail.com (LINK) CSSN UPDATE: September 15, 2017. A first hand report has been received from one of the victims. The captain and crew of an occupied catamaran at anchor in Prickly Bay were awakened at 04:30 when a thief who had boarded lowered and disconnected the raised dinghy/outboard from its davits, it was not locked to the yacht. After much yelling other boats in the anchorage became aware of the situation and the thief attempted to escape in the stolen dinghy. He drifted away but could not get it to start. He removed and discarded the fuel line before paddling it back to the yacht to retrieve his yellow kayak to make another escape attempt. A scuffle ensued but the thief escaped in the kayak which had remained tied behind the yacht. The dinghy was recovered, minus the fuel line. A report was made the next day to police/coast guard. The coast guard were in possession of (and trying to locate the true owners) another dinghy and also a compressor, found tied behind another (unoccupied) yacht the same night. Later, other yachts were found to have evidence of attempted break-ins. |
Panama | Bocas del Toro | 2017-08-29 01:00 | Theft | Caribe dinghy/ 15HP outboard | Unknown | Dinghy/outboard stolen overnight, no further details available |
Grenada | Grenada Mt. Hartman Bay | 2017-08-27 01:30 | Burglary | Electronics, dinghy and outboard | Locked | An unoccupied catamaran was burgled overnight. The break in was discovered the next morning by the minder. The thief/thieves broke the door lock and thoroughly ransacked the interior of the boat, then badly damaged the main electrical panel and cut cables before removing electronics. Davit lines for the raised dinghy with outboard were slashed and it was stolen. There was no attempt to conceal the break in. The Coast Guard and police were summoned by the minder and are investigating. |
Martinique | Le Marin anchorage | 2017-08-22 01:00 | Theft | Red fiberglass dinghy & Johnson 8hp outboard | Not Locked | An anchored yacht had its in-the water but not locked dinghy/outboard stolen overnight. The outboard was locked to the transom with a small padlock. Reported to the marina and on the local VHF net. |
Panama | Portobello | 2017-08-21 04:00 | Theft | dinghy with outboard, dinghy recovered minus outboard | Locked | An in-the-water but chain locked dinghy was stolen overnight. The dinghy minus the outboard was recovered the next morning |
Dominican Republic | Luperon | 2017-08-18 01:00 | Theft | secondary anchor and rode | Not Locked | An unoccupied trimaran on a mooring in the bay had its primary mooring vandalized (released) and the in the water backup/secondary anchor and rode stolen. The boat went adrift and had damage to its stern mounted radio antenna as it struck another yacht before eventually grounding itself in the mudflats. Both yachts had minor scratches. The owner/captain made a report to the local police. |
St. Martin (French) | Lagoon | 2017-08-09 01:00 | Theft | dinghy and outboard | Locked | dinghy/outboard stolen overnight |
SVG | Union Chatham Bay | 2017-07-26 01:00 | Theft | Dinghy and outboard (AB 4.3 m fiberglass dinghy with Yamaha Enduro 40 hp outboard) | Locked | A locked and in-the-water dinghy was stolen overnight, remnants of the severed painter and cable were all that remained. A police report was filed in Clifton and local marine park authorities were also notified. |
SVG | Canouan Charlestown Bay (Tamarind Hotel) | 2017-07-26 01:00 | Attempted theft – unsuccessful theft, see above | none noticed immediately | Unknown | A charter catamaran was boarded overnight. The captain heard noise as a hatch was being opened and chased the man, who dove overboard and swam away. The SVG Coast Guard took a report from the victims the next day. |
SVG | Canouan Charlestown Bay (Tamarind Hotel) | 2017-07-25 01:20 | Attempted theft | Nil. | Locked | A yacht was boarded by a single male who dove overboard and swam away after being confronted by the owners from behind the locked cabin door at about 1 AM. Several VHF calls to the SVG Coast Guard were not answered. The owners departed the next morning and made a report to the SVG police in Bequia, who indicated they would forward the report to the SVG Canouan police. |
Martinique | Fort de France | 2017-07-24 16:00 | Attempted theft | Failed | Locked | Attempted theft of dinghy from the dinghy dock, was reported to local authorities. |
Grenada | Grenada Mt. Hartman Bay | 2017-07-11 04:00 | Theft | 12 ft. AB rib with 25 HP Yamaha engine | Locked | A dinghy/outboard locked to a private dock was stolen overnight. The same night 2 other boats were boarded and ransacked at this same dock and a nearby dinghy's outboard was stolen from a lifted dinghy on an unoccupied yacht. Owners believe all events are related and were conducted from the water vs. land side . A police report was made, and also announced on the VHF net. |
Grenada | Grenada Mt. Hartman Bay | 2017-07-11 04:00 | Theft | 15 HP Suzuki 4 stroke engine | Locked | An unoccuopied yacht on a mooring had its dinghy's outboard stolen overnight. The dinghy was lifted and the outboard was locked to the dinghy.The same night a dinghy at a nearby dock was stolen and 2 boats at the same dock were ransacked. A police report was made and this was also announced on the VHF net. |
Panama | Portobello | 2017-06-29 01:00 | Attempted theft | None - unsuccessful | Locked | Overnight an in-the-water dinghy with outboard had 2 lines cut, but lock/chain prevented theft |
SVG | Bequia Admiralty Bay- Port Elizabeth | 2017-06-14 12:10 | Theft | Outboard motor tool & spares kit | Not Locked | When stowing their dinghy at departure, owners discovered that the waterproof pouch containing the outboard toolkit and spares had been taken from the dinghy during their 2 week stay in Admiralty Bay, Bequia. No police report was made. |
Belize | Placencia | 2017-05-28 09:00 | Theft | Dinghy and Outboard | Locked | A dinghy with outboard was cable locked to a private dock while owner was ashore for dinner. The outboard was locked to the dinghy, and both were stolen between 7-9PM. A police report was made. |
SVG | St. Vincent Wallilabou | 2017-05-24 05:00 | Theft | Dinghy | Not Locked | At first light a boatboy arrived with the yachts dinghy, the owners had not yet realized it was missing. The boatboy asked for a "security fee" for the safe return of the dinghy and a modest fee was paid. The owners had not locked the dinghy to the yacht, but did not feel it had gone adrift. They now lock the dinghy overnight. |
Cayman Islands | George Town | 2017-05-12 19:00 | Theft | Dinghy and outboard | Not Locked | For three weeks a yacht’s dinghy/outboard was pulled ashore well above the tide line at 6PM and left unlocked in downtown George Town while the owners went to the weekly happy hour nearby. When they returned at 8PM the dinghy/outboard had been stolen. A police report was filed by phone. Owners advise locking to the Lobster Pot dive center dock instead. |
Dominican Republic | Luperon | 2017-04-28 14:00 | Vandalism | None | N/A | A yacht was tied to a mooring in Luperon Bay for a few hours before the owner went ashore. Vandals released the yacht, and removed all lines from it and the mooring itself during daylight hours. The yacht was seen adrift, an emercency VHF call was made and the yacht was recovered undamaged . No police report was made. |
SVG | Canouan Charlestown Bay (Tamarind Hotel) | 2017-04-27 03:00 | Theft | Cash, cellphones | Not Locked | Overnight while the catamaran owners slept below, a thief boarded and then entered the salon through an unlocked deck hatch. The thief stole cash and cellphones and then exited through the hatch. A police report was made the next day. CSSN NOTE: This is the 4th event of this type reported to CSSN at this location in the last 6 weeks CSSN NOTE: updated to FIRSTHAND report 2 May 2017 |
SVG | Union Clifton Harbor | 2017-04-25 15:00 | Theft | 55ft sailing yacht- monohull | Locked | In late April 2017 between the daylight hours of 1400 and 1715, a 55 ft. monohull sailing yacht moored in Clifton Harbor was stolen. The owner and crew were nearby but did not witness the actual theft. They notified SVG authorities (marine park, police and coast guard) and the owner began a localized search by boat which carried on into the darkness, but without result. Early the next morning the SVG police insisted on further reports and after 3-4 hours of doing such the owner hired a pilot and personally conducted an aerial search. The boat was located at Diamond Island, a small rock islet between Grenada and Carriacou. An open boat was seen rapidly leaving the scene to the south. Grenada Coast Guard was notified but took no immediate action. The pilot returned the owner to Union and he travelled by local boat to Carriacou where he contracted with another local boat to inspect and retrieve the yacht which had been damaged, arriving at the foundering yacht by early afternoon. The thieves had damaged a hatch breaking into the yacht and stole many things including an outboard, dive gear, life jackets, fuel jugs, fenders, handheld VHF, etc. The yacht sustained significant damage to its rudder and hull having been left to ground. After emergency repairs and pumping the water out, the owner took the yacht to Carriacou under escort and after additional inspections and temporary repairs to Grenada for haulout and repairs , which have recently been completed. Neither the SVG officials (where the yacht was stolen) nor the Grenada officials (where the yacht was found) took any evidence from the scene and after many months, and many requests, no SVG police report has been made available to the victim. |
Honduras | Puerte Cortes Naval Base Yard | 2017-04-13 08:00 | Piracy | VHF, SSB. EPIRB, flares, outboard engine, binoculars, smartphones, tools,security items, clothing, suitcases, toiletries and many more small items | Not Locked | A sailing vessel departed the Rio Dulce, Guatemala intending to visit Utila, Honduras. They were motor sailing in light winds and at 8:00 AM, they were about 10 miles off the coast and were boarded by pirates. 4 men boarded (2 armed with handguns) and 1 remained in the open fishing boat. The pirates were very aggressive, and fired their guns several times very close to the heads of the crew to ensure compliance. The crew spoke French and pretended not to “understand” while the boat was ransacked for about 1 hour. The pirates took everything they could, while taking no precautions to conceal their identities. Once satisfied with their haul they departed in the direction of the Honduran coast. There were no injuries to the crew. The yacht was able to make radio contact with the Puerto Cortes naval base and routed there to make reports to the Coast Guard, Police and Port Captain. |
Guatemala | Bahia de Graciosa | 2017-04-10 22:30 | Assault | Yamaha 4HP - 4 stroke outboard | Not Locked | A yacht with 2 persons onboard was anchored alone in Graciosa Bay. On the second night they were awakened by a noise around 10:30 PM. The captain went to the cockpit and discovered a man was removing his 4HP-4 Stroke outboard from the rail mount, ( it was not locked) . A scuffle ensued, and the captain ended up in the water next to the thief's boat. The thief had a handgun tucked into the front waistband of his pants, but did not remove it. He attempted to hold the captain's head underwater but was unsuccessful. The captain sustained minor injuries. After the thief departed the yacht upped anchor and moved about 5 miles to Tres Puntas where 5 other cruising boats were anchored, but none were monitoring VHF. A report was made to the police, port captian and on the NW Caribbean SSB net the next day. |
Puerto Rico | Vieques Isabel Segunda | 2017-04-08 19:30 | Theft | 15hp Yamaha Outboard | Locked | Between 6-8 PM while the owners were onboard, a yacht moored in Isabel Segunda had the cable/locks to their in-the-water and locked 10 ft. RIB/15 HP Yamaha outboard cut, and the outboard was stolen. The owners did not hear any disturbance and made a report to the police the next morning, but were refused a copy of the written report. CSSN NOTE: This is the sixth report of theft from Vieques in 2017, and the first this year from Isabel Segunda. The thieves operating in Vieques are well prepared and seem beyond the interest or reach of authorities there. If you choose to visit Vieques, best practices are called for, LIFT and LOCK (securely) dinghies when not in use. |
Guadeloupe | Marie Galante Grand Bourg | 2017-04-08 02:00 | Theft | dinghy and outboard | Not Locked | Overnight a dinghy that was secured with 2 lines, but not locked, was stolen from a yacht anchored outside Grand Bourg. The dinghy was recovered the next day minus the outboard and badly damaged. |
Honduras | Guanaja Graham's place | 2017-04-06 20:00 | Robbery | Cash, iPads, cellphone, electronics, cameras, monitors, fuel tank, propane cylinder, plus more | Not Locked | A yacht with 2 persons onboard anchored off Graham's Place around 4PM , and visited the palapa ashore. They met a man who identified himself by name and then asked several questions about thier planned stay, and number of persons on board. At 8 PM they were boarded by 4 armed men (3 - 9mm handguns, 1 rifle) ,wearing military style pants, 2 hooded, and all wearing ranger type boots. One of the men was the man they had met earlier at the palapa. The men demanded all things of value and threatened to kill the crew if they made any noise or resisited. The captain/crew complied, and the men departed with cash, electronics, iPads, cameras, cellphone, a gas tank, and a propane cylinder after threatening to return if any report was made. A detailed report was made to the police and the port captain. |
Martinique | Fort de France | 2017-04-05 21:30 | Theft | Outboard gas tank with gas and waterproof light | Locked | At 9:30 PM owner/crew returned to their locked dinghy on the long main dock. They discovered that the padlock securing the outboard and gas tank had been broken open and the gas tank was gone. The thief left the fuel line but had broken it off at the outboard leaving the connector still attached. A small waterproof flashlight (not locked) was also taken. |
Martinique | Fort de France | 2017-04-02 01:30 | Theft | dinghy fuel tank | Locked | Owner returned to their locked dinghy on the long main dock at 0130 HRS and found that the cable locking the fuel tank to the dinghy had been cut, and the tank stolen. |
SVG | Canouan Charlestown Bay (Tamarind Hotel) | 2017-04-01 02:00 | Attempted theft | None | Locked | While the crew slept a yacht was boarded overnight. The crew had been boarded and burglarized in this anchorage previously, so they moved all gear inside and locked up. The thief lowered and boarded by the swim ladder and then attempted to enter through both deck hatches and the companionway, but was unsuccessful because all were securely locked. CSSN NOTE: This location was plagued by similar burglaries and thefts in 2015 (11 reported to CSSN) ) and also a report in 2016. This is the 2nd report for 2017. Read that report here LINK, or review them all and related News items by typing "Canouan" in the search box on any CSSN webpage. |
SVG | Canouan Charlestown Bay (Tamarind Hotel) | 2017-03-28 02:30 | Attempted theft | No stolen items | Not Locked | A charter catamaran was anchored 300 meters from the hotel. The dinghy was lifted on davits, but the cabin doors were left open. At 2.30 AM, a crew member woke up because of some unusual noise. As he went up to the main cabin, a thief ran out of the cabin and jumped over board as the crew member shouted loudly and turned on lights. Another crew member saw a second man jump overboard from the opposite pontoon. Wet footprints were found inside the vessel. The theives were not successful, no items were stolen. CSSN NOTE: This is third incident of this type in this bay within a 2 week period, and the first report of multiple thieves onboard. |
SVG | Mayreau Saline Bay | 2017-03-26 22:00 | Theft | AB dinghy with 9.9 Mercury outboard | Not Locked | Between 2200 hrs March 26 and 0200 on March 27 an in-the-water and not locked dinghy was stolen from behind an occupied yacht in Saline Bay. The owners have spent considerable time recently in this bay and their normal practice is to lift and lock the dinghy, but they failed to do so on this particular night after securing it at 1900 hrs. They checked it again at 2200 hrs before retiring for the night. At 0200 hrs the captain awoke and noted that the dinghy had been taken. A detailed report was made to the Mayreau police, who were helpful and distributed their report to police on other SVG islands. They also provided a description to local fishermen. The captain made a voice report the next morning on the Carriacou VHF net. |
