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Author: cssn Archives

3125 – Suspicious Activity in Saint Kitts and Nevis – Offshore01

Incident Date: 2023-04-29 at 20:00

Event Type: Suspicious Activity

Stolen Items: n/a

Secured: N/A

Source Type: 1st Hand Report

Incident Details: A singlehanded sailing yacht was on passage from the BVI's to the Grenadines. At approximately 18:00HRS the captain noticed a ship on AIS that had reduced speed, decreasing the CPA to less than 500 meters. AIS indicated the vessel was registered in Venezuela. Visibility was poor and the captain went dark, turning off AIS transmit and all lights . He then changed course to pass about 3 miles behind the vessel. The yacht monitored VHF 16 but no radio contact was made by the vessel. ||At 20:00HRS, the captain heard the sound of an auxiliary boat bouncing off the waves in the distance. It was doing a search pattern, and coming steadily closer. It had no running lights. At this point the yacht was passing astern of the larger vessel at a distance of about 3.5 miles. The captain noted his position at 20:05HRS: 17° 06.0220' N 063° 51.9680' W, about 60 miles east of St. Kitts.||At about 20:45HRS the auxiliary vessel passed the yachts stern, travelling in the direction of the ship, which was visible at a distance of six or seven miles to the north-east. It did not return and the yacht continued without incident to the Grenadines.

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April 29, 2023

3022 – Attempted Piracy in Honduras – Offshore05

Incident Date: 2023-04-20 at 07:30

Event Type: Attempted Piracy

Stolen Items: N/A

Secured: Does not apply

Source Type: 1st Hand Report

Incident Details: A yacht transiting north from Providencia, Colombia to Caymans traveled in stealth mode (no lights, AIS Tx) overnight and observed a large fishing vessel on radar. At 0730HRS at position 15° 16.095N 81° 12.270W, approximately 100 miles off the coast,  they had visually sighted the large steel vessel to port and it was tracking back and forth in a small area. As the yacht continued on its northly course they noted the fishing vessel had altered course and was now moving on a parallel course but closing the gap. The vessel attempted VHF communications with a trailing buddy boat, and the fishing vessel repeatedly |jammed their communications by continuously clicking over them. The buddy boats began using satellite texts. At a distance of about 1 mile the fishing vessel again altered course to intercept directly and put on speed, large amounts of dark smoke were now billowing from its exhaust. The buddy boat issued a pan pan, and the yacht activated their Iridium SOS feature and began voice communications with the emergency response team that included the USCG, Colombian Coast Guard, and the Nicaraguan military. None had assets in the immediate area but maintained continuous voice contact with the crew. The yacht put on all possible speed with sails and engine and turned sharply southeast, and the fishing vessel continued to follow at speed. At 8+knots the yacht was able to slowly increase the separation and after some time the fishing vessel gave up the pursuit, it remained in the area for several hours. Both yachts left the area and returned south.||A full report will be made by the crew at their next port of entry.

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April 20, 2023

3018 – Assault in Honduras – Roatan – Coxen Hole

Incident Date: 2023-04-18 at 02:30

Event Type: Assault

Stolen Items: Cash, backpack, cellphone

Secured: Not Locked

Source Type: 1st Hand Report

Incident Details: A yacht anchored alone in Coxen Hole. On the second night at 0230HRS two masked and armed men boarded through the lit cockpit/open companionway. They proceeded to tie the crew at gunpoint with braided shoelaces they had brought with them and covered their victim’s face with a tshirt. They ransacked the forward cabin briefly and took cash, a phone and a backpack they had emptied. The boarders spoke a non-Spanish local language and were onboard for only 3-5 minutes before leaving the scene with their accomplices in a panga. The crew was not injured. ||A police report was made. No forensics were collected.||The yacht departed later the same day.

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April 18, 2023

3020 – Theft in Grenada – Grenada – Halifax Bay

Incident Date: 2023-04-17 at 06:30

Event Type: Theft

Stolen Items: 15 HP Yamaha Enduro engine, 5 gal fuel tank, two oars

Secured: Not Locked

Source Type: 1st Hand Report

Incident Details: A yacht anchored overnight in Halifax Harbor. When the crew awoke the next morning their in-the-water and not locked dinghy had been stolen, the painter had been cut. They searched on the beach and found the dinghy but the outboard, fuel tank and oars were missing. ||A police report was made.

