DATE: 2017-01-13 Country Name: Honduras Location Detail: Puerto Cortes Naval Base Yard EVENT: Piracy

 

Security Matters ~ The Caribbean Safety and Security Net

CSSN First Hand Report
CSSN First Hand Report

DATE: 2017-01-13
Country Name: Honduras
Location Detail: Puerto Cortes Naval Base Yard
EVENT: Piracy
Stolen Items: Hand held electronics, wall mounted TV, RIB dinghy and outboard, cash, alcohol, dive gear, passports
SECURED: Not Locked
DETAILS: A US flagged sailing yacht with the owner/captain and 1 Canadian crew member aboard 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 handheld 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 aircraft, 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.

DATE: 2016-12-20 Country Name: Nicaragua Location Detail: Media Luna Cays EVENT: Piracy

 

Security Matters ~ The Caribbean Safety and Security Net

CSSN First Hand Report
CSSN First Hand Report

DATE: 2016-12-20
Country Name: Nicaragua
Location Detail: Media Luna Cays
EVENT: Piracy
Stolen Items: all extra diesel stored in containers, mobile phones, money, clothes, food, fishing equipement, navigation aids, personal effects, various sailing equipement
SECURED: N/A
DETAILS: 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.

DATE: 2016-01-15 11:00 Country Name: USVI Location Detail: St Croix south shore EVENT: Piracy

 

Security Matters - Caribbean Safety and Security Net

CSSN First Hand Report
CSSN First Hand Report

DATE: 2016-01-15 11:00
Country Name: USVI
Location Detail: St Croix south shore
EVENT: Piracy
Stolen Items: electronics, cash
SECURED: N/A
DETAILS: 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 on-board 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.

UPDATED – Grenada-Trinidad Passage Boarding and Robbery 27 December 2015 – 2nd Incident in 7 days

CSSN NEWS
CSSN NEWS

The recent incident report (DATE: 2015-12-27 10:30 Country Name: Trinidad/Tobago Location Detail: Trinidad Hibiscus Gas Platform EVENT: Boarding & Robbery)  has been updated after receiving dictated statement from the captain, who confirmed and added some details to our original post.

CSSN UPDATE!
CSSN UPDATE!

CSSN is expecting to be contacted directly by the captain to confirm his report. When that happens the post will be updated to First Hand.

Here is a link to the updated incident report

If you are considering this passage please review the Passage Precautions

Please check often, since CSSN is editing this document frequently as  conditions change and new information is received.

DATE: 2015-12-27 10:30 Country Name: Grenada-Trinidad passage Location Detail: Trinidad Hibiscus Gas Platform EVENT: Piracy

 

Security Matters - Caribbean Safety and Security Net

CSSN Second Hand Report
CSSN Second Hand Report

Updated 30 December 2015 12:00

SECOND ROBBERY AND BOARDING IN 7 DAYS

DATE: 2015-12-27 10:30
Country Name: Grenada-Trinidad passage
Location Detail: Trinidad Hibiscus Gas Platform
EVENT: Piracy
Stolen Items: They took everything they could get: clothes, computer, cell phones, Trinidad flag, clock, etc.  Total value about $4,000 USD
SECURED: N/A
DETAILS: 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.

Hibiscus Gas Platform circled in red at top left.
Hibiscus Gas Platform circled in red at top left.

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

Typical open fishing boat sometimes used by pirates
Typical open fishing boat sometimes used by pirates

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.

After the robbery the pirogue headed off in a southwesterly direction towards Venezuela.

Reported to the TT coastguard and YSATT.

CSSN Note: Even though CSSN received the dictated written report made by the captain and received highly credible information from multiple sources in direct contact with the captain, CSSN has had  no DIRECT contact with the captain at present and therefore must classify this report as second hand.

TT Coast Guard has indicated they have increased patrols in the area. Coast Guard is advising that it may be better to sail at night as this pirogue that did the robbing has no radar etc They also advise that a float plan should be filed (see Precautions below for components of a float plan) . Communicate with TT Coast Guard to let them know when you are leaving and the route you  are taking via phone 800-TTCG or email ttcgops@gmail.co. And consider traveling in groups.

Coast Guard and YSATT officials are meeting to discuss responses and provide the cruising and TT business community with more information about what type of response has been initiated (such as type and number of assets deployed, how to identify, and coast guard recommendation for contact protocol, and a host of other questions submitted by CSSN)

CSSN will update this post as new information is available.

precautionsFor Precautions while on passage click here.

Please check often, since CSSN is editing this document frequently as  conditions change and new information is received.

For Previous incidents in the Trinidad/Granada Passage see: https://safetyandsecuritynet.org/the-southern-windward-islands-st-vincent-the-grenadines-grenada-including-carriacou-petite-martinique-trinidad-tobago/

Type – Grenada-Trinidad passage – in search box.

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