Martinique | Le Marin Marina | 2017-03-25 02:00 | Other | None | Locked | At 2 AM the crew of a catamaran in the old section of the Le Marin Marina was awakened by footsteps on deck. From behind the catamaran’s locked cockpit doors they observed a male boarder who stood in the cockpit, then sat and stared back at the astonished and concerned crew. A few minutes later he left. Later that morning a man was found asleep on an unoccupied boat on the adjacent dock, and when awakened and questioned he indicated he was waiting for the owner (who was not present) and then he departed. After a report was made to the Marina, a review of their video surveillance was made but the man’s face was obscured and not conclusive, but he appeared similar to the boarder, and the photos/description have been provided to the police and the marina guard. The crew felt both the police and marina were responsive and the police advised calling the local emergency number in cases of future boardings. |
Martinique | Fort de France | 2017-03-20 21:00 | Theft | dinghy fuel tank | Locked | Owners returned to the Fort de France main dinghy dock at 9PM and found that a thief used cable cutters to cut the single cable that had secured the fuel tank, outboard and the dinghy, then took only the fuel tank. |
Guatemala | Rio Dulce Shell Bay Anchorage | 2017-03-18 19:00 | Theft | Electric tools, anchor line, some electronic stuff | Not Locked | Captain returned from town at 10 PM and found his unlocked boat had been entered, and electronics, tools and an anchor line were taken. This was announced on the local VHF net, but no police report was made. |
SVG | Canouan Charlestown Bay (Tamarind Hotel) | 2017-03-18 03:00 | Attempted theft | None | Unknown | The captain of a charter catamaran was awakened by a boarder at 3 AM. When he yelled at the man he jumped overboard and swam off. A report was made to the SVG Coast Guard . |
Martinique | St. Anne | 2017-03-17 19:30 | Theft | Handmade bamboo outboard handle | Not Locked | A dinghy was locked to the main dinghy dock in St Anne. Sometime during the day or evening the handmade bamboo outboard handle (tiller extension) was stolen off the outboard. Reported on the VHF net and a police report will be made. |
Martinique | St. Anne | 2017-03-17 00:00 | Theft | Outboard - Yamaha 5hp 4 stroke | Locked | A dinghy was left locked overnight at the St. Anne's dinghy dock. The next day the owners discovered the outboard (which was locked to the dinghy) had been stolen. A report will be made to the police and on the local VHF net on 3.20.2017 |
Honduras | Utila | 2017-03-16 02:00 | Theft | 85 HP outboard | Locked | 85HP outboard engine locked on a panga was removed by thieves. An unsuccessful attempt was made to also remove a 15 HP outboard. CSSN NOTE: a lifted (but not locked) panga with a well secured 40HP was stolen the same night from an adjacent dock. |
Honduras | Utila | 2017-03-16 01:10 | Theft | 18 ft Panga with Yamaha 40 HP engine | Not Locked | A panga with a well secured 40 HP outboard was lifted at a private dock. Video surveillance from shore revealed that at 1:10 AM the thief unscrewed the light bulb on the dock, and then in darkness was able to use a box knife to cut the lifting strap, (damaging it) and releasing the panga. The 40HP outboard was visibly well secured to the panga, and would have required serious tools/effort to remove. The lifted panga was not secured to the dock. A report was made to the police and port captain. CSSN NOTE: the same night a neighbor’s locked 85 HP engine was removed from its panga on a nearby dock. The thief left evidence of using tools to remove the 85 HP, but was unsuccessful in an attempt to also remove a 15HP engine. |
Colombia | Isla Baru | 2017-03-15 20:00 | Assault | Safe, computer, jar of peanut butter | Not Locked | A yacht arriving in Colombia from the San Blas islands of Panama, anchored on the south side of Baru and all crew except the captain took a car to Cartagena to complete their check-in. No other boats were nearby. At 8 PM a dugout with outboard and 4 men came alongside and asked for a lighter. Then they quickly climbed on board, hit the captain with an oar and a gun and forced him inside the boat, where he was beaten with a machete and tied up. They ransacked the boat and stole a computer, an entire (unopened) safe, and a jar of peanut butter, and were onboard for about 30 minutes. Injuries did not require hospital treatment, and reports were made to the police and coast guard. |
Grenada | Grenada Clarkes Court Bay Marina | 2017-03-15 15:45 | Burglary | Sliding door lock set, refrigeration gauges and equipment, saltwater fishing equipment, dive bcd and regulator, beer, kitchen knives, and misc small items | Locked | Owners returned to their yacht which had been stored on the hard for several months. They discovered that the entire lockset on the sliding door to their catamaran was missing, and that the boat had been ransacked. A variety of items (tools,dive gear,fishing gear, etc.) were missing and empty beer bottles littered the salon table. It is impossible to remove the lockset without first opening with the key, and there was a deep scratch near the door. This was reported to the boatyard manager who indicated the key they had was secure and that he did not believe yard personnel were involved. CSSN NOTE: This report was received more than a year after the theft occurred. It is included in our records for completeness. |
Antigua/Barbuda | Antigua English Harbor | 2017-03-13 23:00 | Theft | 2M Nautend dinghy with 2.3HP Honda outboard | Not Locked | An in-the-water and not locked dinghy was stolen overnight from an anchored yacht while the owners slept onboard. The theft was reported to the police, who took extensive details but did not produce a written report, indicating there would be a $100 EC fee, and a many hours wait . The owners departed. |
St. Lucia | Soufriere | 2017-03-12 23:00 | Theft | phones, computers, money | Not Locked | Thieves entered an unlocked yacht while crew was ashore for the evening. Cash, cellphones and computers were taken. A report was made to the police. |
Puerto Rico | Vieques Esperanza | 2017-03-02 02:00 | Theft | Dinghy and outboard | Not Locked | An in-the-water and not locked dinghy was stolen from an anchored yacht overnight. The outboard was removed and the dinghy set adrift. It ended up beating against the rocks and was found unsalvageable the next morning, the fuel tank and life jackets were recovered. A police report was made, but victims describe the police as “unhelpful”, and no incident report was provided. CSSN NOTE: This is the second report for this same night in this bay, see the prior report HERE. There have been 5 thefts reported to CSSN in Esperanza so far in 2017, and police indicated there were several other (not reported to CSSN) dinghy/outboard thefts as well. Thieves operating in Esperanza are vigilant and well prepared, using large bolt cutters on well secured dinghies and trailers when required. Police there have not proven effective at controlling the persistent problem. |
Puerto Rico | Vieques Esperanza | 2017-03-02 00:00 | Theft | Dinghy/outboard/fuel tank, dinghy recovered | Not Locked | A yacht anchored in Sun Bay had its in-the-water and unlocked dinghy stolen overnight while the crew (and dog) slept. The dinghy was recovered the next morning swamped near the beach, minus the outboard which had been securely locked with a solid bar across the transom clamps. The thieves had used a 2x4 to sever it from the dinghy and apparently left by land vehicle. The fuel tank line was cut in 2 places and the tank was taken as well. A report was made to the local police. There were 6 other boats anchored in the bay that night, and one other had its dinghy/outboard stolen as well. CSSN will publish another report when those details are received. |
Honduras | Utila | 2017-02-21 03:00 | Theft | Dinghy and Mercury 5HP outboard. Dinghy was later found on the beach. | Not Locked | Overnight an unlocked dinghy was taken from a yacht. A local dive shop discovered the dinghy on the beach and it was returned (minus the outboard) to the owners. No report was made. |
SVG | Bequia Admiralty Bay- Port Elizabeth | 2017-02-20 22:30 | Vandalism | Dinghy engine damaged | Locked | A yacht moored in Admiralty Bay took their dinghy to a nearby small (restaurant) dock for dinner. A man greeted them and tied the dinghy to the dock. When the owners proceeded to lock the dinghy he became upset and yelled “Bequia is not the United States, people do not lock things here”. They locked the dinghy and the man continued to yell as they went to the restaurant. When they returned after dinner the outboard would not start. The next morning a close inspection revealed that the spark plug wire had been cut. A report was made to the police. |
St. Lucia | Marigot | 2017-02-17 21:00 | Burglary | all cell phones and chargers onboard. | Not Locked | While ashore in the evening, a yacht on an outside mooring was entered, and thoroughly ransacked. All doors and hatches were closed, but a guest failed to properly engage a lock on one cabin hatch, which the thief discovered and used for enrty/exit. The vendor who rented the mooring had warned the crew of the problems in this bay and suggested taking all cash/passports/valuables with them to dinner. The phones and chargers left behind were taken. Nearby boats were occupied, but not aware of the boarding/burglary. |
St. Lucia | Marigot | 2017-02-16 00:00 | Theft | 2 fishing rods | Not Locked | Two fishing rods which were well secured to the boat (lines visibly cut) were stolen overnight while the crew slept. A report was made to the port captain and the police (photos of the fishing gear were provided). |
St. Lucia | Soufriere Bat Caves | 2017-02-13 11:30 | Burglary | Cash, computers, camera, electronics | Locked | Around noon while the crew was ashore their yacht was broken into. The thieves were unable to gain entry through the well secured door, but were able to use a knife (which they left behind) to defeat a hatch lock. They took cash and electronics. 3 of the 4 moorings at the Bat Caves were occupied at the time. A report was made to the SMMA marine park, who refunded the daily mooring fee and advised against leaving boats unoccupied at night. CSSN NOTE: Nighttime burglaries have been a problem at this location for several years. Given that the local thieves have grown significantly bolder, if you choose to visit, consider leaving someone on board at all times. |
Dominican Republic | Boca Chica | 2017-02-12 03:00 | Assault | cash, cell phone, wristwatch and a bottle of rum | Not Locked | At approximately 0300 HRS the crew of a yacht on a Marina Zar Par mooring was awakened by a masked intruder, who had entered the unlocked yacht while they slept. He spoke Spanish (which the crew did not understand), threatening to tie the crew up. He displayed a knife but did not harm them while he searched - taking cash, a watch, a cellphone and a bottle of rum. He departed in an unpowered boat. The crew reported the incident to the marina security staff later that morning, and also made a report to the police and port captain. They were informed this was the 3rd incident of this type at this location this year. CSSN NOTE: CSSN has received firsthand reports for 2 of the 3 assaults, but no details about this third incident. If you are, or know those victims, please encourage them to make an easy online report, using this LINK. |
St. Martin (French) | Marigot Bay | 2017-02-08 18:00 | Theft | 10 ft hardbottom dinghy, fuel tank and 15HP Suzuki outboard | Unknown | Dinghy/outboard stolen from the Marigot ferry dock, reported on the VHF net. Not known if locked, no further details available |
Grenada | Grenada Prickly Bay | 2017-02-01 12:00 | Theft | Folding propeller | Locked | A catamaran on a Prickly Bay Marina mooring discovered one of its two folding Kiwi props was missing after powering up and preparing to move. Divers conducted an immediate and very thorough search, and the prop was not found on the hard packed sandy bottom. The shaft was clean where the prop had been. Reported to the marina, who after the divers report agreed it had been stolen. |
Panama | San Blas Nargana | 2017-01-28 02:00 | Theft | wallet and cellphones | Not Locked | While the crew slept, thieves entered an unlocked catamaran anchored overnight SW of Nargana. The thieves took a wallet and cellphones from the salon chart table, leaving 2 sets of muddy footprints behind. A report was made to local officials and also to Chris Parker's weather net. CSSN wishes to thank the victims and Chris for confirming details from this remote area via HF radio. |
Puerto Rico | Vieques Esperanza | 2017-01-27 20:00 | Theft | Dinghy/outboard, dinghy minus outboard later recovered | Locked | At approximately 8 PM cruisers returned to the dinghy dock on the old pier in Esperanza, and discovered their dinghy/outboard had been stolen. The dinghy was chained to the dock with 3/8” stainless steel chain and locked with a case-hardened lock, the outboard engine was similarly chained and locked to the dinghy. The dinghy minus the outboard was found just off the beach to the east of the dock with both chains and one of the locks cut with a bolt cutter. A police report was made and victims were informed by the local police that this was the 4th motor theft this week. The owners indicate the police took little interest in assessing the situation - writing down little, looking at the dinghy or the area where it was left and they took no photos. The owners believe that well prepared theives with large bolt cutters are actively operating in the area and advise extra precautions. |
Dominican Republic | Boca Chica | 2017-01-25 01:00 | Assault | cash and jewelry | Not Locked | Owners of a yacht berthed on the outside dock at Marina Zar Par awakened to a masked intruder at their bedside. He spoke only Spanish (which they understood) smelled of alcohol and was dripping wet. He had gained entry thru the unlocked companionway. A brief struggle ensued, he demanded cash and jewelry, which was freely given. The intruder tied both crew up holding a knife to the woman’s neck. He held his hand roughly against her mouth to silence her causing minor injuries, which were later treated by a doctor. After he departed, the crew managed to untie themselves and reported to the Zar Par Marina Security office. The security team provided immediate assistance by calling the police, who arrived promptly, and in gaining medical treatment for the woman. A formal report was also made to the Coast Guard the next day, and the police are investigating. CSSN wishes to thank our information sharing partner, Noonsite, where the victim’s detailed account was first published, read it HERE . |
Puerto Rico | Vieques Esperanza | 2017-01-24 17:00 | Theft | Kayak, paddle, snorkel gear | Not Locked | A yacht anchored in Sun Bay and the crew went ashore there for a few hours, securing their dinghy on the beach. A kayak/paddle and snorkel gear were left (but not secured) as well. When the yacht owners returned after a few hours in town, the kayak/paddle/snorkel gear had been stolen. Reported to a local businessman, who made a VHF announcement. No police report was made. Owners were later told 5 commercial paddleboats had also been stolen from this same area. |
Puerto Rico | Vieques Esperanza | 2017-01-24 14:00 | Theft | 14' AB Yamaha 25 Enduro | Locked | Dinghy was securely chained and locked to the pier while crew was ashore. One of the lifejackets was found next to the ramp adjacent to the pier. The well-tooled thieves apparently used a trailer to remove the dinghy after cutting the chain. A report was made to the police, who were descibed as indifferent to this continuing problem. CSSN NOTE: This is the 3rd reported incident at this location in the last month. |
SVG | St. Vincent Young Island | 2017-01-21 23:30 | Burglary | Mobile phone, dive watch, flashlight | Not Locked | A yacht on a mooring 50 meters off the dock was burgled by a swimmer while the owners were ashore for the evening. The yacht was locked but the swimmer gained entry through a closed but not locked hatch, leaving salty footprints throughout the cabin. The thief stole a cell phone, dive watch, and a flashlight. A report was made to the local police. |