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April 17, 2023

3025 – Vandalism in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines – Union – Clifton Harbor

Incident Date: 2023-04-12 at 00:30

Event Type: Vandalism

Stolen Items: None

Secured:

Source Type: 1st Hand Report

Incident Details: A yacht was approached and led to a non-park mooring and what was perceived as a high fee was demanded, then refused, and then the boat was taken to one of the park moorings and a proper Marine Park ticket/voucher given for payment. A lot of harsh words were exchanged.|| That night, the yacht's mooring line was cut and the boat went adrift, the crew was awakened by the unusual motion of the boat at 0030HRS. The crew managed to avert disaster and were very close to going aground/striking the concrete dock.|| The next morning another young man arrived at 0500 and asked to be paid for his "services" although he had not been involved in any way. When examined closely it was clear that many sharp cuts had been made on the yacht's mooring line. The crew visited the Marine Park offices later that day and after some discussion the overnight fee ($60ECD) was waived given the circumstances, and the yacht departed. ||CSSN has asked the Marine Park manager to clarify the mooring selection/payment process for their moorings and the role/payment of boat boys . We will publish an update when this is received.

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April 12, 2023

3013 – Theft in Honduras – Roatan – West End

Incident Date: 2023-03-29 at 02:00

Event Type: Theft

Stolen Items: 15HP Suzuki outboard and 15HP Hidea outboard

Secured: Locked

Source Type: 2nd Hand Report

Incident Details: Three boats in the north end of the mooring field were targeted by 3 well prepared thieves equipped with bolt cutters. Yachts #1 and #2 had the locks on the engines of their in-the water (locked) dinghies stolen. Yacht #3 interrupted the thieves as they were attempting to cut the lock on their raised and locked dinghy's outboard. Two of the men jumped in the water and the third left in the motorized panga, and it is believed he picked the swimmers up. Yacht #1 made a police report.||See incidents 3015 (boat#2) and 3016 (boat#3)

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March 29, 2023

3011 – Assault in Panama – Portobello

Incident Date: 2023-03-26 at 00:15

Event Type: Assault

Stolen Items: nothing of value

Secured: Not Locked

Source Type: 1st Hand Report

Incident Details: PRELIMINARY REPORT – A yacht crew was awoken by their dog when they were boarded by 2 men armed with guns and knives. A fight ensued, and the 3 crew sustained numerous cuts and bruises. The thieves departed without anything of value. A VHF call for assistance was made, with no response. The local police were called but were slow to respond. No further details are currently available.||CSSN NOTE: We will update this report when victims are able to make a firsthand report.||UPDATED REPORT :||This report has been updated with the assistance of the victims. ||At 0015HRS on their second night in the bay, the three crew onboard an anchored monohull were boarded and assaulted by 2 masked/hooded men, one armed with a gun. They awoke to their dog barking as the men entered through the unlocked companionway. A vigorous fight ensued in both the salon and cockpit as the crew attempted to defend themselves with their fists and a winch handle. Two times the masked gunman attempted to discharge his semiautomatic handgun at the crew, but it failed to fire. The two ejected cartridges were recovered later, and showed no dents in the casings. || The 2 assailants abandoned the fight and departed when they realized they were outnumbered and unable to successfully fire their semiautomatic handgun. They had been onboard for about 5 minutes. They jumped into the water, leaving behind the kayak they had stolen earlier from another yacht. The bloodied crew was badly shaken and made multiple calls for help on VHF16, but there was no response. They sounded a loud alarm and began yelling from the deck, but no one anchored or ashore made any response to their calls for help. Phone calls to the police went unanswered. They treated their injuries and waited for daylight. ||Later that day a police report was made with assistance ashore from a local business. The crew learned that the police website information was incorrect and had not been updated. The yacht departed to Linton Bay where their yacht was searched the next morning by the police with assistance from Aeronaval. No forensics were collected. That night at 2230HRs a large contingent of officers returned with a court order and again searched the victims yacht very thoroughly for several hours. Again, no forensics were collected. ||A report was made to the captain’s home country consulate, and the victims departed Panama.

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March 26, 2023