# Safety while sailing the world - avoiding becoming a victim of crime



## khammett (Sep 20, 2013)

So I found this website.....






......that shows different countries crime rate. And I've noticed alot of popular international warm weather sailing destinations are off the chart when it comes to crime.

For example the USA has a murder rate of 4.8.

But look at the murder rates of some of these popular world sailing spots.

Honduras: 91.6
El Salvador: 69.2
Venezuela: 45.1
Belize: 41.4
Jamaica: 40.9
U.S. Virgin Islands: 39.2
Guatemala: 38.5
Saint Kitts and Nevis: 38.2 
Bahamas: 36.6
Trinidad and Tobago: 35.2
Columbia: 31.4
Puerto Rico: 26.2
Saint Lucia: 25.2
Dominican Republic: 25.0
Mexico: 23.7
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: 22.9
Dominica: 22.1
Brazil: 21.8
Panama: 21.6

Several of these countries have homicide rates far higher than the most dangerous U.S. cities of Detroit, New Orleans, St Louis, Baltimore, Newark.

Detroit: 54.6
New Orleans: 53.2 
St Louis: 35.5
Baltimore: 34.9
Newark: 34.4






These countries are some of the most dangerous in the world!


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## Group9 (Oct 3, 2010)

Well, I survived New Orleans and Baltimore. I guess I can survive the Caribbean.


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## MikeOReilly (Apr 12, 2010)

True ... although I wonder if homicide rates are really that applicable to cruisers. Most homicides happen within a community. Most of those murdered know, or have a connection to, their murderer.

I'd think general crime, or more specifically property crime, are more to be concerned about. Here's another listing:

World map of Crime Index for 2014


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## RainDog (Jun 9, 2009)

Worth noting that even in the most dangerous country on earth, homicide is relatively rare. Those numbers are per 100,000, so #1 on the list is still less than 1 in 1000. I would guess in those countries far, far more than 1 in 1000 is involved in narcotic trafficking. I bet they make up the vast majority of the victims.

Obviously you should do your research before you go anywhere. If you do, your risk is quite low I bet. Here is my favorite site for pre-travel research: Alerts and Warnings


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## MarkofSeaLife (Nov 7, 2010)

Stay away from drugs and crime and you cut your risk much more


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## zeehag (Nov 16, 2008)

exactly what mark sea life sed...


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## benesailor (Dec 27, 2012)

Homicide and petty theft are on the rise worldwide. I've been to some of the worst places on earth and there are things to avoid. (i was armed of course; your not)

Stay away from drugs and known drug areas. 
Gather Intel on the places you visit. Knowledge is king. Plenty of websites for info. 
Talk to the locals. They will tell you explicitly where not to go; easy. 
Don't go out at night; stay away from alleys. Drunk by yourself in a alley is a sure thing to be rolled. 
Travel in groups. Discuss what to do if something happens. Have a plan. 
Dress like a local ! Yankees stand out worldwide. Don't look like a tourist! I love to watch americans when i travel. The look like buffoons.

Traveling in the interior of a lot of countries can be MUCH worse. Learn how to travel before you do. Even the local "police" will roll you.


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## zeehag (Nov 16, 2008)

oh and venezuela is not my favorite sailing spot in near future as they ar e being revolutionized...many peiople killed by govt in a bunch a protests....


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## capta (Jun 27, 2011)

Once again someone is coming on here with fantastic statistics that have little or NO relevance to cruisers or visitors to these countries at all.
There were indeed something like 19 murders in Trinidad in the first 9 days of 2014, but not one single person involved was a cruiser, tourist, foreign worker or in fact non-citizen.
This kind of sensationalizing belongs on CNN; it has no place on SailNet. Why would anyone even post this crap on here? I'm sure one can find statistics on the web that show whatever one wants them to show.


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## hellosailor (Apr 11, 2006)

Murder and homicide are not necessarily the same thing. A murder is an intentional and wrongfull killing. A homicide may be any killing, especially an accidental killing.

So if a despondent drunk jumps off a highway overpass and I run him over and kill him, that's homicide. It is not murder, unless I changed lanes and purposefully aimed to run him down. 

If your statistics confuse the terms, then they are meaningless. Without context and definition, most statistics will mislead.


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## Hush34 (Dec 12, 2013)

In the United States, the FBI collects crime stats (UCR). I am not sure who collects that statistical data in Third World countries like Honduras. Wouldn't bank on things being better or worse than the "internet" reports. I would bet that if you do not pay attention to your surroundings, and use good judgement that you will be prey to the criminal element where ever you are. Leave your Rolex watches (I don't have one just saying) and fancy jewelry in a safe deposit box, anchor with other boats, don't flash your money and you will be OK.


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## Group9 (Oct 3, 2010)

MarkofSeaLife said:


> Stay away from drugs and crime and you cut your risk much more


That's true everywhere. In just about everywhere I've worked, there were two ways people got murdered.
1. As a result of an intimate relationship gone bad, killed by either their partner, or a jealous third party,
2. During a drug purchase, or because of something that went wrong during a drug purchase, or someone whose job was to rob people buying drugs or selling drugs.

If you can avoid being part of either of those two scenarios, you have reduced your chances of being murdered to about the same as being killed by lightning.

Burglaries, that accidentally turn into murders, when the victim suddenly and unexpectedly appears, and the burglar either panics, or is just bent toward killing to solve his problems, is way down the list, and really just about the only thing people on yachts, really have to worry about.


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## killarney_sailor (May 4, 2006)

benesailor said:


> Homicide and petty theft are on the rise worldwide.
> Can't comment on petty theft, but in most places in the world homicide rates are declining (there are obvious exceptions). It comes with populations aging which is happening just about everywhere. It is strange, we seem to want to think that things are getting worse even when the evidence does not support this.
> I've been to some of the worst places on earth and there are things to avoid. (i was armed of course; your not)
> 
> ...


Travel in the interior can be much safer as well. Often the cities are the most dangerous places. You can't make broad generalizations. We have travelled for many weeks in the interior of countries like Ecuador and South Africa and not seen (or heard of) any reason to be fearful. On the other hand, big cities like Guayaquil, Durban, and Joburg are dangerous places.

I think the OP's original list is of limited value since it does not look at the sub-national level. The Bahamas is on list but there is a huge difference between Nassau and the Exumas for example. In a few cases, Venezuela being the best example, cruisers are avoiding, but more for fear of theft than murder. The worrying ones might be little countries with high murder rates, like Belize and St Kitts and Nevis, but even with those cruisers are unlikely to be in the places where the risks are highest.