Honduras | Offshore - 20 miles off Gordo Bank (16N/82W) | 2017-01-19 20:00 | Piracy | iPads, electronics, rum | Not Locked | Preliminary Report : Chris Parker has provided the following information from a Weather Center subscribing yacht currently transiting from west Panama to the Yucatan. The yacht was boarded late on the 19th off Gordo Bank by pirates who seemed to be looking for drugs. Finding none, they took iPads, small electronics and rum. No injuries. No further infomation is currently available but a detailed report is expected once the yacht reaches its destination. CSSN UPDATE 2017-01-26: Victims have provided a detailed FIRST HAND REPORT: A 40 ft. monohull sailing from Panama passed over Gorda Banks at night with their AIS turned off. Passing Gorda Cay, they saw several fair sized fishing boats at the cay. A couple of hours later as they were exiting the banks about 10 miles NW of Gorda Cay, a panga tried to approach but was not able to overtake them, they were sailing quite fast. The too-slow panga left but the men returned in a larger panga. Seeming friendly, they were fairly young and asked for food. They wouldn't leave the yacht alone, came close and were thrown a pineapple. They seemed happy and went away. A while later, another panga with several young men caught up with the yacht and asked for liquor. They were persistent but friendly and were tossed a six pack of beer. They also went away seeming happy. Then a third panga with a few men came asking for liquor. They were told they didn't have any and were tossed a melon. They went away. Meanwhile the crew had texted friends using their Delorme InReach satellite texting system, alerting them that they were being pursued and didn't know if these were just desperate fishermen or pirates. At about 12 noon 4 pangas with a total of about 30 men approached and the crew activated the DSC distress signals on the SSB and VHF. Their InReach contact alerted the US Coast Guard in Baltimore, MD, to the changing situation. The pirates signaled for everyone to put their hands up as they boarded. The lead panga carrying a man they all called “Boss" came alongside, bumping against the hull, and demanded in Spanish that they stop the engine. Faced with overwhelming force, they turned more into the wind and slowed down but pleaded ignorance as to their understanding of Spanish. Several men boarded the boat. One had a knife that he continuously tapped on top of the chartplotter at the helm. One of the other men spoke some English and told the crew he wanted his men to go below and "inspect" the boat. He was told that only 2 at a time could go down, but several went down anyway. They turned off the SSB and VHF distress signals and ransacked the boat. They opened every cupboard and floorboard presumably looking for drugs. The English speaking pirate reported to "Boss" and when they found no drugs, the pirates down below took whatever they wanted, the most valuable of which included an iPad, a GPS, foul weather gear and shoes. Oddly, they did not ask for money. The “Boss” told them to finish up and the English speaking pirate made the crew shake hands as if this were a normal business transaction. The pirates motored away, and the crew continued sailing onward. The crew was grateful that they were not harmed. Official reports to authorities will be made after the yacht reaches the US mainland. |
Honduras | Offshore - 20 miles off Gordo Bank | 2017-01-19 10:00 | Piracy | Computers, smartphone, cash, electronics, binocular , vhf and handheld radios, alcohol, clothing | Locked | A French flagged catamaran departed Isla Providencia (Colombia) for Rio Dulce, Guatemala on 1/18/2017 at 8 AM. Travelling well offshore the Nicaraguan coastline, they turned OFF their AIS transmitter but monitored all traffic closely. They noticed only a few cargo or fishing vessels. At 0830 on the morning of the 19th, after traveling 175 nm, now located 70 nm off the Nicaraguan coast and 35 nm ESE of the Hobbies islands they were approached by a single panga from the north with 6-7 men who asked for water and food. They were provided. At 0900 the same panga returned asking for more, and a pack of cigarettes was given, while suddenly 2 more fishing boats with 40 HP outboards approached at high speed from the south with 6-7 additional men. They converged on the catamaran, rammed and boarded the yacht, now visibly armed with knives and iron bars. Some of the pirates beat the locked doors and gained entry to the cabin while the others scavenged on deck. The leaders seemed to be looking for drugs, but found none. The pirates took computers, a smartphone, cash, assorted electronics, binoculars, VHF and handheld radios, alcohol, clothing, anything that they could grab or remove. After about an hour they departed. Using a previously hidden VHF the crew made contact with a nearby merchant cargo ship which then contacted the Colombian navy and piracy agency while diverting in their direction. At 1030 AM a single panga returned with a mixed group of 8 of the youngest of the original pirates and again boarded, holding knives to the throats of the crew, this time attempting to sever the locked to the yacht dinghy/outboard. They were not successful and became nervous when they heard a VHF transmission from the approaching cargo vessel. The second group of pirates departed. The crew again made radio contact with the cargo vessel who took all necessary information and agreed to inform Colombian officials, the yacht declined further assistance and both vessels returned to their intended courses. The yacht proceeded to Guanaja, Honduras without further incident. They arrived on Friday January 20, and began the process of filing official reports with the police, port captain, Honduran navy and piracy agencies. Much had been stolen, there was damage to the yacht, but no injuries. |
Trinidad/Tobago | 12 miles offshore | 2017-01-19 10:00 | Suspicious activity | none | N/A | A local sport-fisherman cut lines and outran 3 masked Venezuelans who attempted an ambush from their open boat 12 miles off the north coast of Trinidad. A formal report was made to the TT Coast Guard. CSSN NOTE: TTCG continues air and sea patrols in this area, and all vessels are encouraged to file a float plan (link template here) with TTCG (link here) |
Honduras | Puerto Cortes Naval Base Yard | 2017-01-13 17:30 | Piracy | Hand held electronics, wall mounted TV, RIB dinghy and outboard, cash, alcohol, dive gear, passports | Not Locked | A US flagged sailing yacht with the owner/captain and 1 Canadian crew member onboard departed Puerto Cortez for Roatan. After 10 hours of sailing in strong easterlies and current they had made 13 miles of easting and were 5 miles off the coast. At sunset they were approached and boarded from the west by a panga with 8 men onboard, with weapons drawn. The two pirates armed with semiautomatic guns immediately took control of the captain, who quickly made it clear he would comply with their wishes. Two men remained in the panga, while the 4 remaining pirates began pilfering the boat, roughing up the female crew member as she retrieved the demanded cash. During the 15 minutes they were ransacking the yacht the pirates took hand held electronics, a wall mounted TV, cash, alcohol, dive gear, and passports, as well as the RIB dinghy/outboard which was launched off the deck. The pirates departed to retrieve the dinghy and the yacht continued onward to Roatan. The captain believes his compliant and non-threatening posture prevented injury or worse. After a difficult night with limited navigation and communications capability their radio call was answered by a US Navy surveillance airplane, that then overflew them and arranged for continued airborne escort to Roatan. The US Navy had arranged a warm welcome and official reports were made to the police, port captain and Honduran coast guard. The supporting consulates provided additional assistance with communications and passport replacement. |
Dominican Republic | Luperon | 2017-01-06 02:30 | Theft | 30 HP Yamaha Outboard and Dinghy | Not Locked | At 0230 owner went on deck and discovered that the dinghy painter had been cut. The thief had been very quiet, neither of his two dogs had been disturbed. He heard an outboard in the distance that sounded like his. Radio calls (68/16/09) to authorities were not answered, but another cruiser responded and helped with a search. At 0330 the dinghy, minus its 30HP outboard was found adrift off the outside beach. Tire tracks and drag marks indicated the outboard was stolen with the assistance of a vehicle. No one was on the beach at this point, including members of the Commandante’s squad who claim to patrol there from 6PM to 6AM. The next day a report was made to the police, the Commandante’s office, and on the local VHF net. |
Panama | Bocas del Toro | 2016-12-29 04:00 | Theft | Yamaha 15 HP | Locked | A dinghy was hoisted and the outboard locked with 1/4" stainless steel cable to a dock piling. The cable was cut and the outboard stolen. A report to local authorities was made, and a reward offered. |
Colombia | Cartegena | 2016-12-23 02:00 | Theft | hard dinghy (no outboard) | Not Locked | An unlocked hard dinghy (no outboard) was stolen overnight from a yacht. Color is red with green interior. It is not known if a police report was made, no further details are available. |
SVG | Mayreau Salt Whistle Bay | 2016-12-22 17:00 | Vandalism | None | N/A | A local boat boy in a speedboat, very drunk, circled moored yachts at speed, finally deliberately ramming a yacht and putting a hole in its side. The boat boy was later apprehended by police and will be charged. |
Panama | Bocas del Toro | 2016-12-21 02:00 | Theft | 15 HP/2S Yamaha outboard | Unknown | An outboard engine (15HP/2S Yamaha) was stolen from a cayuco, no further details available |
Panama | Bocas del Toro | 2016-12-21 01:00 | Theft | 14ft. panga with 2S/30HP Suzuki | Not Locked | In Bahia Honda, an unlocked 14ft panga with a 30 HP/2S Suzuki was stolen by a swimmer from the canal overnight. A video surveillance camera captured the theft on tape, but it was not sufficient to make an ID of the thief who seemed to be aware of the camera. |
Nicaragua | Media Luna Cays | 2016-12-20 10:00 | Piracy | all extra diesel stored in containers, mobile phones, money, clothes, food, fishing equipement, navigation aids, personal effects, various sailing equipement | N/A | A yacht owner and friend were sailing a 12m monohull from Bocas del Toro, Panama to Belize. Passing 30-40 miles off the shallow coast of Nicaragua, it had been a difficult and tiring trip so they decided to make a rest stop in the uninhabited Media Luna Cays. At 10 AM while underway they were approached at high speed by 2 pangas (longboats with outboards), each with 4 men onboard. They seemed friendly initially and asked for a drink, and were given a few beers. Then suddenly many more boats appeared over the horizon, making thirteen in all, and the intentions of the assembled group became clear. They overwhelmed the yacht, and were raucous and menacing while their visible knives remain sheathed. They attempted to “guide” the boat onto the reef where 2 other wrecked boats were visible. When the yacht veered away they became more aggressive and began to ram into the side of the yacht, causing damage to the hull and port lights. The crew managed to keep sailing as they were boarded by 25-30 men, with another 30 or so men in the remaining pangas. A larger boat with a cabin and radio antenna carried the leader. He boarded and demanded to search the boat for cocaine. The crew negotiated a truce of sorts with the leader and allowed him (only) to search below. Some of the others forced their way below anyway, and along with the many pirates topsides helped themselves to fuel, food, cash, cellphones, fishing gear, clothing, marine electronics and anything they could remove. The crew protested when they took gear necessary to their continued travel and in a few cases it was reluctantly returned by the leader. The leader seemed proud of his control over his assistants and eventually forced them up and off the yacht. He asked for a reward for keeping his word, and pointed to a small Wi-Fi speaker, which he was given. The pirate leader and crew thanked each other and shook hands. The pirates then departed and the crew continued onto Belize, where they made a report to the Cucumber Beach Marina on arrival. They were relieved the pirates had remained nonviolent, after not finding the cocaine that they had apparently expected to commandeer. A courtesy report to the regional British High Commission (consulate) has been made. |
SVG | St. Vincent Wallilabou | 2016-12-17 19:00 | Burglary | Cash, electronics (tablets, phones), fishing gear, knives, flashlight, clothes | Locked | A family of experienced bareboat charterers anchored their monohull in Wallilabou, SVG and went ashore for dinner at the Anchorage Hotel Restaurant. They were aware and concerned about the brutal assault/murder of a German charterer and the subsequent lack of any arrest/prosecution in that bay in March 2016. They reviewed the 2015/2016 17th edition cruise guide provided by their charter company, and believed that the author’s comment "The bay has had a reputation for occasional thievery, but it is hoped that a new security system, including video cameras monitored by the coast guard and security guards with flashlights, will put paid to that when anchored off the Wallilabou Anchorage Hotel." They assumed the security system had been put in place. They enjoyed dinner ashore and had a full view of the boat from the restaurant. At 8PM when they returned to the boat, however, they discovered that the locked yacht had been burgled. A forward hatch had been damaged to gain entry. The thieves had thoroughly searched/ransacked all the cabins, lockers and luggage. They found and stole all the hidden cash and personal electronics. They also stole fishing gear, clothing, knives and flashlights. The victims contacted the restaurant, who called the police. Three officers arrived in casual clothes and looked around. They took no notes, pictures or any forensic evidence whatsoever, but claimed they would investigate. The victims provided a list of the stolen items and a signed written statement. The officers promised to send the written declaration to the headquarters of the criminal police department in the capital city of Kingstown. They advised that the only way for the victims to get any written confirmation of this case would require the victims to personally visit Kingstown police HQ. The victims arranged transportation to Kingstown police HQ the next day. There the officers immediately tried to send them away, but the victims insisted and they took their statement (again) in exchange for a $100 ECD fee. Despite repeated requests the police refused to provide a receipt for this payment. They also refused to provide any written confirmation of receipt of the report. The victims used a cell phone to take a picture of their written statement, and a letter they had written to the SVG Chief of Police. The victims were told that an official written report could be picked up in a couple of weeks. Because they planned to have returned to Europe in that timeframe the victims asked that the formal report be sent by email, which the police promised to do. The victims have had NO contact from SVG police or any SVG officials, despite many repeated requests and attempts to contact the responsible persons both by email and telephone. CSSN NOTE: Over a year later, the victims decided it was important to tell their story. The business owners and others had implored them NOT to make any public report, and the police had ignored their report and failed to do anything but take their $100 ECD. They did not observe any patrols or video surveillance, those too an empty promise. CSSN has now updated our database to include this report. Sadly, actions to suppress reporting of crimes is too common by those with economic interests, leaving the larger cruising community unaware and at increased risk. The victims in this case want others to know not only about the misleading information presented in the cruise guide, and the self-serving pleas of the local business interests to not make any information public, but also the disregard of the police and other officials to take any action, including simply providing the paid for and promised written report. Timely and complete reports are easy to make, use the CSSN online reporting form. Reporting - it’s everyone’s responsibility. Take a few minutes to review a recently published article published in Caribbean Compass on this important topic. |
St. Lucia | Anse Canaries | 2016-12-16 23:00 | Theft | 10' Caribe dinghy, 9.8 HP Nissan outboard, fuel tank, etc. | Locked | A yacht anchored just north of the Canaries fishing village discovered their in-the-water but cable locked dinghy/outboard had been stolen overnight. The thieves apparently used a crow bar to pry the cable/lock eye attachment from the dingy transom. The theft was reported to the police and to Soufriere Marine Management Area (SMMA) officials. |
Barbados | Bridgetown Careenage | 2016-12-14 23:45 | Vandalism | None | Not Locked | At 11:45 PM a yacht (B2) that was moored stern to in the Bridgetown Careenage inner lagoon was vandalized. A young man had engaged the crew on the adjacent boat (B1) and had been provided with some food. The young man then became abusive and, at some point, hauled the stern lines and jumped on to the transom (B2) where he held on to and seriously bent the stainless steel bimini frame. The crew was roused by the commotion, came on deck and ejected the boarder. The neighboring boat (B1) dialed 911 and the police arrived 10 or 15 minutes later. They apprehended the young man some way off and led him away. The officer informed the crews that the young man was unknown to him (unlike the other vagrants in the area), that he seemed to be mentally unstable and would be dealt with accordingly. He advised the crews not to engage with or support the local vagrants. |
