# Carribean Ports- Refugees Comandeering your boat



## ScrimpAndSail (Jul 10, 2007)

Americans would never be allowed into Cuban waters. But what about Haiti And the Dominican Republic. Are there areas/islands in the carribean that you should avoid for worry of hijack or piracy?


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## Chuteman (May 23, 2006)

S&S:
Remembered this incident...........
http://www.noonsite.com/Members/doina/R2007-01-31-1

Haiti is well known for SOME citizens attempting illegal entry into other countries via the sea plus SOME citizens using crime as their means of support. It is the poorest country in the western hemisphere.

When sailing Belize, heard stories of pirates from the south (Honduras if I remember correctly) hitting local fishing boats taking everything & throwing the crews overboard.

Noonsite does a pretty good job of reporting, tracking & digging into incidents. 
http://www.noonsite.com/General/Piracy

There have also been incidents in southern Leewards & Windwards + beyond but hard to predict sometimes


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## camaraderie (May 22, 2002)

Also check out the Caribbean safety and security net. http://www.safetyandsecuritynet.com/
Trouble spots come and go. Venezuela & its' offshore islands is tough right now as well. 
Parts of the DR like Samana have a bad reputation. Petty theft can be a problem in Luperon but it is generally safe. Jamaica and Haiti are seldom visited by yachts due to povery and associated crime. St Vincent had some problems on the main island last year but the Grenadines and outlying islands are safe. Parts of Trinidad are not safe, but Chaguramas where boaters go has been safe after some incidents last year. 
Crime in the Caribe is generally petty with only occasional violence and staying in touch on the SSB with the security net and other boaters can help keep you away from the hot spots of the moment.True hijacks and piracy are really rare.


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## speciald (Mar 27, 2007)

Cubans and Haitians more frequently come in thru Mexico, easier, cheaper, and safer and no one is sending them back!!


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## Rockter (Sep 11, 2006)

Piracy is unknown in Loch Ness. 

Come here to Scotland.

It's cooler, but you can't have everything.

The sun does not beat the heck out of your teak decks, the beer is good, and Loch Ness in the mist is worth a visit, or two, or three....


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## camaraderie (May 22, 2002)

Aye..the pirates in auld Scotland be land based! (g)


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## tdw (Oct 2, 2006)

camaraderie said:


> Aye..the pirates in auld Scotland be land based! (g)


The food will kill you faster than any pirate.

Sorry Rockter, I really do love Scotland but the thought of a deep fried mars bar still makes me want to puke.


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## TSteele65 (Oct 19, 2006)

tdw said:


> The food will kill you faster than any pirate.
> 
> Sorry Rockter, I really do love Scotland but the thought of a deep fried mars bar still makes me want to puke.


You'd LOVE haggis, then.


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## cockeyedbob (Dec 6, 2006)

A bit off thread perhaps, but ya gotta wonder how much time the average American spends in search of sumthin' to worry 'bout ...


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## sailhog (Dec 11, 2006)

ScrimpAndSail said:


> Americans would never be allowed into Cuban waters. But what about Haiti And the Dominican Republic. Are there areas/islands in the carribean that you should avoid for worry of hijack or piracy?


When someone says "Land of Milk and Honey," I think: Haiti. It's also a great cruising ground. It's so nice and so safe and wonderful in every way, we send our kids to school there. Don't believe all the piracy reports. That's just a bunch of propaganda being put out there by people from Peoria, Illinois who are angry at Haiti for taking away their tourist dollars.


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## cockeyedbob (Dec 6, 2006)

ah Haiti, a good place to pick up a crew of 60 or more ... otoh ya could hijack the bus from Peoria to Branson and have yer way wit a load o' poodle-haired grannies ... dream on Bob!

oh yeah, I fergot ... a map of the Carribean illustrating slut beaches to be avoided at all cost would be useful to an upstanding young gentleman such as meself ...


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

sailhog said:


> When someone says "Land of Milk and Honey," I think: Haiti. It's also a great cruising ground. It's so nice and so safe and wonderful in every way, we send our kids to school there. Don't believe all the piracy reports. That's just a bunch of propaganda being put out there by people from Peoria, Illinois who are angry at Haiti for taking away their tourist dollars.


Let me guess; you heard on a charity commercial you could support a child in Haiti for $48 a year, so you sent them your kids...


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## sailhog (Dec 11, 2006)

They're malnourished and have flies in their eyesockets, but what do you expect for <$100 for two children/year. 