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## MikeOReilly (Apr 12, 2010)

benesailor, you're going to have to provide some data to support your assertion that, "Homicide and petty theft are on the rise worldwide." I can find no stats, data or research to support this statement. All the research I've read, and just gone looking for, shows the opposite. There are definitely local rises in both categories, but the trends globally are both downward. 

I've seen data to suggest property crime rises around tourist zones, especially those embedded in poor parts of the world. So it may be true that many of the places most Westerners cruise to are seeing increased property crime rates.


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## travlin-easy (Dec 24, 2010)

I spent a lot of time on the hook last year, often in remote locations where the only boats I saw were a few commercial fishermen and others just cruising along quietly in skiffs. My worry was that someone would board the boat in the middle of the night to steal something, which is very common in many areas, and I would have to confront them. For this reason, I installed a neat, little infra-red alarm that I purchased from Radio Shack for about $39 many years ago. If the beam is interupted the device sounds a loud wailing electronic siren that can be heard at least 100 yards away. I suspect it would deter any boarder in the middle of the night. The only time it sounded was when a great blue heron decided to enjoy it's supper in my cockpit.

Now, while in Marathon's Boot Key Harbor, there was a series of thefts that took place from the boats of visiting cruisers. A couple locals decided to become industrious and found that generators, dinghies, fishing tackle and outboard motors were easy pickings in the middle of the night. Over a period of two months, they managed to steal more than two dozen generators, a dozen dinghies, 200 fishing rods and reels, several tackle boxes, 30 outboard motors, and more. The perpetrators were eventually caught with the diligence of a dedicated sheriff's deputy who spent many sleepless nights waiting in the dark for the thief to show up. 

I believe both of these guys caught were drug addicts, at least from some of the information I was able to garner. Had they been confronted by the cruiser(s), I'm relatively sure they would have had no qualms in injuring or killing the person trying to defend his boat, crew or property. I'm also quite confident the alarm system I have would have scared them off. If not, I would have no qualms employing other tactics to demonstrate their long distance swimming ability.

You gotta be prepared for everything when cruising,

Gary


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## killarney_sailor (May 4, 2006)

We also have to remember that crime does not only come from locals. There was an uptick in thefts in St Martin when we were there and there was a lot of talk about the place becoming dangerous, etc, etc. Turned out it was a French cruiser who decided to 'shop' on neighbours' boats.


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## JonEisberg (Dec 3, 2010)

travlineasy said:


> Now, while in Marathon's Boot Key Harbor, there was a series of thefts that took place from the boats of visiting cruisers. A couple locals decided to become industrious and found that generators, dinghies, fishing tackle and outboard motors were easy pickings in the middle of the night. *Over a period of two months, they managed to steal more than two dozen generators, a dozen dinghies, 200 fishing rods and reels, several tackle boxes, 30 outboard motors, and more.* The perpetrators were eventually caught with the diligence of a dedicated sheriff's deputy who spent many sleepless nights waiting in the dark for the thief to show up.


Damn, that crowd of cruisers in the Boot Key KOA Kampground must be awfully deep sleepers... 

However, the theft of over 2 dozen on-deck generators in such a locale, might be argued in court to have been the performance of a public service, no?

)


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## MikeOReilly (Apr 12, 2010)

travlineasy said:


> I spent a lot of time on the hook last year, often in remote locations where the only boats I saw were a few commercial fishermen and others just cruising along quietly in skiffs. My worry was that someone would board the boat in the middle of the night to steal something, which is very common in many areas, and I would have to confront them. For this reason, I installed a neat, little infra-red alarm that I purchased from Radio Shack for about $39 many years ago. If the beam is interupted the device sounds a loud wailing electronic siren that can be heard at least 100 yards away. I suspect it would deter any boarder in the middle of the night. The only time it sounded was when a great blue heron decided to enjoy it's supper in my cockpit.


I've no doubt there are nasty places, and nasty people, out there. Some places are nastier than others, and we should always be alert and conscious of our surroundings. That goes whether you're in a remote anchorage or walking down the streets of New York or Toronto. This doesn't mean we should give into fear of _the other_ (not that I think that is what you are saying Gary).

BTW, if you believe a loud siren noise is enough to scare away any would-be robber, why do you believe their reactions would be any different when spotting you? Presumably you'd be yelling rather loudly. Surely the most likely outcome would be them fleeing rather rapidly ... unless of course you had them cornered or trapped. A trapped animal is always more dangerous.


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## ajoliver (Feb 23, 2007)

This post is quite mis-informed . . Spelling & grammar need some work too . . 
" oh and venezuela is not my favorite sailing spot in near future as they ar e being revolutionized...many peiople killed by govt in a bunch a protests...."


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## Omatako (Sep 14, 2003)

Here’s my philosophy for combatting theft:

-	Don’t leave stuff lying around. Put fenders, boat hooks, fishing tackle away in lockers or down below.

-	Don’t have all you cash in one place, store the bulk in one place and leave a sacrificial amount in another more obvious place. But don’t be ridiculous about it, don’t leave $10 in the chart table and expect burglars to think “that’s it”.

-	When you get a new credit card, wait a month, report it lost and get a new one. Leave the old one as a sacrificial donation along with the cash mentioned above – when the thief comes to use it, it won’t work but by then it’s too late to come back.

-	Don’t keep shiny new looking stuff – allow your outboard to get a little scuffed and ugly, it won’t attract as much attention. The dingy too.

-	Change the labelling on your outboard – make a 9.9 into a 3.3, less attractive

-	Never leave your dingy in the water overnight and have a decent length of stainless wire with loops on both ends to lock the dink to something when leaving it ashore.


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## boroko (Apr 14, 2014)

Last time I checked, Venezuela, Brazil, Honduras and Jamaica are not popular cruising destinations.

Marathon... or anchoring in the "remote" ICW... not quite in the same league. Taking your boat to downtown Detroit is safe as houses. You are not going to be pirated or mugged before you manage to check in.

To stay safe, stay away from lawless places. It is simple.


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## Group9 (Oct 3, 2010)

MikeOReilly said:


> benesailor, you're going to have to provide some data to support your assertion that, "Homicide and petty theft are on the rise worldwide." I can find no stats, data or research to support this statement. All the research I've read, and just gone looking for, shows the opposite. There are definitely local rises in both categories, but the trends globally are both downward.
> 
> I've seen data to suggest property crime rises around tourist zones, especially those embedded in poor parts of the world. So it may be true that many of the places most Westerners cruise to are seeing increased property crime rates.


Crime statistics, like all statistics, are sometimes hard to draw valid conclusions from. For example, when noticing that homicides were going down, in many areas, some researchers noticed that attempted homicides were going up in the same areas and wondered how that could be?