St. Lucia | Marigot | 2016-12-04 17:00 | Theft | 2 fishing rods | Not Locked | After 2 nights moored in Marigot’s inner bay on a Capella mooring, on the third day the crew went ashore for dinner. Between 4-7pm both fishing rods were stolen from the rod holders on either side of the cockpit. There was no evidence that the thief boarded the yacht. The marina office and police were advised. The victims and CSSN suggest removing all unsecured items of value from the deck/cockpit, and having a record of serial numbers/photos stored in a secure way/place (that cannot be stolen from the yacht) for purposes of investigation and proof of ownership should a theft occur. CSSN NOTE: This is the 2nd theft reported to CSSN within the last month at this location, and the 5th this year. Users can type “Marigot St Lucia” in the search box on any CSSN website page to get a quick summary/links, or utilize the islands reports tab (Northern Windwards) and sort on the location column for easily reviewed details. |
Barbados | Carlisle Bay | 2016-12-04 01:00 | Theft | Dingy bag with safety items, flashlight, life jackets, whistle, anchor and dive knife | Not Locked | Overnight a dinghy bag containing safety equipment (flashlight, life jackets, whistle, anchor and dive knife) was stolen from an in the water, but locked to the yacht dinghy. No report to local authorities was made. |
SVG | Union Clifton Harbor | 2016-12-01 01:00 | Theft | hard dinghy | Unknown | A white, hard dinghy with "Happy Kite Grenadines.com" painted on the side was stolen overnight. It is not known if it had an outboard, was locked, or if the theft was reported to local authorities. |
Antigua/Barbuda | Antigua Jolly Harbor Marina | 2016-12-01 12:00 | Burglary | Cameras, grinder, drill | Locked | A motor yacht stored on the hard for hurricane season was burgled. The yacht was securely locked and a key provided to Boatyard/Marina office. The owners returned in December 2016 and found no signs of forced entry, but were surprised to find a payroll slip for a Jolly Harbor marina employee inside the boat. The employee had no approval or reason to be inside the locked boat. Marina/yard management was advised of the pay slip but offered no comment or explanation. A few weeks later the owners discovered that tools had been taken from various storage compartments inside the yacht. When they examined the yacht’s safe they discovered its hinge had been pried off from the rear and then carefully replaced, and the extensive camera equipment stored there was all missing as well. CSSN NOTE: This is the third theft suffered by a stored yacht at this yard this season. Keys supplied to the office seem not to be kept under control, and were used to enter and remove property from the stored yachts/lockers, and then returned to the office. If you leave your yacht and provide a key to anyone, be certain to understand how and where that key is kept secure, and how access/use is controlled, and in the case of multiple access, is signature logged. Any unusual findings on return to the yacht should prompt immediate consultation with the yard management, and a thorough search of key areas/contents made at that time. It’s easy to review the prior incidents, simply type “Jolly Harbor” in the search box on any CSSN website page. |
SVG | Mayreau Salt Whistle Bay | 2016-11-24 01:00 | Theft | dinghy | Not Locked | An in the water and not locked dinghy was stolen, not known if reported to local authorities |
St. Lucia | Marigot | 2016-11-16 20:00 | Burglary | Cash 3200 $ECD, 150 $CAN, Blackberry, Louis Vuitton belt | Locked | A yacht using a Capella marina mooring in the inner bay at Marigot was burgled while the crew was ashore for dinner. At least 6 other boats were on adjacent moorings but were not aware of the breakin (thru a hatch). The thieves took some effort to conceal their presence, including closing some cabin curtains while they stole cash ($3200 ECD, $150 CAN) a Blackberry and a belt. A report was made to the marina, the port captain and to the police. |
Dominican Republic | Luperon | 2016-11-03 20:00 | Burglary | Laptop, iPhone, Iridium satellite phone and other items | Locked | While the crew was ashore during the evening, a swimmer broke in through a hatch and stole a laptop, iPhone, Iridium satellite phone and other items. The thief used a plastic storage box from the yacht to carry away the goods. A police report was made. |
Antigua/Barbuda | Antigua Jolly Harbor Marina | 2016-11-02 10:30 | Burglary | generator | Locked | A yacht stored on the hard had its generator stolen from a shore-side storage locker in the marina. No further details, date approximate. |
Antigua/Barbuda | Antigua Jolly Harbor Marina | 2016-11-02 10:00 | Burglary | Honda generator | Locked | A yacht stored on the hard at Jolly Harbor Marina for the off-season was burglarized. The padlocked cockpit lazarette was opened, and the generator removed, and the lock replaced but not closed. The boat minder noticed the opened lock during a visit and simply closed it without noticing the generator had been removed. The owner noticed a foot from the generator in the cockpit on his return, and when he retrieved and used the only key (from the marina office) he discovered the theft. Reported to the marina and the police. |
Grenada | Grenada St. Georges Port Louis Marina | 2016-10-29 01:30 | Assault | None | N/A | At 1:30 AM a female cruiser was attacked from behind and pushed to the ground, banging her head, outside the toilet area in Port Louis Marina. The victim believed he was after her purse. She struggled, kicked and yelled, and eventually two marina guards arrived as the attacker fled (without the purse). A report was made to the local police the next morning. |
SVG | Mayreau Salt Whistle Bay | 2016-10-27 22:00 | Theft | All cash and untraceable items, such as head phones, sunglasses, women's clothing. | Not Locked | A charter yacht visited Salt Whistle Bay, and reports they were harassed separately by 2 boat boys, one drunk, who each were intent on directing them to dine at certain restaurants there. That evening they went ashore for dinner and left the yacht unlocked. When they returned at about 8 PM they noticed that sunglasses were missing from the cockpit. The next morning they returned to the restaurant thinking the sunglasses had been left there and were told that the sunglasses had been a “gift” to the owner’s son. Over the next day they noticed several other items were missing, and realized they had been boarded. The thief had made a careful search and taken hidden cash from 2 locations as well as other non-serialized items. A report was made to the charter company on departure. |
Grenada | Grenada Clarkes Court Bay | 2016-10-22 20:00 | Burglary | computer, cellphone, wallet, speargun | Locked | During the evening a locked yacht at anchor was burgled while crew was ashore. The thief took a computer, cellphone, wallet, and a speargun. A report was made on the VHF net. |
SVG | St. Vincent Chateaubelair | 2016-10-10 19:00 | Assault | None | N/A | Two yachts were at anchor in Chateaubelair. At approximatley 1900 hours one was boarded by four men armed with machetes. The captain was able to repel them, but suffered a slash to his forearm and several cuts on his hands. He was later treated at the local hospital. A VHF MAYDAY call was made for assistance but there was no response. He received help and assistance from those aboard the second yacht. A report was made by phone to the local police. |
Grenada | Carriacou Tyrrel Bay | 2016-10-10 10:00 | Theft | 15 HP Mercury outboard | Unknown | 15 HP Mercury outboard was stolen from the stern rail of an unoccupied yacht. It is not known if it was locked or if a police report was made, date approximate. |
St. Lucia | Rodney Bay Reduit Beach | 2016-10-01 01:00 | Theft | dinghy and outboard, later returned missing the fuel tank and flip flops | Locked | An in the water, cable locked dinghy was stolen overnight while the owners slept. The cable and line were both cut in a rough way, likely with a hacksaw blade or serrated blade of some kind. The next morning the owners discovered the theft and talked with a fisherman ashore who advised them to make a police report and not to buy a new one, he would try and help locate the missing dinghy. A report was made to the police and on the VHF net. A few hours later some other fishermen arrived towing the "found" dinghy, now minus the fuel tank and flip flops. They asked for and received a $1000 EC reward. |
Grenada | Grenada Chemin Bay | 2016-09-26 04:30 | Attempted Burglary | none | Locked | 2nd of 3 boats, see prior, next reports |
Grenada | Grenada Chemin Bay | 2016-09-26 04:30 | Attempted Burglary | none | Locked | 3rd of 3 boats, see prior reports |
Grenada | Grenada Chemin Bay | 2016-09-26 04:00 | Burglary | Flare gun | Locked | Three yachts moored on private moorings in Chemin Bay were similarly vandalised overnight. All were unoccupied but locked. All 3 boats were ransacked. Lockers were opened and the contents strewn about the cabin sole. Power tools, hand tools, cell phones and radios were left behind, only a flare gun was taken from one of the affected yachts. The police and Coast Guard were notified. The police believe the thief stole a local dinghy to gain access, it was found abandoned in the nearby mangroves. The police indicated that they have a suspect who is known to have done this type of thing previously. CSSN NOTE: These 3 incidents are very similar to 3 that occured in this same bay in late 2014, the thief seemingly had a "shopping list" on those occasions as well. LINK TO THE 3 REPORTS https://www.safetyandsecuritynet.com/grenada-chemin-bay-previous-reports/ |
Honduras | Roatan West End | 2016-09-25 02:00 | Theft | 10 ft Avon dinghy, 15 HP Yamaha | Not Locked | An in the water and not locked dinghy was taken from a boat at anchor overnight. It is not known if a police report was made. |
Grenada | Clarkes Court Bay | 2016-09-16 20:00 | Burglary | Two computers, 800 euros, clothing, cellphones and shargers, candy, a large combat knife. | Locked | We departed our boat at 1715, and left it fully closed and locked. We returned at 2130 to find the companionway lock broken, and the cabin tossed. Some items were not taken (radios, handheld GPS) but cash, laptops, chargers, cell phones, a large knife and bags of ginger candy were. CG and Police were called and responded promptly. The next day, a dinghy stolen from a nearby dock the same night (see previous report) was recovered, and the same type candy (empty wrapper) that was taken from our boat was found inside. |
Grenada | Clarke's Court Bay | 2016-09-16 19:01 | Theft | Dinghy with Yamaha Outboard | Locked | Our dinghy was locked at the Woburn concrete dock while we were having dinner. There were several other dinghies there as well. When we returned to the dinghy to leave, we discovered the locking cable was completely severed. Another dinghy (see previous report) had cut marks on their cable. Reported to the CG, police, the nearby restaurant and on the VHF net. The next morning the dinghy was found by other cruisers beached in a cove about 1/4 mile south of the dock without further damage and with its outboard. A candy wrapper found inside the recovered dinghy was the same type that had been taken from a locked yacht that was burglarized in a nearby bay the same night. (see next report) |
Grenada | Clarke's Court Bay | 2016-09-16 19:00 | Attempted theft | None | Locked | A dinghy locked to Woburn dock has its locking cable slashed, but not fully. Another dinghy (also cable locked) was stolen. Reported to the CG and Police, on the VHF net and to the nearby restaurant. (see next report) |
Bonaire | El Navegante Boat Yard | 2016-09-01 02:00 | Burglary | 32" flat screen TV, an external hard drive, microwave oven, handheld VHF, RAM mike, Radar/GPS, 2 pairs of marine binoculars, toolbox and full set of tools, voltmeter, fire extinguishers, folding police knife, clothing, decorative pillows, dive bag, dive lights and masks, fins and snorkels, flashlights, clocks, and rum. | Locked | A yacht was stored in the boatyard (locked) for a year. Around September 1st, the boat yard manager informed the owners by email that there had been a break-in on their boat. The thieves may have come from the water side since the road-side gate is usually locked. It probably required several trips to gather/remove all the items. A police report was made. |
Trinidad/Tobago | Tobago Buccoo Bay | 2016-08-21 20:00 | Robbery | Two mobile phones and cash | Locked | At approximatley 9:45 PM four adult family members were returning from the weekly Sunday school dancing event when they were accosted by 2 young men (about 20 years old) with machetes as they were preparing to launch their beached dinghy which had been locked to a tree near the carpark. The men demanded cash and grabbed one of the bags that had been put into the dinghy. The captain grabbed a paddle and the group started yelling loudly and the men fled into the woods. The police were summoned by security at the festival location and a full report was made. |
Grenada | Port Louis Marina | 2016-08-17 10:00 | Burglary | Two bags containing passport, wallet with identification as well as about US$300 in cash. | Locked | The sesame-type combination padlock on the salon door was jimmied or leveraged apart while the owners and crew were off the boat during the day. Bags were stolen from inside and the lock was put back in place. The owners thought the lock had failed (they had to use a slightly different combination to get it open) due to salt water corrosion, so they discarded and replaced it. The owners were not aware of the theft at the time it occurred but became aware of the theft when a local woman who found some of the non-cash items returned them a few days later. A report was made to the marina and police. |
Trinidad/Tobago | Grenada-Trinidad passage | 2016-08-02 06:30 | Attempted piracy | None | N/A | Three yachts left Grenada in the afternoon, bound for Trinidad. A float plan was filed with TTCG/NPR and Jesse James. The reporting captain attempted to call North Post Radio and Trinidad Coastguard on two separate occasions on VHF 16 during the voyage but did not get a response to either call. The first call was to NPR at approximately 1600, from a position about 5 miles south of the Grenada coast. The second call was to TTCG between midnight and 0100, about 3 miles directly east of the Hibiscus platform. The captain is confident his radio was working properly, he made contact with the other yachts (VHF 71) and also with the marina on arrival (VHF 16 and 72). During the passage he was able to listen to North Post Radio and heard them monitoring and conversing with other vessels. After passing 3 miles east of the platform the yacht continued due south. The next morning (August 2) at approx. 0630, his yacht was motor sailing at about 3 knots and located 10 nm northeast of Boca Monos. The 2 other yachts, Buddy Boat 1 (BB1) and Buddy Boat 2 (BB2), were about 1 nm further east (BB1) and 2 nm further south (BB2). The yacht was approached by a white pirogue with 3 men onboard. The men in the pirogue spoke English and there were no fishing nets or any fishing gear in the pirogue. The yacht captain went to his starboard rail with his handheld VHF and in full view of the pirogue called the nearest buddy boat (BB1) to tell them what was happening. He describes the situation: • The general attitude of the two men who spoke was aggressive and angry. With much shouting and waving of arms in the general direction of Trinidad – it seemed to me that they were telling me to slow down and not go any further ….the noise level was high since this was happening as they approached with their engine and our engine noise making communication indistinct and hard to make out initially. There was no doubt in my mind that this was not a friendly encounter. • The pirogue pulled up alongside on our starboard side, and tried to get as close to my boat as was feasible. Two men were standing and one tried to hold on to the hull of my boat but the sea state was too rough and they pulled away about 1 meter. • One of the men shouted across to us in an aggressive manner - asking what “sea area are we in?” – I replied that we were off the coast of Trinidad • He then shouted across, pointing ahead…“what is that Island..?” – I replied Trinidad • The second man then shouted across “what is that …” while gesticulating at the passage ahead …I took it to mean that they were trying to point out the Boca – I replied Boca Monos • I updated BB1 on the situation, using my handheld VHF. This seemed to increase the agitation of the men in the pirogue. • BB1 immediately turned directly towards us. • Our VHF communication would have been audible to the men in the pirogue. They were obviously annoyed that I was speaking to someone. They were not asking directions, the conversation was heated; aggressive; menacing. There was absolutely no doubt that the “directions” were a ruse, we were being sized up. • The men had a conversation amongst themselves and pulled away at high speed. They went eastwards in the general direction of BB1. • They did not make any further approach to any of our vessels. • We updated BB1 and BB2 and all 3 vessels continued towards Boca Monos. • We did not attempt further calls to the coast guard at that time. All three yachts arrived safely in Chaguaramas later that morning. The captain contacted Jesse James, who arranged and attended a meeting the next day with the TTCG Fleet Commander, where an official report was made. Based on details described by the reporting captain, TTCG indicated that the pirogue was likely from Trinidad. Follow up with Jesse James indicates that TTCG/NPR has assured him that they will continue to patrol the area and try to improve their communications. |
