Tragedy always shines a spotlight on safety and security. This is the case recently in the Caribbean. While not every misfortune can be prevented, there are many things Caribbean cruisers can do in advance, and while sailing, to protect their welfare and well-being. Call it street smarts island-style.
“Unfortunately, recent tragic events have put a different spin on safety and security in the Caribbean islands, even to those who are very experienced travelers and cruisers. Fortunately, most of us have experienced nothing more than petty theft or vandalism to our boats or dinghies. Occasionally one may encounter a ‘less than honest’ cabbie, salesperson, or town ‘official’. Some of us have been ‘boarded’ in foreign ports, most often by honest individuals who want to just provide a service. Overall, the Caribbean is a relatively safe place to travel,” says Joan Conover, commodore and president of the Green Cove Springs, FL-headquartered Seven Seas Cruising Association (SSCA), who has cruised over 35,000 miles since 1995, with many of them in the Caribbean aboard the family’s 1976 Morgan Out Island 51, Growltiger.
The U.S. State Department currently ranks nearly 20 Caribbean islands at Level 1, meaning Exercise Normal Precautions. The Bahamas and Trinidad & Tobago are at Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; at Level 3, Reconsider Travel, are Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Jamaica; and at Level 4, Do Not Travel, is Haiti.
“The majority of reports on security incidents against yachts in the Caribbean that we receive at Noonsite.com, come via the Caribbean Safety and Security Net (CSSN). These are mostly dinghy thefts and night boardings, or opportunist thieves,” says Sue Richards, editor at nonsite.com.
More specifically, while there was an overall rise in yacht crimes in 2022 from 102 to 121, a 19% increase, according to CSSN’s 2022 annual report, the most recent available. However, this is lower than pre-pandemic in 2019 at 140 crimes. As for types of crimes, in 2022, violent crimes such as assault and robbery, with the remainder non-violent. Theft is by far the top non-violent crime followed by burglary and attempted theft. The full report is at safetyandsecuritynet.org
“Interestingly, we’ve only had one question about personal safety following the appalling murders in Grenada. With over 260 boats currently booked to take part in ARC or ARC + in November, it suggests that most sailors understand that the chances of being a victim of a serious crime while cruising are low. Our participants generally take sensible precautions to protect themselves and their property in their home countries and view the rally destinations in the same light. In 38 years of organizing rallies to the Caribbean and 33 years of round-the-world rallies, our experience of crime against our staff and participants has, thankfully, been minimal,” says Rachel Hibbert, head of communications for the World Cruising Club, in Cowes, UK.
There are many ways to learn about safety and security measures while cruising the Caribbean.
“We host seminars both before the start and after arrival in Antigua for participants in our annual Caribbean Rally each fall. About half of the 80 boats on the rally have never been to the Caribbean before and they look to us for guidance. In addition, we’ll be adding safety-specific webinars to our upcoming series before the 2024 Caribbean Rally,” says Bob Osborn, president of the Salty Dawg Sailing Association (SDSA).
Organizers’ safety advice to cruisers on the ARC’s fall Caribbean rallies depends on the rally destinations, as the ARC ends in St. Lucia and the ARC+ in Grenada and relies on current information from sources like the CSSN and government travel advisories, says Hibbert. “Because we meet all ralliers before departure and on arrival and we communicate with them at sea, we can provide updates and advisories while the rally is underway if necessary. The rally spirit of camaraderie means that WhatsApp groups and SSB nets continue long after the rally has officially ended, with cruisers sharing information and buddying-up for the entire season and beyond.”
While the SSCA doesn’t host formal ‘rallies’ per se, the organization does hold many seminars, conferences, and informal sessions on safety and security throughout the year. In addition, SSCA has published many articles on safety topics in its Cruisers Bulletin, in its online bulletin board/forum, and on social media (Facebook/YouTube). The SSCA will host a safety and security seminar for the Chesapeake Bay Conference/GAM in late September of 2024.