One of the hypothesis's that was promoted was the fact that the decline in homicides coincided with the addition of specialized trauma centers in the areas, suggesting that just as many people, or more, were getting stabbed and shot, but that improved trauma care was turning the same criminal act from a homicide to an attempted homicide.

When I worked in New Orleans back in the 90's, it was the homicide capital of the US. But, many of the people who were being murdered, were known by us to be murder suspects themselves (at about double the rate we were arresting and incarcerating them). Not surprisingly, after a few years of murderer fratricide, murder statistics began to go down. Naturally, a lot of us drew the conclusion that the murder rate had gone down, not because of anything we or society did, but just because the murderers (mostly drug dealers fighting over territory) were killing themselves off.


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## MikeOReilly (Apr 12, 2010)

Group9 said:


> Crime statistics, like all statistics, are sometimes hard to draw valid conclusions from. For example, when noticing that homicides were going down, in many areas, some researchers noticed that attempted homicides were going up in the same areas and wondered how that could be?


I've never heard that explanation Group9 (that those in the drug trade were killing themselves off), but wouldn't bet against it -- in specific areas. I've mostly seen general decline in crime rates mostly tied to aging population demographics. Old people don't commit as much crime as the young (although I wonder if this is only true for 'blue collar' crime. I wonder if it hold true for 'white collar' crime. Hmmmm).

As you, and others say, most violent crime is perpetrated within groups: families, friends and "business" relationships. That's why I don't think homicide rates mean a whole lot when it comes to judging safety for us cruisers. I think we're far more likely to be victims of property crimes. These can escalate into violence, of course, but most robbers just want an easy score. Just make it a bit too hard, like with Gary's alarm or Omatako's general approach, and most will move on.


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## JonEisberg (Dec 3, 2010)

boroko said:


> Last time I checked, Venezuela, Brazil, Honduras and Jamaica are not popular cruising destinations.


Well, not necessarily... The Bay Islands of Honduras, for example, is pretty popular, especially with so many cruisers bugging out of Belize in recent years.

I enjoyed my time there, it's affordable, the water is beautiful, the life ashore interesting... But I still found it to be pretty sketchy, and was reluctant to leave the boat unattended in many places, and given the uptick of social problems from the mainland migrating out to the islands, and the recently increased incidents of violence against cruisers in the years I was there, I won't be returning...












boroko said:


> To stay safe, stay away from lawless places. It is simple.


Absolutely right, it really is quite simple... Amazing how uniformly clustered in proximity to the Equator those "lawless places" on the seas tend to be...


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## christian.hess (Sep 18, 2013)

THIS THREAD IS IRRELEVANT to cruisers and travel by sea...


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## christian.hess (Sep 18, 2013)

I dont want to add too much to this thread since it would be considered BIASED im second country on the list

to note to date there has only been 1 cruiser related crime and that was when booze was involved and both parties got sent to jail...one local and one foreign...

to this date there has been nothing more than a couple of petty thefts related to local cruising grounds...

and regarding the STATS those stats are heavily skewed and are just numbers

its a war out there between the gangs...and say 20 people die a day here

of those 20 15 are related to gangs...

2 or so domestic violence etc...

2 or so are from accidents...

sad numbers but when you think about its completely and utterly irrelevant to any cruiser contemplating these destinations

having said this there are places that are utterly ugly to cruise in and Id have to check that list to see if its on there...

the best way to tick a country or destination off a list is to have LOCAL knowledge and preferrably a native speaking guide or citizen that can explain to you and guide you through their country and destination.

going on wikipedia and looking up murder rates is not how to go about that!
peace


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## christian.hess (Sep 18, 2013)

JonEisberg said:


> Well, not necessarily... The Bay Islands of Honduras, for example, is pretty popular, especially with so many cruisers bugging out of Belize in recent years.
> 
> I enjoyed my time there, it's affordable, the water is beautiful, the life ashore interesting... But I still found it to be pretty sketchy, and was reluctant to leave the boat unattended in many places, and given the uptick of social problems from the mainland migrating out to the islands, and the recently increased incidents of violence against cruisers in the years I was there, I won't be returning...
> 
> ...


often called HOT BLOODED down here


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## Group9 (Oct 3, 2010)

MikeOReilly said:


> I've never heard that explanation Group9 (that those in the drug trade were killing themselves off), but wouldn't bet against it -- in specific areas. I've mostly seen general decline in crime rates mostly tied to aging population demographics. Old people don't commit as much crime as the young (although I wonder if this is only true for 'blue collar' crime. I wonder if it hold true for 'white collar' crime. Hmmmm).
> 
> As you, and others say, most violent crime is perpetrated within groups: families, friends and "business" relationships. That's why I don't think homicide rates mean a whole lot when it comes to judging safety for us cruisers. I think we're far more likely to be victims of property crimes. These can escalate into violence, of course, but most robbers just want an easy score. Just make it a bit too hard, like with Gary's alarm or Omatako's general approach, and most will move on.


When my sister in law asked me if I thought Scott Peterson killed his wife, I told her, "If your sister gets murdered, there is a 99.9 per cent chance statistically, that I did it. So, yes, I think Scott Peterson probably murdered his wife."


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## caberg (Jul 26, 2012)

On the issue of worldwide trends in violence, read up on Harvard Prof. Steven Pinker's conclusions.



> Believe it or not, the world of the past was _much_ worse. Violence has been in decline for thousands of years, and today we may be living in the most peaceable era in the existence of our species.


Steven Pinker: Why Violence Is Vanishing - WSJ.com

Not really relevant to the issue of cruisers and violent crime, but it sheds a positive light over the whole discussion.


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## boroko (Apr 14, 2014)

JonEisberg said:


> Well, not necessarily... The Bay Islands of Honduras, for example, is pretty popular, especially with so many cruisers bugging out of Belize in recent years.
> 
> Absolutely right, it really is quite simple... Amazing how uniformly clustered in proximity to the Equator those "lawless places" on the seas tend to be... :-


I thought about excluding the Bay Islands from my post but I couldn't cover my butt from every angle, Smarty Pants. You did not go to mainland Honduras because it is lawless. You went to the Bay islands because there is a semblance of law and order.

For example, the last two boats I talked to recently who had been to Brazil both had first hand experiences with violent crime (one person was pirated before they could even check in to Brazil..). So Brazil is off the list.

There are places with high murder rates where there is relatively good law and order. Jamaica and Detroit's murder rate are very high but law and order in both places is pretty good compared to Brazil, which has a lower murder rate. Yes, I have taken my boat to Detroit and Jamaica. But will never take it to Brazil.