Grenada | Grenada Hog Island | 2016-07-30 17:00 | Assault | N/A | At about 1700 a male cruiser left his wife aboard and took his dog by dinghy for a walk on the east end of Hog Island. After a short while he was met by 3 english speaking men and was greeted in a friendly manner, he continued the walk. After about 20 minutes he began his return to the dinghy and encountered a family of 5, who played with the dog for a few minutes. Continuing the walk, and almost back to the dinghy he encountered the same 3 men, who invited him to join them. When the cruiser did so, one of the men, the Primary Perpetrator, (PP) produced a small handgun, pointed it at him, and demanded that the cruiser dinghy them out to the yacht, stating that the cruiser, the family of 5, and the dog would all be killed if the cruiser refused, and that the 3 would then go to the vessel (where the cruiser’s wife had remained). At approximately 1800, the cruiser transported 2 of the perpetrators, (PP) and a 2nd Perpetrator, (2P) to the anchored yacht, where the PP demanded that the cruising couple haul anchor and provide transport to Puerto Rico. The yacht’s engine had not functioned for several weeks, but PP demanded that the couple sail out of the bay and then to Puerto Rico. It was clear neither perpetrator had skills as a mariner. The couple complied, but the yacht became grounded while leaving the bay and was unable to proceed. The PP assaulted both the husband and wife as well as his accomplice, while showing signs of instability, sometimes mumbling and shouting incoherently at no one. At approximately 1930 the PP forced the wife and his accomplice into the dinghy, indicating that he would hold the wife hostage until the husband freed the yacht and they were able to proceed to Puerto Rico. The dinghy was then taken to the mainland of Grenada, landing in the area of Fort Jeudy (approx. 1.5 miles away). PP forced the wife and his accomplice to proceed to an unoccupied home with him. Over the next several hours, PP continued to assault both the wife and his accomplice (2P). At approximately 2330, PP forced the wife and 2P to return to the dinghy, and attempted to return to the yacht. On approach, the presence of other vessels engaged in assisting the husband with the stranded yacht discouraged PP from re-boarding and hijacking the yacht. They returned to shore, PP and 2P eventually departed, and the wife was able to return by dinghy to the yacht at about 0100, July 31. Those assisting the yacht were then informed of the circumstances and authorities were summoned, and the Grenada Coast Guard arrived promptly to provide assistance. They remained with the yacht overnight, while the couple received medical treatment, which is ongoing. The yacht has been refloated, but was damaged. The primary perpetrator (PP) has been identified and is being sought by the local police. CSSN NOTE: This report is classified as second hand, we would like to thank the close friends of the victims who provided the report on their behalf. | |
Curacao | Spanish Water | 2016-07-27 02:00 | Theft | 1 person kayak | Not Locked | Overnight an unlocked, in the water kayak was stolen from an occupied yacht. A report was made on the VHF net. |
Grenada | Grenada Mt. Hartman Bay | 2016-07-14 01:00 | Burglary | Unknown | Unknown | Details incomplete, during the past 10 days 8 unoccupied boats at a variety of locations in the anchorage were broken into. All owners absent but Coast Guard has been notified. (#2) |
Grenada | Grenada Mt. Hartman Bay | 2016-07-14 01:00 | Burglary | Unknown | Unknown | Details incomplete, during the past 10 days 8 unoccupied boats at a variety of locations in the anchorage were broken into. All owners absent but Coast Guard has been notified. (#3) |
Grenada | Grenada Mt. Hartman Bay | 2016-07-14 01:00 | Burglary | Unknown | Unknown | Details incomplete, during the past 10 days 8 unoccupied boats at a variety of locations in the anchorage were broken into. All owners absent but Coast Guard has been notified. (#4) |
Grenada | Grenada Mt. Hartman Bay | 2016-07-14 01:00 | Burglary | Unknown | Unknown | Details incomplete, during the past 10 days 8 unoccupied boats at a variety of locations in the anchorage were broken into. All owners absent but Coast Guard has been notified. (#5) |
Grenada | Grenada Mt. Hartman Bay | 2016-07-14 01:00 | Burglary | Unknown | Unknown | Details incomplete, during the past 10 days 8 unoccupied boats at a variety of locations in the anchorage were broken into. All owners absent but Coast Guard has been notified. (#5) |
Grenada | Grenada Mt. Hartman Bay | 2016-07-14 01:00 | Burglary | Unknown | Unknown | Details incomplete, during the past 10 days 8 unoccupied boats at a variety of locations in the anchorage were broken into. All owners absent but Coast Guard has been notified. (#5) |
Grenada | Grenada Mt. Hartman Bay | 2016-07-14 01:00 | Burglary | Unknown | Unknown | Details incomplete, during the past 10 days 8 unoccupied boats at a variety of locations in the anchorage were broken into. All owners absent but Coast Guard has been notified. (#6) |
Grenada | Grenada Mt. Hartman Bay | 2016-07-14 01:00 | Burglary | Unknown | Unknown | Details incomplete, during the past 10 days 8 unoccupied boats at a variety of locations in the anchorage were broken into. All owners absent but Coast Guard has been notified. (#7) |
Grenada | Grenada Mt. Hartman Bay | 2016-07-14 01:00 | Burglary | Unknown | Unknown | Details incomplete, during the past 10 days 8 unoccupied boats at a variety of locations in the anchorage were broken into. All owners absent but Coast Guard has been notified. (#8) |
Colombia | Rosarios Islands Isla Grande | 2016-07-11 01:05 | Assault | None | Does not apply | While at anchor near Isla Grande, a man in a cayuco attempted to steal the dinghy, but he was noisy, awakened the crew and they were able to scare him away. The dinghy was secured and the couple slept in the cockpit. About an hour later 2 swimmers were able to board the boat, and attacked with knives. During the altercation the crew received bruises and many cuts, but were eventually able to repel the attackers. The crew immediately upped anchor and moved offshore. They made an emergency radio call. The Colombian Coast Guard arrived about an hour later, and met them offshore. After completing a report to the Coast Guard the crew departed for Cartagena.CSSN Information sharing Partner, Noonsite, also received a first hand report about this incident, it included a few more details, read it here . http://www.noonsite.com/Countries/Colombia/colombia-islas-del-rossario-isla-grande-boarded-attacked-july-2016 |
Grenada | Grenada Prickly Bay | 2016-07-06 02:00 | Attempted theft | None | Locked | Overnight an attempt was made to steal an outboard from an in the water dinghy. The outboard was locked to the dinghy, and the dinghy to the yacht. The attempt was discovered in the morning. The gas tank had been disconnected, the lifting strap removed and motor key ripped off. Reported to the Coast Guard. |
Grenada | Grenada Mt. Hartman Bay | 2016-07-06 01:00 | Burglary | Unknown at present, will provide inventory when owner returns. | Locked | Between 5 and 8 July an unoccupied boat moored in Mt. Hartman bay was broken into. The minder discovered the external lock on the companionway gone and the interior thoroughly ransacked. A report was made to the Coast Guard and the owner will complete an inventory upon return. CSSN UPDATE : Owners have done an initial inventory, a computer was taken. It has since been discovered that many (7) other unoccupied boats in a variety of locations in this bay have suffered a similar fate during the last week, details on those burglaries are incomplete at this time. |
BVI | Tortola Cane Garden Bay | 2016-07-05 03:00 | Theft | kayak | Not Locked | A yacht anchored near shore had its (in the water) kayak stolen overnight while the crew slept. |
St. Lucia | Soufriere | 2016-07-04 10:00 | Theft | Details unknown | Not Locked | During daylight hours a yacht on a mooring was boarded thru a screened hatch while the crew was ashore. The details of what was stolen are not known, or if a police report was made. |
Martinique | Anse Mitan | 2016-07-01 01:00 | Theft | 8 HP Yamaha 2-Stroke outboard engine | Locked | A 8HP Yamaha 2-stroke outboard motor was stolen from our dinghy while we slept, sometime between 9PM on June 30th and 6AM on July 1st. The engine was padlocked to the dinghy, which was locked to the big boat. Only the engine was taken, not the dinghy itself. A report was filed with the police. |
St. Martin (French) | Sandy Ground Bridge | 2016-06-29 02:00 | Theft | 10 FT AB dinghy and 18 HP Tohatsu outboard | Unknown | Budget Marine's (Budget Marine St. Martin - L'ile Marine, Sandy Ground Bridge, Rue Lady Fish, Saint-Martin) stolen overnight. It was lifted and locked. Not known if reported to the police. |
Trinidad/Tobago | Trinidad Hibiscus Gas Platform | 2016-06-25 11:59 | Attempted piracy | None | N/A | In the absence of a firsthand report CSSN has compiled information from multiple credible second hand sources, who spoke directly with the involved captain in Trinidad. A 65 ft. sailing yacht with 3 persons on-board on passage to Trinidad encountered what were felt to be probable “pirates” during daylight hours. The yacht’s position was 2-5 miles east of the Hibiscus platform, and its sails would likely have been visible for 10-12 miles. A pirogue with 5-6 Spanish speaking men made multiple rapid approaches to the yacht, and began yelling (about fuel). One of the men in the pirogue appeared to have a holstered gun at his waist. The yacht captain began multiple evasive maneuvers and had crew “pose” as though they themselves were armed while visibly appearing to make VHF radio contact with TT Coast Guard, North Post radio and the Hibiscus platform itself. The emergency VHF radio calls were not answered. After about 15 minutes the pirogue gave up chase and departed to the west. The yacht continued onto Trinidad. No float plan had been filed with TTCG; it is unclear if any official reports have been made. CSSN will update this report if additional information becomes available. |
Dominican Republic | Samana | 2016-06-25 02:30 | Attempted theft | None | Locked | A cruiser was awakened during the night by the sound of a small boat bumping against the hull. He yelled out then grabbed a spotlight and went on deck to investigate. The dinghy was on davits and locked to the yacht, but now had an empty canoe tied to its bow. The boat and surrounding area were searched with lights, no one was found, and nothing was missing. The following morning the Navy stopped by to retrieve the canoe and inform the cruiser that they had picked up a soaking wet man onshore the previous night. Apparently the thief was looking for an outboard/dinghy to steal and he was interrupted, and jumped into the water and swam to shore rather than risk a confrontation. A report was made to the Port Captain. |
Puerto Rico | Vieques Isabel Segunda | 2016-06-20 23:30 | Attempted theft | None | Locked | Around 11:30 PM 2 young men rowed out to an anchored yacht and attempted to steal the (locked to the yacht with cable) dinghy. They were clumsy, and scared off by the owner who was on board. They left behind their bolt cutters. |
Puerto Rico | Vieques Isabel Segunda | 2016-06-20 23:00 | Burglary | 4 HP Yamaha 4 stroke outboard, a boat hook and a small inverter | Locked | An unoccpied vessel was boarded and broken into overnight, the theives cut locks and cables. The outboard was locked/cabled to the rail, and other items were taken from inside the locked cabin. A police report was made. |
Grenada | Carriacou Tyrrel Bay | 2016-06-11 03:00 | Theft | dinghy/outboard | Unknown | DETAILS INCOMPLETE - 2nd of 3 dinghies/outboards stolen overnight. |
Grenada | Carriacou Tyrrel Bay | 2016-06-11 03:00 | Theft | AB 9'6" aluminum dinghy and Nissan 9.8 hp Outboard | Not Locked | A dinghy/outboard hoisted on the port side was stolen overnight from an occupied yacht. It was not locked to the yacht. The theft was reported to the police, the boatyard and later on the VHF net, two other dinghies were also stolen the same night. Details for those thefts are not currently available. CSSN NOTES: Securely locking (visibly) a hoisted dinghy can make the difference. Additionally, using cable (vs. rope) for the harness to a height sufficient to make it out of “machete reach” can further reduce the chance of theft. Making timely first hand reports helps other cruisers, it’s easy with the CSSN online reporting form! https://www.safetyandsecuritynet.com/?p=665 |
Grenada | Carriacou Tyrrel Bay | 2016-06-11 03:00 | Theft | dinghy/outboard | Unknown | DETAILS INCOMPLETE - 3rd of 3 dinghies/outboards stolen overnight. |
SVG | Union Clifton Harbor | 2016-06-09 00:01 | Theft | Evinrude 15hp outboard motor | Locked | The outboard engine was locked onto a mounting bracket with padlock and chain on the back of the yacht. It was stolen between 6.30pm & 7.30am, damaging the bracket. The owners were not on board at the time. A police report was made. |
SVG | Canouan Charlestown Bay (Tamarind Hotel) | 2016-06-02 20:30 | Burglary | Cash | Locked | Whilst we were in Union Island, we met a group of 6 Americans/Australians who had chartered a catamaran. While ashore for dinner, the yacht was broken into by the main salon door (locked) and a substantial amount of cash was stolen. It is not known if a police report was made. |
Grenada | Grenada St. George's outside lagoon | 2016-05-29 22:00 | Theft | 14 ft AB dinghy with 15 HP Yamaha | Not Locked | An in the water but not locked dinghy stolen between 9-10 PM, reported to the Coast Guard. |
St. Martin (French) | Marine Port la Royale | 2016-05-29 03:00 | Theft | Cash | Not Locked | An unlocked yacht docked at Port Royale marina was boarded overnight while the crew slept. The crew discovered the theft of cash the next morning. Reports were made to the Port Captain, Police and Marina. When the police reviewed the marina's video surveilallance they found most of the cameras were not operational. |
Cuba | Isla de la Juventud | 2016-05-27 00:00 | Theft | Cushions, lifesling, dock lines, sunglasses | Not Locked | A Canadian flagged monohull anchored off of Playa Bibijagua on the north coast of Isla de la Juventud was boarded overnight while owners slept. When they awoke in the morning, their life sling, cockpit cushions, dock lines, sunglasses and other miscellaneous cockpit paraphernalia had been taken by persons unknown. No police report was made. Local advice is to be extremely vigilant when anchoring near popoulated areas. |
Guatemala | Rio Dulce Bruno's Marina anchorage | 2016-05-26 03:00 | Theft | 25 HP Yamaha | Locked | It was announced on this morning's VHF net that the Yamaha motor was stolen overnight from an occupied yacht at anchor.The outboard was attached to the dinghy with 2 locks. The dinghy was not taken; just the motor. The owner does not know how the motor was stolen off the dinghy. It was not mentioned whether the dinghy was in the water or in davits. |
