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Violent attack, Cruisers injured, St Vincent & Grenadines, Union Island

44K views 173 replies 61 participants last post by  Faster 
#1 ·
Violent attack, Cruisers injured, St Vincent & Grenadines, Union Island

At 8:40pm 3 October sailing vessel Rainbow was anchored off Union Island at Frigate Island (aprox 12 34.9882 N 061 26.2582 W) which is attached to Union Island, St Vincent and the Grenadines when two people aboard Mark and Christina were attacked by machete wilding robbers.

Christina was very seriously wounded with a huge laceration to her face cutting through her cheek and through some teeth.
Mark was also lacerated but was able to reverse the situation.
The vessel Desiderata was monitoring Ch 66, the Grenada Cruisers Net repeater, and Rainbow's calls for help were passed onto Rescue 1 which operates from Prickly Bay Marina. With Rainbow taking the decision to head to better Medical Help in Carriacou, Grenada, Rescue 1 was able to liaise with Coast Guard, Police and authorities to have the Hillsborough wharf cleared and an Ambulance waiting.
Mark on Rainbow was able to get into Carriacou in just over an hour whilst administering first aid with advice via VHF66 from a nurse aboard SV Bella Blue and Dr Radix from Black Rock medical centre.

Christina is being flown to Grenada Friday morning 4 October, and Mark is bringing the boat down to St Georges.

To make matter worse, after Mark was released from hospital he fell between the wharf and his boat and was further lacerated and went back to hospital for another 7 stiches!

Boats we want to thank for their help last night
We see how important it is to have a radio repeater on VHF ch 66 and to monitor it overnight.

Notes:

Union island is not in Grenada. Frigate Island is attached to Union Island and is, as is Union Island, in St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Rescue 1 is a private rescue service of the Prickly Bay Marina, Grenada, and is on call 24 hours each day. As well as the rescue vessel it provides excellent liaison between cruisers, Police, Coast Guard, and other Authorities.

VHF Channel 66 Repeater was privately donated to the Grenadian Government and is used by the Grenada Cruisers Net to provide coverage to all Grenadian waters. It can also be received in southern parts of St Vincent and the Grenadines and the northern parts of Trinidad including Chaguaramas Bay. The Grenada Cruisers Net supplies weather, advice, and information on many subjects to help make Cruisers' stay in Grenada more rewarding. Its broadcast each day at 7:30 AM.

Mark
 
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#10 ·
You must never have seen the video of the guys shooting themselves with flare guns! Even when one of them shot himself in the head point blank it didn't do anything except make some smoke.

Of course if the goal is to start a fire in the boat to made the robber run for it then it may work. So I think your idea of moving the fire extinguisher an excellent idea!
 
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#4 ·
Dang, that is awful... I'm glad they survived...
I hope the authorities catch the trash responsible for that attack.

Haborless, keep in mind that the flare can bounce off the target and burn through your boat - water will not put it out, only make things worse. Using flares for self defense should be limited to shooting your target before they get into your boat. And you should practice before you rely on it. Spear guns can be used as well.
 
#5 ·
I think that if one does not wish to use firearms for self defense aboard a yacht, wasp spray is the only viable option. As mentioned, a flare gun is more likely to destroy the boat than an attacker and a spear gun is pretty ineffective in an enclosed space.
On the other hand, wasp spray will shoot a concerted stream around 20 feet and it will disable anyone hit in the face. It is more than painful; it requires professional medical attention, which means the attacker can either go blind or be apprehended by the authorities when getting medical care.
What bothers me the most about these attacks (Bequia, Frigate Island Anchorage, Tobago, just to name a recent few) is that they are happening within tiny communities and yet the police do not seem to be able to identify the attackers, or perhaps they do not wish to?
It is unfathomable to me that the local police do not know the identities of these few violent offenders living in such tiny communities, let alone the persons responsible for the almost daily dinghy thefts throughout the islands.
The safety and security of visitors to some islands has fallen to the business owners and residents (Portsmouth, Dominica and Admiralty Bay, Bequia have established private security groups) as the government officials honestly do not seem to care.
In the seventies, any violence against visitors in general and yachts in particular was not tolerated by the governments of the West Indies, as witnessed by the occasional public hanging for crimes involving violence against outsiders. But I guess the police have to want to catch these criminals before they can be held responsible for their actions?
 
#12 ·
Best defense is to be big, ugly, and carry a KA-BAR on your hip. But the downside is more than just robbers tend to avoid you.
As most cruisers are a bit beyond their "fighting" days, carrying any bladed weapon is pretty much supplying your attackers with another weapon.
 
#16 ·
I would get something like this pepper spray to have on board. I've had it sprayed on my face for training purposes and it is HOT. It will make a person regret messing with you. I know it works and would recommend it. If you spray someone else, it might effect yourself too but at least the worse of it would be on the other guy.
 
#17 ·
same can be said for guns...maybe even wasp or bear spray?.. so what do we do jump overboard?
I would not recommend bear spray. When I did training and got hit with pepper spray, the trainers said bear spray WILL cause permenant damage blinding a person. If it sprays back onto yourself, it will cause damage that way as well.
 