The Bahamas have a high murder rate but it is a very safe place to cruise because there is generally good law and order. The safe places are far more plentiful that the lawless places. You can cruise the "hot" tropics without being a victim of violent crime. Just avoid the lawless places.


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## copacabana (Oct 1, 2007)

Boroko, do you know where these events occurred in Brazil? I've never heard of a case involving sailboats anywhere on the coast south of Rio and only a few cases that occurred in Bahia. The Amazon on the other hand ....


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## Group9 (Oct 3, 2010)

caberg said:


> On the issue of worldwide trends in violence, read up on Harvard Prof. Steven Pinker's conclusions.
> 
> Steven Pinker: Why Violence Is Vanishing - WSJ.com
> 
> Not really relevant to the issue of cruisers and violent crime, but it sheds a positive light over the whole discussion.


Well, there is no doubt that the world was a much more violent place a few hundred years ago. But, there seems to have been a lot of movement, up and down in the last fifty years, in rates for various crimes (at least in the US). And, a lot of varied opinions on why.

United States Crime Rates 1960 - 2012


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## outbound (Dec 3, 2012)

Major issue with all these statistics is so called ascertainment bias. For instance, if place is lawless enough and population has sufficient distrust of gov't/police they will not bother to report crime and authorities will not canvas to find out about events due to their fear of their own population. Statistics will be artificially low. However, if victims are offered secondary gain ( victim services or other compensation) statistics will skewed the other way. So need to look at other statistics ( estimate of error etc.) to interpret data. In short more "believable" in "first" world countries. As I believe Neville Chamberlain said "lies, lies and statistics".
When faced with this I expect to fall back on "Take my wife----PLeaseeeeee"


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## travlin-easy (Dec 24, 2010)

MikeOReilly said:


> BTW, if you believe a loud siren noise is enough to scare away any would-be robber, why do you believe their reactions would be any different when spotting you? Presumably you'd be yelling rather loudly. Surely the most likely outcome would be them fleeing rather rapidly ... unless of course you had them cornered or trapped. A trapped animal is always more dangerous.


Mike the great thing about the IR alarm system is that it works when you're not aboard, which the bad guys can easily tell because your dinghy is not tied off to the boat. Most of the cruisers had outboard motor locks on the dink engines, but not all were the kind that are protected from bolt cutters.

As for sleeping sound, nah! I don't think that's the problem. Many cruisers had generators situated on stern platforms to prevent the possibility of exhaust fumes accumulating in the cockpit, thereby making them easily accessible to anyone who quietly sneaks up in the middle of the night, unplugs the plugs and lifts it off the platform. Because theft of generators has become a wide problem, Honda now sells a theft-proof handle cover that locks it securely to your rails and the only way someone could remove it is by cutting the rail in half, which I guess is not out of the question, though.

Mike, I'll be back in Boot Key Harbor in 2015 if my body parts continue to function somewhat normally. And, I'll be hauling all my music gear with me again, which cost a lot more than all the other electronics on the boat combined. Bose amps are the best of the best, but they don't come cheap.

Cheers,

Gary


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## caberg (Jul 26, 2012)

Group9 said:


> Well, there is no doubt that the world was a much more violent place a few hundred years ago. But, there seems to have been a lot of movement, up and down in the last fifty years, in rates for various crimes (at least in the US). And, a lot of varied opinions on why.
> 
> United States Crime Rates 1960 - 2012


The recent trend has been downward, too.


Falling crime: Where have all the burglars gone? | The Economist

No matter, there will always be the doom and gloom folks who want everyone to believe that the world is going to hell in a handbasket. But that's a bad way to go through life, in my view.



> Bearers of good news are often advised to keep their mouths shut, lest they lull people into complacency. But this prescription may be backward. The discovery that fewer people are victims of violence can thwart cynicism among compassion-fatigued news readers who might otherwise think that the dangerous parts of the world are irredeemable hell holes. And a better understanding of what drove the numbers down can steer us toward doing things that make people better off rather than congratulating ourselves on how moral we are.
> 
> As one becomes aware of the historical decline of violence, the world begins to look different. The past seems less innocent, the present less sinister. One starts to appreciate the small gifts of coexistence that would have seemed utopian to our ancestors: the interracial family playing in the park, the comedian who lands a zinger on the commander in chief, the countries that quietly back away from a crisis instead of escalating to war.
> 
> For all the tribulations in our lives, for all the troubles that remain in the world, the decline of violence is an accomplishment that we can savor-and an impetus to cherish the forces of civilization and enlightenment that made it possible.


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## outbound (Dec 3, 2012)

Not too worried when on the boat sleeping as can lock myself in. But worry when off the boat. ? was thinking of modifying storm boards for the companion way. At present have detachable doors with puny keyed lock. Those doors also have removable lexan inserts with permanent screens. Was thinking when off the boat for a day to insert storm boards and locking those. Any suggestions on how best to do this? Been web searching ss hardware and to date can't find a lockable hinge where I could attach one piece to side of companion way and the other to anchor to board. It would need a right angle in the tang. ?Sources?


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## northoceanbeach (Mar 23, 2008)

I don't see how it's irrelevant. Even if it's mostly confined to drug wars and ghettos, why would you want to cruise in a country that is lawless in the interior or plagued by drug wars and ghettos?

It's the same as people that say you'll be fine in Detroit and St. Louis, just avoid the bad areas. I've been to all those dangerous American cities and I felt terrible having to hide and dodge all the sketchy areas. And the drug gangs, they don't stay within their drug borders all the time, sometimes they go to the nice parts. I find it very uncomfortable. 

A lot of the fun of cruising is the freedom to explore, but how fun is it, to go to Honduras when you can't go to a lot of the country? I haven't sailed to but two countries, but the places I sailed in those two were very safe, and it was nice to be able to take a hike, or a bike ride and just explore wherever and whenever I wanted.

This is why I have never really wanted to go to the Caribbean. I've always wanted to go to the South Pacific. I'll bet most SP countries have a number in the low single digits.


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## killarney_sailor (May 4, 2006)

So you don't go to Honduras, such is life. You pick your spots. When we were in southern Africa we were in Mauritius, South Africa, Lesotho, and Namibia. Didn't have enough time to do them full justice. Were considering Madagascar, Mozambique, Senegal, and Gambia but things did not work out. The fact we did not go to Congo, Nigeria, Somalia, and whole bunch of other countries did not upset us. It is a big world with lots of interesting and reasonably safe places to go. The fact that there a few dozen you should not go to is really not very important.