SVG | Tobago Cays | 2016-05-25 23:00 | Assault | Cash and cell phones | N/A | A British flagged vessel was boarded by 2 armed men (knife and gun), 3rd man remained in pirogue. Injuries were reported, and were treated by a physician on a nearby boat. This report was taken during the daily KPK service net. CSSN will update this report when more information is provided by the victims. CSSN UPDATE: First hand report received from the victims as follows: At 2300 on 25th May 2016, a British flagged yacht was boarded by two masked men, one with a gun, the other a knife. At the time, the couple were asleep in bed but were woken by the noise of a speedboat’s engine and, shortly after, by the noise of forced entry via the companionway, which was closed and bolted on the interior and damaged as a result of the intrusion. The intruders demanded money and one of them hit the Captain several times on the head with the ship’s heavy torch, whilst his wife was held with an arm around her neck and a gun (possibly imitation) was pointed to her head. The intruders took about EC$500 from the Captain’s wallet but refused to believe that was all the cash on board. The Captain was losing much blood from the head wounds but they still demanded more money. They also wanted cell phones and VHF radios so that the crew ‘could not contact anyone’. The Captain’s wife gave them three old cell phones that were not used on board, and they took a handheld radio from its cradle. This was later retrieved from the intruders, along with the heavy torch, during a scuffle as they left the yacht in a hurry after about 12 minutes on board. A third man, waiting in a speed boat alongside the yacht, then sped them away. The Captain suffered several head and face injuries, two fractured ribs and some bruising, and was attended by a doctor in the anchorage immediately after the event. His wife was unhurt. The SVG Coastguard, who were contacted by a neighboring yacht, arrived quickly. Three suspects are currently charged with multiple offenses and are in police custody in Kingstown SV. The Captain recommends that all cruisers, even in such beautiful places as the Tobago Cays, take security on board very seriously. The best security is to make it so hard for intruders to get into the yacht quickly that they give up, maybe hastened by floodlights/alarm activated by a panic button inside the yacht. |
Puerto Rico | Vieques Esperanza | 2016-05-24 00:30 | Theft | Boston whaler, 18 hp yamaha | Locked | A charter boat had their locked dinghy/outboard stolen overnight |
St. Barth | Gustavia | 2016-05-21 01:00 | Theft | Highfield inflatable dinghy and Yamaha 15 HP outboard | Unknown | DETAILS INCOMPLETE - dinghy/outboard reported stolen overnight |
SVG | Union Clifton Harbor | 2016-05-20 23:30 | Assault | Unknown | N/A | 3 sailors returning from dinner at 11:30 PM were attacked and pelted with stones. The attacker demanded money. 1 man was knocked unconscious, and held overnight and airlifted out from the local health facility the next day. 2 companions were treated for their injuries and released. Police are reported to have 1 person in custody. Further details from local press http://www.iwnsvg.com/2016/05/23/attacker-knocks-swiss-visitor-unconscious-in-union-island/ |
Guatemala | Rio Dulce Fronteras | 2016-05-14 02:00 | Theft | Inflatable dinghy with 8 HP Mercury outboard motor | Locked | An in the water but locked inflatable dinghy with 8 HP Mercury motor was stolen overnight. The dinghy was later recovered without the motor. |
St. Lucia | Rodney Bay Reduit Beach | 2016-05-13 02:00 | Theft | dinghy with 15 HP outboard | Unknown | Details incomplete - a dinghy with 15HP outboard was stolen overnight, the dinghy was found the next day minus the outboard. |
Panama | Rio Chagres | 2016-05-12 08:00 | Burglary | Hand held electronics, camera, watch, tools. | Locked | At anchor one mile up from mouth of river. Off the boat in dinghy fishing. Boat locked up. Returned after two hours and saw a boat at our boat, quickly departing. Discovered locked companionway slide kicked open (minor damage) and boat ransacked. Two or three perps in 18 foot white aluminum skiff with black outboard, believed to be local fisherman. Notified soldiers on naval patrol boat at mouth of river, and they searched area for three hours in their craft, feeder streams in my dinghy, and waded up small streams. Very helpful, professional, courteous. Took full report. Also reported on the local VHF net. |
Cuba | Cienfuegos | 2016-05-10 01:00 | Theft | 10 Ft Walker Bay dinghy with Suzuki 9.9 4S outboard | Locked | In the water but locked Walker Bay dinghy with 9.9 Suzuki 4S outboard was stolen overnight from an occupied yacht in Cienfuegos, Cuba. Reported to the local authorities. CSSN UPDATE: A First Hand report has been received and provides the following additional information: “During the night our dinghy, a 10ft Walker Bay Ultra Light with Suzuki 9.9 4 stroke outboard was stolen. Dinghy was in the water but locked to the stern with a 1/4 inch steel cable. At approximately 7:00am we discovered the dinghy missing. The cable had been cut clean through. Local police and the marina were informed immediately. The police wanted a sample of the cable but could not cut it with their wire cutters so we gave them what was left. The investigation is ongoing but today they informed us the dinghy has likely been scrapped and the outboard stripped for parts already. This happened 100 meters off the marina docks. The authorities have been very supportive and have been keeping us updated twice a day on the status of the investigation.” |
St. Martin (French) | Marigot Bay | 2016-05-09 03:00 | Theft | Dinghy and outboard | Not Locked | An in the water but not locked Achilles dinghy with Nissan outboard stolen between 1 and 6 AM while owners slept. Reported on the local VHF net and to the Port Captain. |
St. Lucia | Marigot | 2016-05-07 20:00 | Theft | Cash | Not Locked | A catamaran anchored near Doolittle’s in Marigot Bay, St. Lucia was boarded between 6-9 PM Saturday while the crew was ashore. When they returned they discovered the ladder down and wet footprints on deck. Although the main doors were fully locked, the thieves gained entry thru a poorly secured hatch. They removed cash from a purse left in the saloon and also from a suitcase in one of the cabins. No other items were taken, and 2 wet towels were left behind. A report was made to the local police. |
Antigua/Barbuda | Antigua Falmouth Harbor | 2016-04-21 21:30:00 | Attempted theft | Dinghy | Not Locked | My unlocked dinghy was taken from the Sailing Academy dock last Thursday night 21st between 1830 and 2130 HRS whilst I was dining with friends at Academy Cafe. I broadcasted on VHF68 and another boat came and retrieved my friends and I. We then searched Falmouth Harbour and found my dinghy about an hour later tied up on the public dock. The engine was warm. There was a mask and snorkel left in the dinghy. Nothing was taken from the dinghy and no damage. No police report was made. |
SVG | Mayreau Salt Whistle Bay | 2016-04-18 22:00:00 | Robbery | cash,credit cards,cellphone,keys,glasses | N/A | 2 charter guests were threatened with a machete and robbed when returning to the boat after an evening ashore . Cash, credit cards,cellphone,keys and glasses were taken. Reported to the SVG police by phone, and they came to the boat the next day to complete the report. No injuries. Additional details reported in the local press LINK HERE http://www.iwnsvg.com/2016/04/20/residents-frustrated-as-british-tourists-are-robbed-in-mayreau/ |
St. Lucia | Marigot | 2016-04-06 19:00 | Attempted theft | None | Not Locked | A catamaran on a buoy in the inner lagoon of Marigot Bay was entered thru an unsecured hatch between 7 and 8 PM, while the owners were ashore. The thief gathered items but the unexpected return of the owners caused the thief to escape into the water thru the hull emergency exit. Reported to the Police and the Port Captain. |
St. Lucia | Marigot | 2016-03-29 04:00:00 | Theft | Dinghy gas line and sandals | Not Locked | We were anchored in the outer harbour with three companion boats. We noticed that our dinghy's gas line was missing when we went to use it. Presumably it was stolen overnight, while we were asleep. Our dinghy had been in the water but locked to our boat; but the gas line could be easily unclipped. Later, we also realized that a pair of sandals had also been taken from the dinghy. A report was made to the marina. |
Belize | Hatchet Caye | 2016-03-23 03:00 | Theft | dinghy/outboard | Not Locked | The yacht’s dinghy/outboard was tied to the transom overnight, as the weather was too rough to secure it on the davits. The theft occurred between 2am and 5am, the line was cleanly cut leaving a 5 foot length attached to the cleat. Reported to the marina and the Sunsail charter base in Placencia. |
Belize | Placencia harbor | 2016-03-23 02:00:00 | Attempted theft | Locked | Three men in a dinghy attempted to take our dinghy at around 2:00 AM they cut the two lines that secured our dinghy to our boat, they must not have seen the cable and lock which made their attempt unsuccesful | |
St. Lucia | Rodney Bay Gros Islet | 2016-03-10 01:10:00 | Theft | Dinghy, outboard and fueltank | Not Locked | Overnight, a well secured but unlocked dinghy was taken from an occupied yacht anchored near Gros Islet, in Rodney Bay, St. Lucia. The dinghy is grey, unmarked and type Highfield UL 340 (CN-AFM20190D415) and the outboard a Tohatsu 5 HP (074689AA). Reported to Port Captain, Police, RB Marina and on the local VHF net. |
SVG | St. Vincent Wallilabou | 2016-03-04 01:35:00 | Assault resulting in death | unknown | Unknown | From local news reports: 2 masked gunmen boarded a yacht in Wallilabou at 1:35AM. One person (German national) onboard was killed, and another German national injured. No firsthand details are currently available, local News reports indicate that the Coast Guard was summoned and arrived within 20 minutes. Police investigating, but no arrests at this time. CSSN UPDATE: the following AP Press Report includes some additional details about this tragic event. An unidentified suspect is being questioned by SVG authorities, but has not been charged in the killing, leaving 1 man dead, and 2 injured, including the ship’s captain. Money and credit cards were stolen. http://news.yahoo.com/st-vincent-probes-killing-german-tourist-aboard-yacht-202907143.html |
SVG | St. Vincent Wallilabou | 2016-03-04 01:35:00 | Assault resulting in death | unknown | Unknown | From local news reports: 2 masked gunmen boarded a yacht in Wallilabou at 1:35AM. One person (German national) onboard was killed, and another German national injured. No firsthand details are currently available, local News reports indicate that the Coast Guard was summoned and arrived within 20 minutes. Police investigating, but no arrests at this time. CSSN UPDATE: the following AP Press Report includes some additional details about this tragic event. An unidentified suspect is being questioned by SVG authorities, but has not been charged in the killing, leaving 1 man dead, and 2 injured, including the ship’s captain. Money and credit cards were stolen. http://news.yahoo.com/st-vincent-probes-killing-german-tourist-aboard-yacht-202907143.html |
SVG | St. Vincent Wallilabou | 2016-03-04 01:35:00 | Assault resulting in death | unknown | Unknown | From local news reports: 2 masked gunmen boarded a yacht in Wallilabou at 1:35AM. One person (German national) onboard was killed, and another German national injured. No firsthand details are currently available, local News reports indicate that the Coast Guard was summoned and arrived within 20 minutes. Police investigating, but no arrests at this time. CSSN UPDATE: the following AP Press Report includes some additional details about this tragic event. An unidentified suspect is being questioned by SVG authorities, but has not been charged in the killing, leaving 1 man dead, and 2 injured, including the ship’s captain. Money and credit cards were stolen. http://news.yahoo.com/st-vincent-probes-killing-german-tourist-aboard-yacht-202907143.html |
St. Lucia | Soufriere | 2016-03-02 22:00:00 | Assault | Wallets and Camera | N/A | UPDATED as FIRST HAND REPORT 11 March 2016:On the evening of March 2, 2016, returning from dinner ashore at 10 PM, on the SMMA dock that serves the Hummingbird and Still Resorts at Soufriere, St. Lucia, a party of 7 cruisers, accompanied by the Still Resort security guard, were robbed by 3 masked attackers who had a gun, a machete and a club. The security guard was knocked down. The robbers demanded money at gunpoint. They were given wallets and a camera. One woman's purse was cut off her shoulder with the machete. Her husband was struck on the head with the blunt side of the machete. When the group came into the dock originally, they declined the dinghy watching "service" of some teenagers. The teens were quite unhappy about it and threatened to return with a machete. The cruisers departed St. Lucia immediately. The Still Resort staff has kept the victims advised after making a report to the Royal St. Lucia Police, who are investigating. The camera and wallets (containing only ID)have been recovered. |
SVG | St. Vincent Buccament Bay | 2016-02-14 21:30 | Theft | Two pairs of flip flops | Not Locked | A yacht at anchor had raised and locked their dinghy on stern davits for the night. The yacht itself was fully closed and locked as well. At approximately 2130 hours the captain was awakened by noise against the deck/hull and went to investigate. He discovered three men with scarves covering their heads and faces, rummaging in the hoisted dinghy. The men immediately rowed away in their hard local dinghy. The captain made calls on VHF 16/68 to the SVG Coast Guard, but had no response. They informed the one other yacht in the bay and re-anchored closer to the hotel. The next day it was discovered that canvas covers on forward hatches had been slashed and two pairs of flip flops had been taken from the dinghy. The yacht departed for Bequia the next morning, and made a police report there. CSSN NOTE: While the report to local officials was made in a timely way, this report has just been received by CSSN and is included now for completeness of the records. |
Martinique | Schoelcher | 2016-01-27 15:00:00 | Theft | Dinghy gas tank | Not Locked | We tied up the dinghy to the town dock in Schoelcher around 3 pm. We didn't lock up, however. Some youngish local guys were hanging around, eating peanuts. On our return at 5pm the gas tank was gone. We found a few peanut shells inside the dinghy. A report was filed with with Gendarmes (the local police). |
Nicaragua | Offshore | 2016-01-27 00:00:00 | Attempted piracy | Unknown | A large motor yacht was on passage between Colon, Panama and Roatan, Honduras off the coast of Nicaragua north of Isla Providencia (Colombia) when a 60 foot steel fishing boat attempted to ram and board them. At full speed (14 knots) the motor yacht was able to successfully outrun the pirates. A report was made to the US Coast Guard.<br><br>CSSN UPDATE First hand report just in from the victims: “Pirates tried to ram and board us off the coast of Nicaragua. They gave chase and at full speed we were able to outrun them. A warning to all cruisers needs to be initiated. We were in transit from Colon, Panama to Roatan, Honduras. We were taking the outside route north of la Providencia .” The vessel was a 60 foot steel vessel- white and blue. Very good condition. Boat name - Mister Henson. Fishing Vessel with crab fence. No other fishing equipment. Minimum of 6 men aboard.<br>Time 11 am Wednesday morning, January 27. Location :N14*30'13.0 W 081*55'41.9 The Captain was communicating with other boat/partner name Reynaldo. They switched to SSB and we're discussing money.” Additional CSSN sources advised: A "Quick [internet] search [revealed the existence of a] Mister Henson IMO # 9064607 trawler built 1992 by Rodriguez Boat Builders Bayou La Batre Alabama. The tonnage is way high to be the boat at 120 ton. But it is flagged Honduras and a search of the builder shows expedition trawlers of 70 feet. If the 120 ton is a typo this is the boat." | |
SVG | Bequia Princess Margaret Beach | 2016-01-23 00:00:00 | Robbery | Small waterproof bag containing a camera and personal items. | N/A | We were returning to our boat after an evening out. I had just stepped onto the dinghy dock when a man suddenly appeared right behind me and grabbed my small waterproof shoulder bag. It was around my neck so he used a machete and cut the strap. He ran away down the beach and into the woods. No injuries, but reported to Police, Coast Guard, local VHF Net, and Bequia Tourism Office. CSSN UPDATE : The stolen bag was recovered on the south end of the beach by a resident. The camera and reading glasses were gone. Dinghy lights, boat cards and a pen remained in the bag. We asked the Bequia police about getting a copy of the police report. To do this we must make an application and then take the ferry to St Vincent, find our way to some specific police station and pay $100 EC to get a copy of the official police report that we made. We later confirmed this burdensome "victim unfriendly" process several times with not only the police but others in the community. |
Panama | Bocas del Toro | 2016-01-21 13:00 | Attempted theft | None, thief was not able to defeat the lock | Locked | At approximately 1 PM a yacht anchored in Old Bank Bay was boarded and repeated but unsuccessful attempts were made to break-in through the locked companionway. Neighbors witnessed the attempt and photographed the panga with 85 HP outboard. |