Cockeyedbob is way way way off base with his first post. He obviously believes all the propaganda put forth by the "People for Making Sensible Decisions While Cruising," which is really just a front for another organization called "The Committee Against Knuckleheads Who Think Haiti Might be a Super and Overlooked Cruising Ground." Keep drinking the Kool-Aid, Bob!


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## jldooley (Aug 1, 2007)

Hi all

My question is why post here if all you want to do is bash froeign places you have ever seen and will never see? 
yestersay it was make fun of a Russian who has been around the world twice 
and today its bash those who are in South America. 

most sailors I meet are nice people, what's happening here??


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## capn_dave (Feb 17, 2000)

*What about the Portagee*

Nah! we would never poke fun at him, or the other way around. I was in bothe the DR and Hati last year. Never had any problems. Then again I don't flash out. Ya gotta learn to blend in.

Fair Winds

Cap'n Dave


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## sailhog (Dec 11, 2006)

There isn't any bashing going on. Bashing would be a post that would say something like, "If you don't think Haiti is a good cruising ground, then you must be a spokesperson for the Addle-pates on Great Big Yachts Who Sail Off the Coasts of Impoverished Countries and are Surprised When Dirt Poor Locals Make off With their Material Possessions Committee."


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## cockeyedbob (Dec 6, 2006)

jldooley said:


> Hi all
> 
> and today its bash those who are in South America.


Haiti in South America? Bob was 'round the world once but she later moved to Peoria. Is Peoria also in South America?

hog ... off base? thought we were playin' with the pointy-ended ball ...

kool aid? it's an ensure and prune smoothie with a sensodine swirl on top ...

i fergot what else i was gonna write ...


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## sailhog (Dec 11, 2006)

Q for Bob: Pointy-end of the ball? Busting open the Webster's but coming up with nothing...


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## cockeyedbob (Dec 6, 2006)

Jeezopizza ... pointy-ended ... a pigskin ... a football ... no bases so Bob never off base ... had a Fosters but never a Websters, any good?


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## sailhog (Dec 11, 2006)

When I said you were off base, that was just me pretending to be outraged by what you said. See, when I say something like, "Cockeyedbob is pure evil," what I really mean is, "Bob's an all right guy." When I say "Bob's drank the Kool-aid," what I really mean is, "Bob makes a lot of sense when he's had LSD for breakfast."


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## cockeyedbob (Dec 6, 2006)

Ah!! Geez, it's hard to come up with 10 characters so soon after breakfast, 'specially when mixin' epoxy in the kitchen while swillin' coffee syrup ... mama won't go to Haiti, sez they'll make her look fat ...

gotta agree with capt dave ... blending in is important ... lotta worry in our lives turns out to be unfounded ...

anyway,since you have experience with their educational system, does Haiti have any medical schools? Doesn't have to be any specific discipline, MD, DO, DVM, just good enough to write prescriptions in Peoria Why? Because, I want to help People.


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## xort (Aug 4, 2006)

Did somebody say LSD?


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## sailhog (Dec 11, 2006)

Xort, how did you go from being a senior member to being a large member? Were you aroused... I mean engourged... I mean promoted?


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

sailhog said:


> Xort, how did you go from being a senior member to being a large member? Were you aroused... I mean engourged... I mean promoted?


Sailingdog - sailhog misspelled "engorged". You might want to clarify that so nobody gets confused.


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## Boasun (Feb 10, 2007)

Geessh! If I had to depend on you guys for navigation, we would all end up in the Philippines. Wait?? Didn't Capt Cook got roasted there literally?


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## sharkbait (Jun 3, 2003)

1


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

??? WTF are you talking about??


Hyperion said:


> Sailingdog - sailhog misspelled "engorged". You might want to clarify that so nobody gets confused.


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## Rockter (Sep 11, 2006)

Oh, come to Scotland anyway.

Forget all that tropical nonesense... your teak decks get fried in the sun anyway.


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## TSteele65 (Oct 19, 2006)

Rockter said:


> Oh, come to Scotland anyway.
> 
> Forget all that tropical nonesense... your teak decks get fried in the sun anyway.


Yes, your teak decks will get all the saltwater they'll ever need on the North Sea..


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## runexe (Feb 20, 2006)

I can tell you that things are generally pretty quiet out here in the Leeward Islands. And by quiet, I mean the boarding parties usually are BYOB, with lots of local rum involved. Not so much with the walking of the plank and 'argh yeh scurvy dogs'. Except for international talk like a pirate day parties of course. 
Oh, and here on St. Kitts we have a couple of medical schools, a nursing school, and a vet school. There's something about the later two that make for great parties... ah yes, the male-female ratio is highly biased in favor of those of us who tend towards a certain gender preference in our partners.


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