# Assault by Moorings Captain



## TSOJOURNER

A few years back, while chartering in BVI my wife was assaulted by a Moorings employee while on board. He told my wife if she said a word he would kill both of us, unfortunatley she believed him!! When we got back to the states the officials said due to the fact that it happened in another country their hands were tied


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## carib99

I hope you told Moorings!!!


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## TSOJOURNER

They said that they would check into it!! never heard another word from them


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## TSOJOURNER

well ... you got the name of that captain ? Is he still working for them ? 

These are serious allegations, but if true, dont hold back. Let us all know about it, so we can tell moorings that we wont charter with them as long as that creep is working with them. 

A Captain on a boat ( paid for his duty or not ) has significant power, which that comes a even higher degree of responsibility. 


Thorsten


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## dderanek

It is very true and his name was Jimmy Hodge or hodges and worked out of Tortola


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## TSOJOURNER

What company is he with?

Jim 
Aboard the Argo


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## TSOJOURNER

Ok went back and looked, never mind


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## TSOJOURNER

After getting a call from Moorings, I have found out that he is a contract captain and works for any company that will hire him!


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## TSOJOURNER

I still think Moorings is responsible while he was sailing for them contract or no.


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## TSOJOURNER

ncdd, why are you bringing up the alleged assault "a few years" after the alleged event?
The kind of serious complaint you have made should have been followed up diligently at the time. Sounds a bit off to me.


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## TSOJOURNER

Alledged my happy ass!!! What reason would I have to make it up!!
The wife did not want to and it seemed like her call. Then when I saw this web sight, I thought that it had been long enough for emotional healing. And thought that it might keep the scum from doing it again. I am sure we are not the only victims. I had read an account about a large person getting on boats at night and fondeling (sp?) women in Tortola. When they described the person it reminded me of him!
By no way is this of any advantage to us, and he is not a Moorings employee so no grudge with them.


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## TSOJOURNER

And the ALLEDGED EVENT, was in 1994, and we tried to follow it up. And got no where!!


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## TSOJOURNER

Do you have any idea how many rapes go unreported in this country, MANY, due to the embarrassment that the victims are put through


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## TSOJOURNER

No one is saying that rape or any assault is not a serious event. What raises a red flag however, is the 10 year lapse in the event and then this posting. Also, the fact that you seemed rather unsure of his name, and posted it as "Assault by Moorings Captain" not by the captains name. We should all be diligent with our safety,and insist that companies we deal with screen their employees.I sympathize with victims of assault and realize that as a woman I am at risk; however, especially in these days of Ashcroft and the Patriot Act, I don''t feel comfortable with blanketing a company or persons name across the world wide web so 
freely without benefit of a conviction. In other bulletin boards I have read concerning sailing (7 knots??) there have been some rather venemous postings about various captains and crew- it seemed people were taking their gripes about bad pay, poor workers etc and using bulletin boards as a chance to "get back" at the other party. Again, I am not saying this to diminish any assaults, but just to point out that we should not be acting as judge and jury against a company ( and I have never chartered with them) that seem to have a very good reputation.


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## dderanek

Believe me I will never forget that Mother Fckers name or face for the rest of my life, and I did say his name and in hind sight I should have posted it in the first message. 
I have since got a call from Moorings and was told that he was a contract captain, so I posted that also. Did I think Moorings was some what to blame at the time, yes. Do I now, probably not. 
The main point was to warn people who use captains to be careful. Certainly the great majority are great good people , but just be careful. As every one knows there are people out there that do not deserve to breathe our air.
Why I have waited this long only pertains to this board, I have posted other places through the years also. 
So if you want to take this as an e-mail hoax or slam fine but I am telling the truth.
The Moorings offered us a free trip, we said thanks but no thanks. I soon after took every sailing course available and have never had anyone on board that we did not know again. 
And I will never sail unarmed again.


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## bubb2

dderanek

As a professional captain and fellow sailor my heart goes out to you and your wife for what you have endured.

If something can be learned from your tragedy for others, may i suggest when dealing with anyone who holds themselves out as a "Captain" ask to see his/her Coast Guard License which is required to on board with the Captain. Get the license #.

The reason I say this, is a Licensed Captain must go through a background and crimial check. If the worst comes, a complaint to the Coast Guard would convene a board of inquiry. If the Captain could not be found and tried to renew his/her license years latter the complaint would still on file and have to be dealt with. I would think if the Captain could not not be found, he would get license yanked before renewal.

If he or she is not licensed and you don''t see the license with your on eyes, find another Captain who is.

Regards,

Michael Clevenger, USCG 100 ton/ near coastal license #1089645


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## TSOJOURNER

I just read this series of posts. Holy Cow! I met Jimmy Hodge last summer, he is a big man, but he was very nice. He was captaining a cat for a couple and their son. 
We had dinner at Anegada with with them.

On the Travel Talk Online board there is a guy who knows Jimmy very well and even had Jimmy visit his home in Texas. 

I was also told that many of the captains in the BVI do not have USCG liscences.

Nonetheless, what a horrible experience.


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## TSOJOURNER

cgates
Why would a skipper in another country be expected to have a USCG liscence? I know that many skippers hired for their lifetime of local experience and time on the water. A standard required in the BVI would first be a RYA Approval and yes a USCG liscence would be considered but is not in my opinion a benchmark.Further, would we expect a skipper in Russia or Brazil to be USCG liscenced? If you detect a note of distain let me come right out with it.Why do we always expect that the rest of the world should or would want to come to our standard? Are we realy the best at everything?
From an ex Moorings Captain
and Moorings Operations Manager.
Regards
Billie Blood


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## TSOJOURNER

I think we are... If I didn''t I would leave. I think thats a stupid question BTW.