St. Martin (French) | Marigot Bay | 2016-01-18 15:30 | Robbery | Electronics | Unknown | It was reported by the victims on the local St Martin VHF net, that at approximately 3:30 am (local) Monday, while they were anchored near the bridge in Marigot Bay, French St. Martin, they were boarded and robbed by 3 men with French accents who arrived in a hard dinghy with an outboard that had no cowling/cover. They were threatened and robbed of electronics. It is not known at this time if their boat was locked, what if any weapons the men had, if there were any injuries , damage to the yacht, or if a report has been made to the local police. CSSN will update this report when we receive additional information. |
St. Martin (French) | Marigot Bay | 2016-01-18 15:30 | Robbery | Electronics | Unknown | It was reported by the victims on the local St Martin VHF net, that at approximately 3:30 am (local) Monday, while they were anchored near the bridge in Marigot Bay, French St. Martin, they were boarded and robbed by 3 men with French accents who arrived in a hard dinghy with an outboard that had no cowling/cover. They were threatened and robbed of electronics. It is not known at this time if their boat was locked, what if any weapons the men had, if there were any injuries , damage to the yacht, or if a report has been made to the local police. CSSN will update this report when we receive additional information. |
St. Martin (French) | Marigot Bay | 2016-01-18 15:30 | Robbery | Electronics | Unknown | It was reported by the victims on the local St Martin VHF net, that at approximately 3:30 am (local) Monday, while they were anchored near the bridge in Marigot Bay, French St. Martin, they were boarded and robbed by 3 men with French accents who arrived in a hard dinghy with an outboard that had no cowling/cover. They were threatened and robbed of electronics. It is not known at this time if their boat was locked, what if any weapons the men had, if there were any injuries , damage to the yacht, or if a report has been made to the local police. CSSN will update this report when we receive additional information. |
St. Martin (French) | Marigot Bay | 2016-01-17 16:30 | Theft | 11.6 inflatable AB dinghy with 15hp outboard | Locked | A locked/chained (3/16 SS) 11.6 AB dinghy stolen from the Marigot SXM(FR) town dock between the hours of 4pm and 6pm , broad daylight, Sunday afternoon. Reported to the Police. |
USVI | St Croix south shore | 2016-01-15 11:00:00 | Piracy | electronics, cash | N/A | On January 14, 2016 a French single-hander, en route from the Bahamas to Guadeloupe stopped to rest overnight in a protected anchorage on the southwest coast of St. Croix. The next morning, 30 minutes after departing the anchorage at 1100 HRS, while under power, and then located about 1.5 miles offshore, he was approached and boarded in an act of piracy by 2 of 3 young men onboard a big fishing boat. The men aggressively threatened him, shouting “drugs, money” and punched him in the face and then stabbed/slashed his lower left leg. They took cash and electronics from below. The captain was then shot in the right thigh at close range, severely wounding him, and left on the floor of his drifting boat when the men departed. The captain, although bleeding profusely and in severe pain was able to maneuver his boat back into the industrial harbor alongside a tug. He tossed shells, winch handles, etc. at the side of the tug. It took about 45 minutes before he was able to get the attention of anyone on the much larger tug. A tug crewmember eventually investigated the unusual noises and then summoned the police and ambulance. The victim was transported to the hospital where he underwent emergency surgery for his serious injuries, some 3 hours after the initial attack. The boat was put in the care of the police, and later hauled for storage. After a period of hospitalization, the victim was stabilized and then returned to France, where he remains hospitalized after additional surgeries. CSSN NOTE: CSSN wishes to thank the Good Samaritan who assisted the victim with communications and translated a first person report from French. CSSN suggests that anyone who finds themselves in a serious situation while outside their home country, particularly if not able to speak the local language, make or request contact with the closest of their home country Consular Services/Embassy. Consular officials can assist with a variety of helpful emergency resources, including qualified translators, communications with family/friends as well as with all of the appropriate local officials. CSSN will post further updates here as they become available. |
Belize | Middle Long Cay | 2016-01-13 22:00 | Assault | Outboard motor, computers and hard drives, passport, cash, jewelry, food | Locked | An unidentified launch came along side at anchor while everyone aboard was
asleep. Four men in 20-30 age range came aboard each armed with a pistol. One
female guest was sexually assaulted, and later treated at the local hospital. Cash, camera, computers, food, drinks,
jewelry, and an outboard motor were stolen. The launch left at high speed in a southwesterly direction. The entire event lasted about 45 minutes, and was reported to the Police, Coast Guard, Port Captain and marina. |
St. Lucia | Rodney Bay Inner Lagoon | 2016-01-01 05:00 | Theft | Silent Wind Wind Generator, Regulator, Fenders. | Locked | On the 24th of December I noticed my wind generator had been stolen off the pole on the back of my boat. On the first of January 2016 likely the same individual(s) returned, broke into the boat moored up against a private dock and stole the regulator. It is a Silent Wind generator. The boat is on a private dock in the corner of the lagoon, down near Pizza Pizza. These were very precise crimes. More bizarre was the cutting of the fender tie lines and removal of 3 fenders. They chose a time I was away from the boat over the festive season. Damage was minimal and nothing else was taken or disturbed but the boat was virtually empty, everything not screwed down had already been removed for internal re-varnishing. Anyone with info about this wind generator should contact PC Edwards at Gros Islet CID at +1 758 456 3830 |
Guatemala | Rio Dulce Nana Juana Bay | 2015-12-29 21:00 | Theft | Electric tools, laptop, money, fenders, ropes | Not Locked | A thief or thieves stole multiple items from an unlocked, unoccupied boat in the Rio Dulce near Nana Juana, on 2015-12-29 .The theft was discovered when crew returned to the boat. There were no witnesses. Reported on loca Facebook Group. |
Grenada-Trinidad passage | Trinidad Hibiscus Gas Platform | 2015-12-27 10:30 | Piracy | They took everything they could get: clothes, computer, cell phones, trinidad flag, clock, etc. TOTAL Value about $4,000us | N/A | Boarding and robbery between Trinidad and Grenada of a 32 foot sailing sloop three on board. The vessel had passed close west of Trinidad Hibiscus Gas Platform and was some 30 miles from Trinidad with 40 to go to Grenada.<br><br>At about 10am, when about 30 nautical miles from Trinidad, to the north and a little to the west of the Hibiscus Gas Platform, the sloop was approached from the eastern side by a pirogue. It was an unmarked pirogue which looked white (or slightly bluish) on the outside with a grey gunnel with a 130 hp outboard on the stern and a 150 hp outboard laying inside. The pirogue had three blue barrels in it, presumably containing extra fuel. Six persons were on board. They all spoke Spanish and one spoke broken English.Three boarded while the others kept gun barrels under cloth wraps pointed at crew. The people in the pirogue used what appeared to be a rifle but the captain could not say for sure as it was hidden by a piece of cloth.They took everything they could get: clothes, computer, cell phones, trinidad flag, clock, etc. TOTAL Value about $4,000us They did not harm the occupants or harm the vessel but the pirates threatened to kill the captain if he called for help. The pirates were aboard for about 20 minutes. They remained cool and were not nervous or jumpy.<br><br>After the robbery the pirogue headed off in a s.w. Direction, towards venezuela.<br><br>Reported to the TT coastguard and YSATT. |
Grenada-Trinidad passage | Trinidad Hibiscus Gas Platform | 2015-12-20 12:00 | Piracy | Money, passports, cell phones, computers, food clothing and ship's documents, cash, credit cards, wallets, clothes, luggage, watches, books, sailing gear, keys, food, miscellaneous electronics, toiletries, and other items. | N/A | On December 20 at approximately noon, a 24 meter (80 ft) sailing yacht was sailing from Chaguaramas Trinidad N. to Port Louis Grenada, at about the halfway point In the vicinity of the Hibiscus Gas platform or 30 miles N of Trinidad. The crew were busy working on the backstay and didn't notice the boat until it was right on their stern. VEN Pen Typical open style fishing boat sometimes used by bandits It was an 18 ft narrow open boat, white hull with blue inside fishing type boat with 5 young men aboard. The fishing boat had 4 blue barrels that the crew guessed was extra fuel. They had a 120 hp Yamaha outboard engine, and an additional engine laying on the boat's floor. We were approached from the south astern by the men speaking Spanish apparently asking for something. Once close to the yacht, one individual pulled out a military type assault rifle and made it clear they were coming aboard. The crew was held at gunpoint the BG Group Data book 2014 - Where we work - Trinidad & Tobago Hibiscus Gas Platform location is in upper left of graphis with red circle. entire time. 2 guys stayed in the boat, 2 went through the boat. 1 with the gun stayed with the captain and 2 yacht crew in the cockpit. The pirates below deck proceeded to put the valuables in bags and luggage found inside the boat, and transport said bags into their dinghy. No shots fired. They were aboard for approximately 15 minutes and took money and electronics. None of the 3 crew were injured. all three pirates on board, jumped back into their dinghy, and started motoring south, from the same direction in which they came. The yacht carried on to Grenada and reported the incident to the US Coast Guards, who reported to Trinidad and Grenada Coast Guards. At some point within the hour of reporting the incident to the USCG, the Trinidad and Tobago coast guard called the satellite phone to review the report that was forwarded to them via the USCG. CSSN NOTE: CSSN original report was from sources directly in contact with captain and crew and was necessarily classified as second hand. The Captain of the yacht has now confirmed all the facts of this report directly to CSSN. The captain provided additional detail which has been edited into this report. This report is is updated to a first hand, confirmed report with quotes and information also taken from the Captain's official written report to authorities. |
Martinique | Le Marin Marina | 2015-12-15 12:00 | Other Vandalism | None | Locked | Individual or individuals put two holes in dingy with knife. Fortunately only one tube was holed. One puncture was in a very difficult spot to repair.. Many other dinghies around. Heard that another dingy was stolen off the same dock the same day mine was damaged. Reported to police and marina. Marina was not helpful or interested when I reported it to them. Made a formal report to police office about two miles away. but they did not seem concerned or interested. |
USVI | St. Croix Christiansted | 2015-12-13 00:00 | Theft | Dinghy and Suzuki 2.5 outboard, small anchor and ground tackle and all of the hardware was gone off the boat | Not Locked | Our dinghy was stolen from the Jones Maritime Company dock sometime Dec 12 or 13. The dock has a locked gate, but the dinghy was only tied to the dock, and the painter was cut. We walked along the industrial waterfront west of Christiansted, and found the dinghy onshore, all tubes slashed beyond repair. The motor, ground tackle and hardware used to hoist the dinghy were all missing. Reported to police. |
Guatemala | Rio Dulce Nana Juana Bay | 2015-12-11 23:11 | Theft | Stole tools, pump, other stuff | Not Locked | A thief or thieves stole multiple items from an unlocked, unoccupied boat in the Rio Dulce near Nana Juana, on 2015-12-11 .The theft was discovered when crew returned to the boat. There were no witnesses. Reported on loca Facebook Group. |
St. Martin (French) | Lagoon | 2015-12-09 02:25 | Theft | 10ft aluminium hulled RIB and 20HP engine | Locked | Reported to the Brigade Nautique, SMX, Marigot Bay the theft of a 10ft aluminium hulled RIB and 20HP engine. The owner said his dinghy was locked to his yacht with two stainless steel cables, both of which were cut. The incident happened in Marigot Bay at the same time as a theft of a Boston Whaler from am mooring. |
St. Martin (French) | Lagoon | 2015-12-09 02:25 | Theft | 13ft Boston Whaler taken from mooring and outboard stolen | Locked | At 2.25am a team of determined thieves stole our Boston Whaler from Nettle Bay, French St. Martin. They had to cut through stainless steel chains and locks securing the boat to two sand screws. We know the whaler was towed out into Marigot Bay to a position approx 18.05N 63.09W, where we surmise the thieves then cut the two stainless steel chains and three heavy stainless steel locks securing the 15hp Yamaha outboard and probably loaded it onto a ship or boat. They then towed the whaler back into Simpson Bay and at approx 3.30am tied it to the stern of a rusted-out fire boat to the north of the Witches Tit. Why they towed the boat back into the Lagoon is a mystery. While reporting this to the Brigade Nautique, someone else was reporting the theft of their 10ft aluminium hulled RIB and 20HP engine. The owner said his dinghy was locked to his yacht with two stainless steel cables, both of which were cut. The incident happened at the same time as our whaler was stolen and in the same area of Marigot Bay where our whaler had it's outboard removed before being towed back into the Lagoon. I know the positions and times because the whaler is fitted with a tracker. We lost a whaler in similar circumstances just over a year ago, I use the whaler for my business, hence the tracker. Unfortunately, there was no tracker on the engine. We though we had done enough to secure the boat. We were wrong. Those who took it were tooled up, not chance thieves or kids. CSSN NOTE: When possible lifting and locking your dinghy to the yacht with stainless steel chain and a quality lock is your best protection against theft. SXM remains a particularly problematic area, and thefts are under reported. Please keep the cruising community informed, our online incident reporting form makes it easy. |
Puerto Rico | Vieques Rompeolas | 2015-11-30 00:00 | Burglary | USCG Type I adult life jacket and 2 children jackets, fender, spot light, personal lights | Locked | November 30 in Vieques Rompeolas, burglars eneterd the boat at night got away with many items. The burglers seemed to have left in a hurry because they spent time removing the anchor and rode and then left rode on deck and anchor in the water, there were more jackets inside and other things they could have taken. Reported to police. |
USVI | Water Island, St Thomas | 2015-11-30 00:00 | Theft | Dinghy, hard, aluminum transom, fire hose on gunwhale, outboard engine with white cowling with two horizontal stripes | Unknown | November 30, at night in Water Island USVI hard dinghyand outboard motor stolen. It is unknown if it was reported to police. Reported to CSSN via KPK. |
Trinidad/Tobago | Tobago Charlotteville | 2015-11-28 00:00 | Other - vandalism | Jumping from Jetty into Dingy which broke the underlining and broke my paddle Tampered with my engine and took out my drain plug on the transom | Locked | In Charlotteville Tobago there are a bunch of young adults who are damaging dingies on purpose. When you leave your dingy at the dingy dock they jump from the dock onto your dingy breaking the underside and then into the sea and they are break your oars and take the drain plugs out of your transom. 28 November, they trashed my dingy and broke my Tohatsu motor and 29 November, they broke the oar of another dingy and stole the seat from a French dingy. They also stole the stern anchors of the Brazilian dingy a few days ago just leaving the rope behind. If you are going to come here best beware but its not safe to leave your dingy at the dock. Reported to Police. |