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## boroko (Apr 14, 2014)

copacabana said:


> Boroko, do you know where these events occurred in Brazil? I've never heard of a case involving sailboats anywhere on the coast south of Rio and only a few cases that occurred in Bahia. The Amazon on the other hand ....


Sure. One was in Natal. Reported by the French boat 'See You Later Alligator'. I hope to see a crew member from the other boat tommorrow. If I do I will report back.

Yes, I have heard the southern Brazilian coast is much safer... bur one needs to transit the risky north coast to get there from the Caribbean.


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## boroko (Apr 14, 2014)

northoceanbeach said:


> This is why I have never really wanted to go to the Caribbean. I've always wanted to go to the South Pacific. I'll bet most SP countries have a number in the low single digits.


You might be in fantasy land. The truth is that in the South Pacific, just like in the Eastern Caribbean, there are places you should avoid.

I met a tough Jamaican lady once who worked on a cruise ships. She had been all around the world. She said her least favorite place in the world was the South Pacific because she finds the people so intimidating.

Polymesians and Melanesians cam be very intimidating if you make a cultural mistake. They used to eat all comers, remember?

See my screen name "boroko"? Google "Boroko Police Station" for laughs. I haven't Google'd it lately but bet it will be educational. In the SP. Shoot first, ask questions later.

Food for thought.


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## Coquina (Dec 27, 2012)

Areas I can speak to:
Baltimore - stay out of the hood and don't buy or sell drugs. The tourist areas you would go to from a boat are safe.
Bahamas - avoid Nassau and that is about 95% of the battle right there. Don't get involved with drugs or do something really really stupid and that takes care of the other 4.99%. The only place I have ever felt even slightly nervous in the Bahamas is Nassau.
Virgin Islands - Stay in the BVIs. For some reason the criminals are all in the USVI 
Belize - When I was there in 1999 Belize City was dangerous and the rest was safe. Maybe not so much now.

BTW - a wandering generator thief might get $20 and a map to all the generators he hasn't found yet from me


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## northoceanbeach (Mar 23, 2008)

Coquina said:


> Areas I can speak to:
> Baltimore - stay out of the hood and don't buy or sell drugs. The tourist areas you would go to from a boat are safe.
> Bahamas - avoid Nassau and that is about 95% of the battle right there. Don't get involved with drugs or do something really really stupid and that takes care of the other 4.99%. The only place I have ever felt even slightly nervous in the Bahamas is Nassau.
> Virgin Islands - Stay in the BVIs. For some reason the criminals are all in the USVI
> ...


Baltimore is so not safe. Even the tourist sites. Say you wanted to get famous crab cakes at the historic Lexington market. So you walk or talk the subway a couple stops from the inner harbor. It's surrounded by drug dealers. Like, more than you can count, and then there is what seems to be a permanent fixture, the group of extremist religious black guys in leather jackets screaming into bullhorns and posting pictures of aborted black babies and slaves.


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## boroko (Apr 14, 2014)

northoceanbeach said:


> Say you wanted to get famous crab cakes


The crab cakes are a little dangerous. Fill up on seafood at thw "Lobster House" in Cape May before heading to the C&D...


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## Coquina (Dec 27, 2012)

Lexington Market is in the middle of a sh##h0le. Why would anyone tied up in Fells Point, Canton, or the Inner Harbor go there?
Local knowledge - stay *out* of the hood.

BTW - did some late night server installs about a block from Lexington Market. Snack runs were "interesting" 



northoceanbeach said:


> Baltimore is so not safe. Even the tourist sites. Say you wanted to get famous crab cakes at the historic Lexington market. So you walk or talk the subway a couple stops from the inner harbor. It's surrounded by drug dealers. Like, more than you can count, and then there is what seems to be a permanent fixture, the group of extremist religious black guys in leather jackets screaming into bullhorns and posting pictures of aborted black babies and slaves.


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## northoceanbeach (Mar 23, 2008)

Coquina said:


> Lexington Market is in the middle of a sh##h0le. Why would anyone tied up in Fells Point, Canton, or the Inner Harbor go there?
> Local knowledge - stay *out* of the hood.
> 
> BTW - did some late night server installs about a block from Lexington Market. Snack runs were "interesting"


My point is that people out cruising don't always have local knowledge of all the millions of hoods Baltimore has. People might go to Baltimore read this

"Lexington Market is one of the longest-running markets in the world, having been around since 1782. Lexington Market is viewed by many as a place that shows the personality of the "real" Baltimore, as opposed to the more generic and tourist-oriented attractions found at the nearby Inner Harbor. "

And decide its a good place to go. I did. It's also not in the middle of a s-hole, well it is, it's in Baltimore. But it borders downtown for f's sake. And Edgar Allen Poe's grave is on the other side. It's not 5 miles up Pennsylvania ave. where someone docked at fells really wouldn't go. I could see someone ending up a couple blocks west of downtown even if they didn't know the market was there.

This is exactly why I think this thread is relevant. The areas with the high murder rates aren't safe places that are fun to cruise and Baltimore is a prime example. You shouldn't have to duck and hide in fells point and the inner harbor. How's the neighborhood north and east of fells point anyways? Isn't that where they filmed the wire? Don't walk too far from your boat. I guess you could go to the power plant or electric station or whatever that thing is and Whole Foods and get back by dark.

New Orleans is the same. The garden district and the French quarter are surrounded by ghettos.

You don't get that if you're on the west coast and you're cruising San Diego or San Francisco or Seattle. You can dock at the marina district or pier 39 in SF and just go wherever you want. You don't need local knowledge to not become a crime victim. Seattle. Dock at sh-thole or Elliot bay or bells and just have fun.

Pretending that crime statistics are irrelevant doesn't make them so. It's usually just done by the people that grew up in those places so it's all they know. They're used to living like that. But I'd like to know these statistics and I'll pick where to cruise accordingly.


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## Coquina (Dec 27, 2012)

WTF?
From Federal Hill > Inner Harbor > Fells Point > Camden is a HUGE area. No one that SAILED to Baltimore needs to worry about running out of places to go. I can't think I have EVER heard of someone from a boat being involved in a crime in Baltimore. Yes, if you take off out of the tourist areas and run inland with no idea of what is what you will find some bad areas.
The Wire was set all over Baltimore btw from high $$$ locations to the hood. The actual hood from The Corner is in West Baltimore. I get to see it when I go to Rebs Candies every year for Christmas candy (in daylight only  )

Now if you are too scared to go to Baltimore, I would assume you would NEVER go near Charlotte Amalie!