Island-based marine groups, like the Marine and Yachting Association of Grenada (MAYAG), coordinate with authorities regarding all aspects of safety and security and have recommendations on these topics to share with cruisers.
Beyond formal education, every country on Noonsite has a security section found via the “i” icon, under profile. Here cruisers can find a quick summary of the security situation for yacht tourists in that country, as provided by government offices, CSSN, and other official sources, and a list of the latest security reports.
“Viewing security reports from the country level helps give cruisers a good idea of what’s been going on at a particular island and judge for themselves which places should be avoided or treated with caution,” says Noonsite’s Richards.
CSSN has an excellent risk assessment tool for this type of planning (safetyandsecuritynet.org/zoom-tap-know-go-know-go-interactive-infographic-risk-assessment-tool/). The site also has zoom maps by year plus a dedicated piracy map and the CSSN annual reports, where there is limited commentary on trends.
“Our newest partnership with Noforeignland is the latest tool in the kitbag,” says Kim White, the CSSN’s executive editor and coordinator who cruised on her S/V Gabrielle. “We make it easy to stay well informed and to Know Before you GO! “
Interpreting all the available safety and security information and making decisions is the responsibility of each captain and crew. However, a good example is from Rhys Walters, Roving Real Commodore of the Ocean Cruising Club (OCC), who cruises with his partner Niamh, aboard their Dick Koopmans Vanguard 1150, Zora. In January 2023, the couple arrived in Martinique. They visited every windward island and cruised to the ABC islands of Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao and north to Jamaica before heading to the Bahamas.
“While we never had any very negative experiences, we followed a set of rules that I think kept us pretty safe,” says Walters. “The first is that we signed up for the CSSN weekly bulletin, which sent us a list of any issues that were reported during that week. We also looked over the website before we went anywhere new to check historical reports and made our decision on where was safe based on that. We also joined the cruiser Facebook groups for the areas we passed through, and they are full of very up-to-date information. You can drop questions in there and get fast answers.”
Second, if Walters had no choice but to stop in a place that was known for a lot of thefts and boardings, the couple locked themselves into the boat overnight. “This only ever happened once, we normally do not need to lock ourselves in. Our plan If we were boarded was to turn on all our deck lights, but if we couldn’t get them to leave, we would not resist. Some boats have bars over their hatches, and I think that’s a very good idea,” he says.
Third, the couple very rarely locks their dingy, mainly so it’s easy to move if they leave it somewhere that’s in the way of local boats. “We try very hard not to impede local fishermen or business owners with our dinghy. We do lock it in quiet dinghy docks and in areas where it’s known for theft. At night, in these areas, we lift the dinghy and lock it while we sleep,” he says.
Fourth, they avoid going out after dark, as this seems to be when most issues occur.
Fifth and finally, Walters adds, “Even though we are low-budget sailors, and our boat reflects that, we still try to keep ourselves under the radar. I put my fishing rods away inside, and anything that can be taken, we lock inside, too. We can’t be boarded without a swim ladder, so we keep that stowed.”
If you have security support tools, use what you have onboard effectively, says the SSCA’s Conover. “The best tool in the world does not work if not installed or no one knows how to use it. For example, VHF. Learn to do DSC calls via VHF. And yes, a VHF radio is a safety and security device. VHS has Digital Select Calling, which alerts all vessels with a VHF radio in line of sight. Large vessels (commercial freighters etc.) have VHF/DSC and reply. Also, have a plan for shore contact and update it daily. We have an SMS alert system (ZOELO) which sends SOS to GEOS (pre-set up an account with float plan point-of-contact and route) set up at our bunks.”
Guns and weapons are strictly prohibited in most of the Caribbean islands. Failure to disclose and surrender these items may result in the confiscation of your boat and steep fines with possible other unfortunate legal actions like jail time, Conover adds.
Lastly, use common sense or ‘street smarts’, says the SDSA’s Osborn. “It would be tragic for people to lose out a life’s dream of cruising the Caribbean, and robbed of this opportunity, by thinking it’s too dangerous.”
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