Colombia | Santa Marta Tagana Bay | 2015-11-25 02:30 | Assault | Robbers grabbed everything they could see of value including all jewellery, tanzanite, pearls, 2 diamond rings, including a Cullinan diamond. Also stolen were outboard motors (both gone), watches, phones, computers, cash, credit cards, fishing rods etc. Fortunately they did not take passports & boat papers, nor did they rip out main navigation equipment (other than hand held vhfs & binoculars) nor ropes. | Locked | We were boarded by armed PROFESSIONAL THIEVES & robbed in Taganga Bay, near Santa Marta, Colombia. The incident took place at around 2.30am and reads almost identical to this one, reported on noonsite in 2012, down to them being high on drugs: There were 5 men, who arrived in a dugout canoe. 4 boarded, at least 2 had guns & 1 had a knife, that we saw. We were both tied up & hit by 4 thieves, at least 2 of the 4 on board had guns & one had a small knife at my husbands throat. The dogs did not bark. We did have a plan of action if this kind of thing happened, unfortunately, my husband heard something hit the side of the boat & woke up. Instead of turning on the cockpit lights, he unlocked the door & went out to look. We had agreed that we would turn lights on & make noise. If we were locked inside the boat, at least we would have time to make radio & phone calls, but he was sleepy, not thinking straight & went straight out to 4 guys with guns & knives. I had actually hidden away our tablet, which has a good navigation program & they missed taking the dongle from the computer which had a local sim with airtime, so I was able to get a call out to our agent Dino who raised the alarm with police & coastguard.I could not get anyone on channel 16 or channel 72 for 1/2 hour and it was at least an hour before the coastguard came. We had spoken with other people who advised us to go into the marina. We made an informed decision with an unfortunate outcome. Always read noonsite, Caribbean safety & security network, Facebook cruising group reports prior to going anywhere. Our incident was almost identical to the one reported on noonsite in 2012. I wonder if it was the same 'gang'? The police didn't even come on board to check the 100 ' s of fingerprints, so the follow up comments from that report that the authorities are taking such incidents seriously is suspect! We really hope that local stakeholders in this area can provide an organised safe haven for cruisers, perhaps something similar to PAYS in Dominica.. We truly hope this never happens again in this bay. Reported to Police, Coast Guard and Marina. |
SVG | Mayreau Saline Bay | 2015-11-15 18:00 | Burglary | Cash, both EC and US currency. Approximate value $100.00 US. | Not Locked | Between 1800 and 2000 hrs, Sunday while crew was off the boat anchored in Saline Bay, Mayreau, the boat was boarded and entered through a latched but not locked deck hatch. Upon returning, the crew found wet tracks inside the saloon and forward cabin. Lockers had been rifled and only cash was taken from a wallet stored in one of the cabin lockers. Nothing else was taken. The thief attempted to wipe up the water tracks with a shirt found lying on the saloon floor. The main companion way hatch that was locked, had been disturbed. An attempt to contact officials will be made. |
SVG | Bequia Admiralty Bay- Port Elizabeth | 2015-11-13 00:00 | Theft | Dinghy | Not Locked | Dinghy was chained but not locked. Also tied with line to stern of boat while anchored out in Harbour, north end, tony gibbons beach area but well off the shore by 100 meters. Theft occurred between 10 pm and 6 am. Grey dinghy with 10 hp Honda. Boat name is stenciled on the side of dinghy. Reported to Police, Local VHF Net |
Martinique | St. Anne | 2015-11-11 01:00 | Theft | dinghy 25hp honda, elec start and tilt. | Locked | A catamaran had dinghy and outboard stolen from St Anne, Martinique. Reported to the police, who told them there had been several dinghy thefts recently, principally from charter boats. the dinghy was in water, but locked to cat. 25hp honda, electric start and tilt. Reported via KPK. CSSN Note: More information may be forthcoming from the source. Date of incident is approximate. Multiple sources have indicated that thefts of this type are underreported in this location. Captains may wish to consider extra precautions in this anchorage. |
Haiti | Ile de Vache | 2015-10-29 03:00 | Theft | fenders | N/A | Only fenders disappeared but that's still theft. Lucky we have dogs because it could have been more than just feders. Not reported to local authorities. |
Martinique | Le Marina du Marin | 2015-10-22 00:00 | Theft | Fuel tank for dingy engine, with fuel. | Not Locked | Dingy was locked to the marina dingy dock, sometime during the night the fuel tank was stolen and an attempt was made to take the outboard. The outboard was locked and was not taken. There were other items of value in a zippered compartment that were not taken. When reported to the marina office, they indicated there had been several thefts lately, but seemed indifferent overlall. During a 2 week stay here the keycard type locked gates to the marina are seldom even closed. |
Nicaragua | Disputed waters | 2015-10-12 16:00 | Attempted piracy | N/A | Attempted boarding by 4 men in a skiff. Before they got close enough to jump on board we displayed weapons and they backed off. They followed us for about 15 minutes until we called a pan pan distress call. Reported to Police, Coast Guard, Port Captain, Local VHF Net. | |
Colombia | Rosarios Islands | 2015-09-20 21:00 | Assault resulting in death | cash | unknown | Alerted by cruisers in Santa Marta, CSSN reviewed several local news articles that report a Dutch flagged vessel anchored in the Rosarios Islands summoned authorities by calling the police emergency hotline after being boarded and attacked by 6 armed men. The wife was mortally beaten, the husband was also injured and later treated. The Dutch embassy is providing assistance and police officials have offered a reward. |
SVG | Canouan Charlestown Bay (Tamarind Hotel) | 2015-09-15 01:20 | Theft | iPhone 6, Camera, hat. | Not Locked | A swimmer boarded us in Charlestown Bay, Canouan, SVG; he was about 6 feet tall, 180 to 200 lbs. He kicked our small dog overboard after she attacked him and barked, but ran and jumped into the water when I came out of my hatch. I tried to find him in the water with the dingy but he is a very good swimmer and got away in the dark swimming out into the middle of the bay. I had to break off the search after 20 minutes when we realized our dog was no longer on board to search for her. Reported to the police in Canouan. |
Guatemala | Shell Bay Anchorage | 2015-09-09 03:00 | Theft | Dinghy and outboard motor | Unknown | On the VHF radio net, I heard the report of the dinghy and outboard motor theft. Shell Bay anchorage is the bay in front of Nana Juana and Ram Marinas. I have been in Rio Dulce for the last year and I believe I have now heard of six dinghy and outboard motor thefts here. CSSN NOTE: First person reports provide all cruisers with the best available information. When you hear a report on your local VHF net, PLEASE ASK THE VICTIM TO MAKE A SIMPLE ONLINE REPORT TO US ! |
SVG | Canouan Charlestown Bay (Tamarind Hotel) | 2015-09-08 18:15 | Theft | Food, food containers and beverages from outside refrigerator were stolen. Someone had to board the boat when we went into the Tamarind hotel for dinner just after sunset or when we entered the Wine shop. Some food was eaten and the empty containers put back in the fridge and the majority of other items were taken. We were anchored where the boat could be seen from the restaurant, so it had to have happened right at sundown or when we went in store because we could see the boat the majority of the time. Luckily the rest of the boat was locked and no other large items outside were taken (scuba tank or fishing pole) | Locked | While owners ashore for dinner at the Tamarind Beach Hotel, their catamaran was boarded and the outside refrigerator was emptied of foods/drinks. Incident reported by phone to the hotel, who indicated they would alert the Coast Guard. CSSN NOTE: This is the 10th boarding reported to us at this location in 2015, click here for more daetials and a related NEWS item https://www.safetyandsecuritynet.com/?p=2755 |
Curacao | Spanish Water Cabrita Bay | 2015-08-22 09:00 | Theft | RIB dinghy | Not Locked | RIB dinghy without an outboard was tied (not locked) to dock at southern end of Cabrita Bay, Spanish Water at 8 AM. When the owner returned at 3PM it was gone. Wind and current would have kept it in the bay, reported to the Coast Guard and police. |
Guatemala | Captain John's Marina | 2015-08-14 01:00 | Theft | Dinghy and outboard motor | Unknown | A dinghy was stolen, the locking cable cut by a swimmer. CCTV cameras in the marina were reviewed but could not "see" the swimmer. The dinghy was later recovered - minus the outboard, oars and fuel tank. Not known if a police report was made. |
SVG | Bequia Admiralty Bay- Port Elizabeth | 2015-07-31 10:00 | Theft | Cell phone, $120 USD, 225 EC$, iPod Nano, LED Headlamp | Not Locked | The crew left the boat for an island tour and were gone for 4-5 hours total. The (catamaran) saloon doors were closed but not locked. Upon returning, we did not notice anything out of place and we left Bequia the next day. One crew member could not find her cell phone. Then we realized there was money missing from a purse left in the saloon and then that the iPod & LED light were gone as well. There was a computer & tablet on board that were not touched (although these were somewhat hidden below). As we were in the Tobago Cays when we realized the theft had taken place, we had no way to report it. The boat was anchored in the NE section of Admiralty Bay . |
Panama | San Blas East Lemon Cays | 2015-07-27 02:00 | Burglary | Three solar panels, binoculars, wifi router, guitar, tools (set of pliers), kitchen-tools, butan-gas tank | Locked | My boat was burgled in the East Lemon cays, Yansalardup-anchorage. Boat was on anchor, while I was away for some days. Boat was locked, three other sailing-boats were anchored nearby and did take care of my boat (watching it during the daytime, opening hatches every couple of days, checking bilge, etc...). Burglars came in the night, broke into my boat by forcing the door open, and stole mentioned things. Same burglars stole two days later a dinghy with outboard in the West Lemon cays from an american flagged vessel and got caught another two days later. Police found the stolen dinghy on their island. They also found my stolen solar panels. I also got some of my other stolen stuff back after some weeks with the help of a kuna who convinced the thieves to give back the stolen items to reduce the penalty for them. A report was made at the police station. |
Grenada | Grenada Prickly Bay | 2015-07-20 19:00 | Theft | "cleaned out" a monohull ketch at anchor in Prickly Bay. | Unknown | 1 of 2 boats boarded one evening in Prickly Bay while owners were ashore, thief/thieves "cleaned out" a monohull ketch at anchor. Details are incomplete and not confirmed, unknown if boat was locked. Incident reported on the local VHF net, police apparently involved. CSSN NOTE: First person reports can be submitted anytime, and CSSN will update/correct our records. Please submit a report if you are involved in an incident, and remind/assist others in making reports .... they may have lost their communication devices. |
Grenada | Grenada Prickly Bay | 2015-07-20 19:00 | Theft | laptop, possibly more | Unknown | 2nd of 2 boats boarded one evening in Prickly Bay while owners ashore, details are incomplete and not confirmed. Boat may not have been locked. Reported on the local VHF net, also possibly to the local police. CSSN NOTE: First person reports can be submitted anytime, and CSSN will update/correct our records. Please submit a report if you are involved in an incident, and remind/assist others in making reports .... they may have lost their communication devices. |
Grenada | Grenada St. George's outside lagoon | 2015-07-18 04:00 | Theft | 10 ft rigid fiberglass dinghy with 6hp 4S engine | Not Locked | Between 4-5 AM an unlocked in the water dinghy with outboard was stolen from a boat anchored outside St. Georges lagoon. Dinghy was later found, minus the outboard. Police were notified. |
SVG | Canouan Charlestown Bay (Tamarind Hotel) | 2015-07-14 02:45 | Attempted theft | none, unsuccessful attempt theft | Not Locked | Crew was awakened at 0:245 HRS by sounds on deck and when they investigated they found an unknown man on the deck of their catamaran. Yelling convinced him to jump overboard and swim away before being able to steal anything. The private charter group had been twice that day cautioned to lock up by the gentlemen who rented the mooring to them. No police report was made, the group departed the next day. CSSN NOTE: this is the 7th incident (reported to us) at this location this year. |
SVG | Canouan L'anse Guyac ( N of Charlestown Bay | 2015-07-10 02:00 | Attempted theft | none | Locked | Boarding overnight at L'Ance Guyac (north of Charlestown Bay at N12 43.459 W61 19.959 ) Canouan. All items were removed from the deck/cockpit, including the cooler so nothing was available to the thief. No police or Coast Guard report was made. First person report/date approximate. |
Curacao | Spanish Water | 2015-07-07 02:00 | Attempted theft | nothing, dinghy painter was cut nearly thru | Locked | On awakening the crew of a boat anchored in Spanish Waters discovered that overnight their dinghy had been tampered with. The canvas cover for the outboard had been removed, and the painter nearly cut thru with a sharp implement of some sort. The dinghy was cabled and locked to the yacht, the outboard engine was securely locked to the dinghy. The owners asked CSSN to specifically remind and warn others that this pattern of attempted/actual theft has occurred here in Spanish Waters before, the swimout thieves drift off in the night with the dinghy to work away at the locks on the outboard in a remote area, and the dinghy minus the outboard is sometimes later recovered, sometimes the entire dinghy is swum ashore and then taken away by a waiting pickup truck.. This incident was reported on the local Curacao daily VHF net, but it can happen to anyone, anywhere. CSSN NOTE: cables, stainless steel chains and sturdy locks do provide a first order of defense against casual "sneak" thieves, but LIFTING and then also LOCKING provides a more robust deterrent. |
SVG | Bequia Princess Margaret Beach | 2015-07-03 04:30 | Attempted theft | none | Unknown | Crew/dog awakened at 4:30 AM by strange, sloshing sounds. Discovered 2 men in a local (later learned to be stolen) double bow skiff at the stern step of the catamaran. Lights and yelling caused the men to paddle away after making excuses about "being fishermen", etc. The next day, the catamaran owner made a report on the local VHF net and went ashore where the skiff and its true owner were discovered, the owner indicated he planned to lock the skiff up in the future. A police report was attempted, but yacht owners were advised since they had not been boarded and nothing was taken, no report could be made. The skiff owner did make a police report. The local Coast Guard patrol boat was back in operation the following night and made several passes thru the anchorage. |
Honduras | Utila East Harbour | 2015-06-25 02:00 | Theft | 2 SCUBA tanks | Not Locked | Overnight 2 scuba tanks were stolen from an occupied boat while crew slept below. Reported to the Port Captain. |
SVG | Canouan Charlestown Bay (Tamarind Hotel) | 2015-06-17 04:00 | Attempted theft | None | Not Locked | 8 persons sleeping onboard Lagoon 440 Cat including two female children. Sole intruder apparently swam to boat anchored just off Tamarind Hotel. Male adult sleeping on saloon cushions woke to find intruder sitting on steps leading down to port accommodation with beach towel around his head. Intruder was challenged and ran out towards port stern and jumped in water and swam away. Wet footprints showed intruder had walked all around saloon. All valuables had been stowed below before retiring. Nothing stolen. Alerted local marine services who called police. Locals searched nearby beach on foot and by dinghy. No-one found. |
Honduras | Utila East Harbour | 2015-06-15 02:00 | Theft | wetsuit,fins and booties | Not Locked | Dive gear (wetsuit,fins and booties) left drying on deck was stolen overnight |
Martinique | Fort de France | 2015-06-10 18:15 | Other | None | Not Locked | We were anchored in Fort de France and made an arrangement with two other cruisers to meet ashore for a picnic. We were last to arrive around 6PM and whilst approaching the dinghy dock saw three local youths aged about 18 untie our friends (not locked) dinghy and kick it free. The wind was blowing off shore and we retrieved the dinghy on our way in. The three youths saw us tie the dinghy up and in a threatening manor told us to keep quiet, as there were others cruisers present they eventually left. No police report was made. |
SVG | Canouan Charlestown Bay (Tamarind Hotel) | 2015-06-10 02:00 | Attempted theft | none | Locked | Another night time boarding in Charlestown Bay. Owners were prepared and removed all items from deck/cockpit, as a result nothing was taken. Not reported to police or CG. First person report/date approximate. |