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## magnusmurphy

The idea that the US is necessarily the "best at everything" is pretty arrogant. No doubt your country is amazing, but the attitude that you necessarily are the "best" just because you say so is incredibly arrogant.

However this series of posts concern the unsubstantiated slandering of an individual person, whose reputation and career may very well be on the line here. I personally also find the fact that there was apparently no lawsuit or action brought by the accuser difficult to take the accusations seriously.

Remember, this person may be innocent. The comment may have been said in jest or any of a number of other possibilities. All we have is one individual (not even giving his real name) accusing another person of a very serious offence.

I''m not saying this captain was innocent. All I''m saying that I don''t buy this story line either...

M Murphy


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## TSOJOURNER

You are right in that the accused should be held as no gulity until he has been proven so in a court of law. I was seeing it as some unknown person (at least to me) that did do what in complained of should be held responsible. As to the US being the greatest nation on earth.. Sorry you can''t see all the evidence that show it is. Not that American''s are any better than anyone else.....It just that the USA is better than any other nation....


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## magnusmurphy

"Not that American''s are any better than anyone else.....It just that the USA is better than any other nation...."

Do you even see the conflict in the two statements?

Anyway I think your country is wonderful and Americans are great people who have accomplished more than most. I have family there and I regularly travel to the US. I do however think there is a certain blindness to the rest of the world and to what may just possibly be better somewhere else. As for evidence: well one could show you a lot of evidence of issues where the American society is not even in the top 10.

But... this is a side issue. As for the issue under discussion, I would like to hear what steps the accuser has taken with local authorities. I mean, mentioning someone''s name on a public forum like this could be taken as slander, if not backed up with real evidence.

It is impossible for readers like myself to decide what is true and what not. The accusations are serious and if true, this guy should have been stopped. It''s 10 years later after all. If he''s still working today, does it not seem to indicate that this whole thing is being blown out of proportion?
M Murphy


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## TSOJOURNER

You asked... NO I don''t see that I am any beter (or worse) than anyone else on God green earth. However there are bad nations. Bad nations where goog people live too. To avoid pointing fingers at modern nations I use history to make my point... Japan in the late 1920''s thru the early 1940''s. An evil nation .. Of that we can all agree. But there were wonderful people living there.. ok Point made... We may not have the best schools or even the most wealthy people,, What we have in a govermental system that in the standard for all free nations. I business climate that have encouraged economic growth unseen in history before or since. A careing nation that has rebuilt vanquished enemies. And ran to the aid of even unfriendly powers when they were hit with a massive disaster..

If this person who feels he was wroungly treated by this captain doesn''t want to take this to the proper athorities Then fine he should just forget about it. If that''s the case we should get down to sailing and not worry about someone who won''t standup for themselves or for what they believe....Except for the above item I think we agree


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## TSOJOURNER

My comment did not suggest that captains in the BVI should have USCG liscences. I simply stated what I was told, it was in reference to previous posts in this thread. 

Think some folks are a bit defensive, wonder why.


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## TSOJOURNER

Is this the guy Jimmy pictured on this website?

http://www.nwmangum.com/Caribbean.html


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## TSOJOURNER

Yes that is Jimmie Hodge
I worked out of the Moorings as a skipper in 94, 95, 96.
Jimmie was to me a strong example of what a charter skipper should be, a good sailor, polite, personable, tolerant, sober, selfless in his dedication to his guests and their enjoyment. Now as to what happened on that charter, it was slightly before my time.
Come on guys Jimmie lives the life. Let me give you a senario. You have skippered literally hundreds of charters, families, nudiest, gays, buddies, people from whatever. You tried to show them a good time. Maybe you misread the intentions of a guest. End of story.


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## TSOJOURNER

Billieblood,

Although I was only around Jimmy for a relatively short time, he sure seemd more like your characterization than the one that originated this string.


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## kokopelli9

Whoa, people...this is exactly how rumors get started. I have gone back and re-read this entire thread. I cannot find where the original poster said that is was the captain that did the assault...he said it was an employee...and then later when asked if he got the Captain''s name so as to notify him of the assault, well, that''s when the captain''s name came out. Now, I could have missed it, but I just couldn''t find it in there. Let''s be careful, please...and maybe the orignal poster will come forward again and clarify.

thanks.


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## TSOJOURNER

Kokopelli

Take a look at the title of the thread - Assault by a Moorings Captain.


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## kokopelli9

Thank you and you are exactly right. I got so caught up in reading the long thread (that sometimes drifted off subject) that I failed to realize the title. 

Thanks and so sorry.


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## TSOJOURNER

This may be a little off topic, but regarding holding the US as the gold standard for developing regulations and certifications, I was greatly vexed last fall when I picked up a thin Trinidadian newspaper and found easily four full pages of advertisements selling US OSHA Certification courses for Trinidadian workers.

I presume that the purpose of these courses are to make employees of US companies operating in Trinidad safe from US Government censure and from US-originated law suits.

Nonetheless, to think that, aside from exporting its culture, the US is exporting its bureaucracy is very distressing.

Chas


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