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## Group9 (Oct 3, 2010)

Coquina said:


> Areas I can speak to:
> Baltimore - stay out of the hood and don't buy or sell drugs. The tourist areas you would go to from a boat are safe.
> Bahamas - avoid Nassau and that is about 95% of the battle right there. Don't get involved with drugs or do something really really stupid and that takes care of the other 4.99%. The only place I have ever felt even slightly nervous in the Bahamas is Nassau.
> Virgin Islands - Stay in the BVIs. For some reason the criminals are all in the USVI
> ...


Not necessarily true about Baltimore and the Inner Harbor/Fells Point area. I knew someone who had to shoot a robber who pulled a gun on him at the ATM that is close to the ESPN Zone (bad victim selection, a Secret Service agent) The robber, after being shot, made it all the way to the shot tower before dying. Pretty busy tourist area and this happened about 9:00 pm.

I worked in Baltimore six years out of 26 years in law enforcement and I saw people shot to death there twice. One within a block of Johns Hopkins Hospital main campus (the other time was exactly where you would have expected something like that to happen, near North St).

But, you're right about the Bahamas. Except for Nassau, the Bahamas are pretty close to crime free except for the most pettiest of theft (like hotel room theft). Especially in Nassau, there are people who work at the hotels who provide information to thieves.

I think most street smart people, who don't need to buy drugs, are probably pretty safe just about anywhere in the world.


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## christian.hess (Sep 18, 2013)

northoceanbeach said:


> My point is that people out cruising don't always have local knowledge of all the millions of hoods Baltimore has. People might go to Baltimore read this
> 
> "Lexington Market is one of the longest-running markets in the world, having been around since 1782. Lexington Market is viewed by many as a place that shows the personality of the "real" Baltimore, as opposed to the more generic and tourist-oriented attractions found at the nearby Inner Harbor. "
> 
> ...


dont do that...stats will tell you very little of where you want to cruise

if anything check forums for locval knowledge, cruiser nets on the radio, ssb if you have them and other boats when you are cruising down or up or sideways

basically thats the best, that and cruisiing guides that arent too dated...

looking at country statistics for cruising purposes is using the WRONG tool for the job...

use whats RELEVANT to you

I could say for example that eritrea is lawless but that doesnt mean the main port is bad holding or not a good place to rest

or that yemen is where ossama bin laden was born, but that means little when travelling to sanaa or what services are in port aden?

or that the caribeaan is beatiful but famous for french solo sailors who love to steal other cruisers outboards and stuff right?

use what relevant to you...

youll find out as soon as you start cruising if you do, that stuff like cnn, wikipedia, and normal news outlets are anything but reliable and objective...

instead youll turn to nets, local knowledge and cruiser to cruiser knowledge which is the best

we relied on that almost exclusively when cruising...

btw have you ever been in the tenderloin in san fran or on market at midnight?

saying those places are cruiser havens or completely safe is hogwash

any town almost anyplace in the world will have a good side and a not so good side...

thats life


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## northoceanbeach (Mar 23, 2008)

I have been to the tenderloin at midnight many times. I used to live a couple streets up the hill on California and jones. 

The tenderloin is like vancouvers downtown east, which as a cruiser I also visited. Not that bad. Grungy, but not shot you in the face bad. 
There are European backpackers in both places looking for cheap eats and hotels. 

The tenderloin is about the best bad area of any city around a million people in the US. I would rather walk around the tenderloin at midnight than half or Baltimore during the day.


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## abrahamx (Apr 3, 2006)

I aint cruising anywhere if I have to stay away from drugs.


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## Yorksailor (Oct 11, 2009)

Over the last 6 years we have been to almost everywhere in the Caribbean once if not 2 or 3 times...We not only read the crime statistics we know some of the victims!

We have had dinner or a beer with the owners of 5 boats that have been robbed or threatened at gunpoint or knifepoint. I shared a six-pack, in a marina in Cartagena, with someone who subsequently murdered two cruisers. I know the victim of a stabbing. 

Only one of these incidents occurred somewhere we would have sailed or anchored. When we sailed past Venezuela and Columbia we were 25+ miles off-shore and when possible were out in weather too bad for the local pirogues to venture out to sea.

The danger is real and the poster's original statistics are valid in that they point to countries where the level of lawlessness is elevated. All the above incidents occurred in countries on the list.

Safety is about awareness, having bars on the hatches, avoiding remote locations and having a viable defense plan.

After 6 years we now only visit places that have low crime rates...Panama is an exception as we had to come through the Canal


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## travlin-easy (Dec 24, 2010)

Having worked in two of the largest hospitals in Baltimore for 15 years, I can assure you that the Inner Harbor is anything but safe. I saw the victims daily. Roving gangs of thugs now roam freely in the Inner Harbor, and there is not sufficient law enforcement personnel available to handle the situation. 

I also performed music in Baltimore's Little Italy for a number of years, which is much safer than the Inner Harbor, but as of late, has been inundated with thugs from the surrounding neighborhoods. 

The oldest, largest and most famous restaurants in Baltimore's Highlandtown closed a few years ago, mainly because it was no longer safe for it's patrons to park nearby. When Haussner's closed it's doors thousands of long time visitors were emotionally effected. Same was true with Delanote's in Little Italy, an exquisite Italian restaurant where I performed regularly on Saturday and Sunday nights. They had their own, adjacent parking lot, and armed security guards that consisted mainly of off duty Baltimore City Police Officers. I would not leave the restaurant with my music gear without an escort - EVER!

There were three murders in Baltimore last night, two of which were on the northwest side, which is where I grew up as a kid till age 12. Back then, my parents were growing concerned, in 1952, that the neighborhood was becoming too dangerous for my father to walk 5 blocks to work at 5 a.m. every morning. We moved from there to Parkville, which is in Baltimore County, and my parents breathed a sigh of relief. The grocer at the corner grocery store where we previously lived was shot and killed by a teenage punk who robbed the store. The grocer's wife was also shot, but managed to survive after several months in the hospital.

I no longer perform music in Baltimore, and turn down at least 50 music jobs a year there - it's just too dangerous, even during the middle of the day. There have been rapes and murders at several parking garages owned by the hospitals I worked at, and despite having armed security guards at the parking lot entrances, these crimes took place in the middle of the day. 

My brother used to take his motor yacht to Baltimore's Inner Harbor to watch the 4th of July fireworks every year. He would tie up at the public dock near Phillips Restaurant, or in the vicinity of the National Aquarium. He stopped doing this after two years because upon returning from a night of dining out he returned to his boat that had been broken into and ransacked. His hatch was padlocked, but that didn't stop the thugs. 

Someone mentioned Federal Hill, an upscale Baltimore neighborhood where the windows and doors are covered with ornate, iron bars to keep the thugs out. Just last year, a young man was out taking a walk when a couple thugs came up behind him, slammed him in the head with a brick, then proceeded to kick his brains out, while filming this with a cellular telephone and putting it on the Internet. The young man later died after being in a coma for several months.

There are gangs of young thugs running the streets of Baltimore playing a game they call "Knock Out." You may have seen this on TV, but the bleeding heart liberal press does not publicize every incidence. It's pretty much a daily occurrence, but the PC press plays it down. The thugs sneak up behind someone and sucker punch them in the side of the head and knocks them unconscious. Most have severe concussions and some have died. The vast majority of the victims are the elderly, but there have been some younger victims as well. After they render their victim unconscious, they frequently rob them, then strip off their clothing, leaving them lying on the sidewalk naked or near naked.

Really gives you that warm, fuzzy feeling about Baltimore - Doesn't it?

Now, most of the cruisers I've met of the past 8 years of sailing are not young people. In fact, the vast majority ranged in age from their late 50s to early 70s, me included. This age group is often the target of criminals, many of which are repeat offenders who should be in jail for life, but the PC oriented judges in Baltimore and other major cities, for some reason, think they can be rehabilitated. Anyone that has been involved with law enforcement at the street level will tell you that's pretty unlikely. They'll be on drugs, selling drugs, and perpetuating the crimes listed above in order to support their habit. They'll be out there looking for older people in boats who came to Baltimore to see the touristy sights, folks just like you and I.

Good luck,

Gary


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## Coquina (Dec 27, 2012)

That is sad news.
I have gone to Little Italy with no undue concerns for decades now. We used to like to tie up in Canton and walk around to Fells Point and back. As of a couple years ago it all seemed perfectly safe.


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## capta (Jun 27, 2011)

"Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run, then outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing."
- Helen Keller


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## Coquina (Dec 27, 2012)

i work with people that live in Federal Hill. We run down there for lunch sometimes. They seem to like it and not think of it as dangerous.


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## Group9 (Oct 3, 2010)

A lot of places are completely different places in the daytime and night time. Washington D.C. is a really good example. There are a lot of places that are very safe in DC in the daytime, that you don't want to be caught in at night.

Baltimore's Inner Harbor, Little Italy, and Fell's Point, are definitely at different safety levels during the night and day. I worked in Baltimore for six years and it is the one place I worked that you couldn't make me go back and work in for any price (I actually lived in Arnold, right outside of Annapolis). Baltimore is a dead city pretty much.


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## travlin-easy (Dec 24, 2010)

Joe, the next time you go to Federal Hill, take a close look at the doors and windows of those homes - they all have bars and for good reasons. Those bars are not to keep the kids and dogs inside. The ones that didn't have bars on the windows had heavy steel grid and all had steel doors. Not a place I would want raise my children. And of course, the Baltimore City School System gets high marks from someone - but I don't know who that would be.

Gary


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## christian.hess (Sep 18, 2013)

safety while sailing the world says the title of the thread...all of a sudden the history and life of baltimore is front and center

weird

ps. not hating here...my dad was born in maryland and lived in baltimore for much of his early years


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## khammett (Sep 20, 2013)

travlineasy said:


> Someone mentioned Federal Hill, an upscale Baltimore neighborhood where the windows and doors are covered with ornate, iron bars to keep the thugs out. Just last year, a young man was out taking a walk when a couple thugs came up behind him, slammed him in the head with a brick, then proceeded to kick his brains out, while filming this with a cellular telephone and putting it on the Internet. The young man later died after being in a coma for several months.


The same thing has happened in upscale Georgetown in Washington DC.

Man Slain In Attack on Couple in Georgetown


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## tommays (Sep 9, 2008)

Its good to feel safe BUT it is largely luck 

For example at work we had a convicted murder/rapist on the lam from NJ with PERFECT PAPERS and he was a model employee till the end when it started to unravel as he could just not keep his true nature hidden


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## PaddyMac (Apr 19, 2014)

I think the key is to know the risks and know your own risk tolerance, then you can enjoy those spots that meet your own criteria. Chacun a sa preference!


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## Group9 (Oct 3, 2010)

Another thing to remember, is just like with storms, the risks of crime are not going to be the same for everyone.

Years ago the FBI did an extensive study where they interviewed hundreds of inmates who were in prison for killing law enforcement officers. What they wanted to find out was why, after encountering law enforcement in hundreds of incidents, and most having been arrested in several incidents, all without attempting to kill a police officer, they had finally made the decision to do so.

The universal answer, from almost all of the inmates, was simply, "Because this time, the officer did something, or had something in his demeanor, to make me think I could get away with it."

And, they also did interviews with colleagues of slain officers, to try and develop a psychological profile of the average slain officers. They were expecting to learn that "Officer A**hole" was the one most likely to be killed. They instead, were surprised to find that "Officer Friendly" was actually the most likely officer to be killed (something I likewise found to be true among the officers and agents I have known who have been murdered).

Most criminals aren't looking for a fair fight. It's not ego. It's their business, even with serial killers. They are looking for a 100 to nothing win. If they don't think they can get that, they will keep looking until they find that.

Remember the scene in "In Cold Blood" (I think if memory serves correctly, it may be a different movie) where the two killers decide to hitchhike, and kill and rob the first people who stop to give them a lift. Two Marines stop and ask if they want a lift and the killers say, no thanks, and then after they drive off, one of them says to the other, "They might have decided to kill us and take our money."

Just something to think about.


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## christian.hess (Sep 18, 2013)

I live in one of the countries mentioned as one of the most dangerous....having said that being on the run every day here is a part of life, especially in some areas...that doesnt mean however one second that if someone is determined to want to rob you, or kill you that he wont be able to...no mattter what you think you have to avoid it...be that a gun, and armored vehicle, or a bullet proof vest

you are kind of kidding yourself if you think you can avoid that

having said that rebarding a BOAT and cruising

of course there are plenty of things to make the boat less breakable and harder to get into...stronger safer...but as a cruiser what are you going to go to sleep in an anchorage with a vest on? or fully equipped to go into battle?

I think not

just be vigilant, prduent and most places will be fine...if not just pull the anchor and sail into the sunset to the next place


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## Group9 (Oct 3, 2010)

christian.hess said:


> I live in one of the countries mentioned as one of the most dangerous....having said that being on the run every day here is a part of life, especially in some areas...that doesnt mean however one second that if someone is determined to want to rob you, or kill you that he wont be able to...no mattter what you think you have to avoid it...be that a gun, and armored vehicle, or a bullet proof vest
> 
> you are kind of kidding yourself if you think you can avoid that
> 
> ...


If a lone nut like John Hinckley can walk up and shoot the President of the United States, with a full Secret Service security detail whose only job was to keep that from happening, you pretty much know it can happen to you.


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## christian.hess (Sep 18, 2013)

yuppers...when its your time its your time...


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## christian.hess (Sep 18, 2013)

just thought Id post this for the sake of emphasizing why looking at stats means little for cruising purposes

this
How Chicago Became ?Chiraq?

so does that mean that chicago should be avoided as a sailing destination or that doing a mackinac race is dangerous for murder rate reasons?

6 children shot and 45 people in total over the easter weekend

thats WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY more than here...yet it would be hard to put these numbers into useful info

or on a list to avoid right?


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## travlin-easy (Dec 24, 2010)

You couldn't pay me to go to Chicago, and most other major cities in the U.S.. Would I feel safer in El Salvador or Panama, no, but I felt pretty safe in Marathon, Florida. Still, I'm prepared for the worst situation no matter where I go - and so far, this has managed to keep me alive for 73 years. I stay away from places where crime is a popular mode of making an income, especially places such as Baltimore, Philadelphia and Chicago. Christian, would you sail to Watts and feel as safe as you feel in El Salvador? Probably not unless you were packing a 44 mag in a pancake holster. There is a difference, ya know!

Gary


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## christian.hess (Sep 18, 2013)

do you understand my point though? the POINT is that for cruisers and those wanting to cruise around the world looking for stats on murder rates and whatnot is the WRONG TOOL FOR THE JOB

I dont know how to explain myself any better...

the cruising community and the places caterng to them or not are a very specific niche of people and places...almost as an an extension of the country or places you visit...

why on earth would I be interested in seing what then ZETAS are doing in sinaloa, mexico or the cartels are doing when what I really want to know or care about is how the bar is doing in mazatlan or whats ztwon like today

or is huatulco still a good place to stop before jumping the bay

or for the red sea should I be looking at whats still going on in irak and syria and all those places

or say whats oman doing like?(quite oblivious to the rest of those places)

cruising is a bit like studying and preparing for a thesis on the world...you study up and plan accordingly but are on the move and have a backup plan if things go south

like many here we had a bunch of decisions to make when leaving thailland for the indian ocean...do we stop in india or just sri lanka, or in the pacific do you go soth to nz and australia or go north?

if people would look up stats all the time nobody would move!

jajajajaja

peace


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## travlin-easy (Dec 24, 2010)

Gotta agree with that, Christan, the stats would be something akin to useless in most instances. Not even a good guideline.

Cheers,

Gary


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## Coquina (Dec 27, 2012)

OTOH Chicago is one of the places we LIKE to go to at work. Great restaurants and museums to make the off-work hours more enjoyable. The parts of Chicago we go to and stay in and the parts a *sailor* would be going to are in another universe from the parts where they kill 10 people per day.


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## Group9 (Oct 3, 2010)

You can't just look at the crime rate for a state, county, or city. You have to look at particular locales and what the crime rate is on a particular block or street.

This was the basis of one of the most successful policing techniques, "cops on dots", that was used to reduce crime in New York, New Orleans, Washington, D.C. and Miami.

The phrase comes from the large city maps you see in every police headquarters conference room, with dots of different colors to denote different crimes. The theory was, you concentrate your officers on where the crime was occurring. It doesn't make sense to evenly dispurse your police forces between four precincts, for example, when one precinct is responsible for 90 per cent of your crime.

Cruisers can use this too. It comes down to, there are always going to be high crime areas, and low crime areas, even within a very small city or town, pretty much where ever you go (I traveled to and worked with police officers in Switzerland, a very law abiding country, and all of the officers told me there were places in Switzerland, that you could go at night, and get in trouble very quickly; they even showed me some of them). 

If you stay out of those areas, in whatever place you are cruising, visiting, or living, you are much, much less likely to be a crime statistic.


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## christian.hess (Sep 18, 2013)

exactly! even in the best cities, towns or countries there will be always a bad place or bad person or groups of persons...thats why general stats are of no help

so when I see people saying ahh the murder rate in mexico is what makes me not want to go there is to me, NONSENSICAL

as a cruiser that is


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## JonEisberg (Dec 3, 2010)

boroko said:


> > Originally Posted by copacabana View Post
> >
> > Boroko, do you know where these events occurred in Brazil? I've never heard of a case involving sailboats anywhere on the coast south of Rio and only a few cases that occurred in Bahia. The Amazon on the other hand ....
> 
> ...


Hmmm, speaking of Brazil...

What a surprise, Fortaleza lies within a few degrees of the Equator... 

Latitude 38 - 'Lectronic Latitude


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## Coquina (Dec 27, 2012)

Yeah - even Annapolis has a few bad areas. Wander up to Clay Street or into the projects* after dark and you might end up missing cash and cell phone. Well at least a nice smartphone, I am pretty sure the homies would throw a flip phone right back to you 

* projects aren't so bad as before. For many years the Annapolis po-po thought the federal government should patrol the hood since they built it and the fed though Annapolis should patrol it since it was in the city limits. When the criminals started getting out of the projects into high $$$ areas that all changed right quick, we got a new chief of police, and crime went down.

Belize is often considered dangerous, but most of the time I was there the main danger was if you got stuck or injured you might starve before seeing another person, not that you would get attacked. We actually ended up rescuing some peopel stuck on a jungle road with a broken down truck. OTOH Belize City wasn't someplace to wander around looking like a wide-eyed tourist.The guidebok actually suggested using a cab to get from one end of the block to the next 



christian.hess said:


> exactly! even in the best cities, towns or countries there will be always a bad place or bad person or groups of persons...thats why general stats are of no help
> 
> so when I see people saying ahh the murder rate in mexico is what makes me not want to go there is to me, NONSENSICAL
> 
> as a cruiser that is


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## copacabana (Oct 1, 2007)

JonEisberg said:


> Hmmm, speaking of Brazil...
> 
> What a surprise, Fortaleza lies within a few degrees of the Equator...
> 
> Latitude 38 - 'Lectronic Latitude


Jon, this is unfortunate news indeed. Cruisers are advised not to anchor out in Fortaleza, but to stay in a marina. There are a few other "hot spots" in the northeast of Brazil as well and the Amazon is not without risk. A little information gathering ahead of time is essential for cruisers arriving in Brazil. That said, the southeast and south of Brazil are perfectly safe for cruisers. I have never locked my boat and have never heard of an attack on sailing boats (there have been a few robberies involving expensive power boats however).


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