#20 · (Edited)
#24 ·
As a matter of fact you said: "The world is an ugly place" It isn't.

Scenery notwithstanding the vast majority of the world's population is not likely to 'take a machete to a woman' or anyone else for that matter.

Besides, what makes you think that the young lady in the last photo is not likely to go all Lizzie Borden on your butt?
 
#26 ·
a very real problem to those of us who are out here right now. We need a simple, easy, legal and cheap solution to these attacks.
I was in the anchorage in Admiralty Bay, Bequia the night a boat was attacked and the captain shot. The attack in Tobago is only about 90 miles from where I am anchored right now (and where I am/was? headed next week), and last night's attack is only about 40 miles north, in an anchorage we frequent.
Capta, I have a serious question. As you say you are 'out there', obviously in very close proximity to these violent events.

Honestly speaking, how much do you worry about security? Do you go to bed each night concerned that you might be the next target? Are you traveling with family? How secure do they feel?

What is the consensus among your fellow cruisers in those areas regarding the level of threat?

I am really interested in finding out about the realities of cruising.

Thanks.
 
#173 ·
I am really interested in finding out about the realities of cruising.

Thanks.
Here is my reality: Pretty places cease to be attractive cruising grounds when the locals start hacking visitors into small pieces with machetes.

Its a big world. There are lots of pretty places. Many of them completely deserted. Ergo no risk of unpleasant encounters with blade wielding psychos.
 
#27 ·
Well I have anchored in Frigate bay many times including twice this year. I walk around ashore and am respectful of the locals when I do.

I cruise up and down the Eastern Caribbean and feel pretty safe as I do.

Sure there are places I steer clear of, usually where there is a fair bit of Ganja trading going on like Chateaubelair in St Vincent or there is a known trouble area such as bits of Port of Spain in Trinidad.
 
#28 ·
Well I have anchored in Frigate bay many times including twice this year. I walk around ashore and am respectful of the locals when I do.

I cruise up and down the Eastern Caribbean and feel pretty safe as I do.

Sure there are places I steer clear of, usually where there is a fair bit of Ganja trading going on like Chateaubelair in St Vincent or there is a known trouble area such as bits of Port of Spain in Trinidad.
sounds like Russian roulette to me. You can never be sure of the trouble area at any one time and place can you?
 
#29 ·
James Baldwin's sensible solution is to keep the attackers out of the cabin (clicky-clicky).
 
#31 · (Edited)
James Baldwin's sensible solution is to keep the attackers out of the cabin
Looks great!!! And you still get full air-flow to keep cool.

Also you can be safe inside and squirt wasp spray/ tear gas etc out with the wind behind you.

in this particular attack it would not have been useful because the attack was a dinner time when the secure door would not have been in place.

I think a good way is to have proper defensive things close at hand.

here is a certain boats set up that I may have seen:


CS Gas "Tear Gas" is attached to the companionway with velcro. Perfect position for instant use if the owner looks out into the cockpit. This gas would fill the cockpit making it untenable to stay there.


The Gang Warefare size Tear Gas in a gell form so it can be sprayed into the wind. The gell was invented for use in nightclubs where Security people can squirt one person but not everyone else. Its range is quite large and would get to the stern of the boat from the secure position locked inside :)


Even the Duck has his own tear gas in gell form. In bed the velcroed small cylinder is quiety and instantly at hand to squirt up and out through the hatch above, directly into the wind.

Mark
 
#30 ·
This is disturbing news. One of our favorite charter trips is St Lucia to Grenada. We've had absolutely no problems in the area and try our best to treat everyone well, understanding the lay of the land, a place where we are the visitors. That said, there are bad actors everywhere (including back home, but back home we have the local knowledge). It is interesting, on the news even on the Cape there are stories everyday of violence, but somehow it is more disturbing when it happens someplace we like to visit.

Any local advice of where the trouble hot spots are, and how do you long time cruisers stay out of trouble in the Grenadines.
 
#33 ·
From St Lucia down to Grenada there are three places I currently avoid plus one I am careful about.

Vieux Fort anchorage St Lucia. Theft from boats.

Chateaubelair St Vincent [ Local Gov. is working to make this a safe place but I don't anchor there anymore which is a pity as the anchorage on the North side is a pretty one.] Lots of ganja is grown in this area. I would not advise hiking without a local guide.

The south west portion of Admiralty Bay Bequia. There is some one who swims out from the beach and robs boats. Also there have been two instances where guns have been used.

I am careful about anchoring in the main harbor in Canouan. There have been several instances of stuff being stolen from boats at anchor. The story goes that it is down to one guy who gets caught, spends a month or two in jail, gets out and does it again.
 
#32 ·
Honestly speaking, how much do you worry about security? Do you go to bed each night concerned that you might be the next target? Are you traveling with family? How secure do they feel?
I've spent four seasons on the Caribbean and in most places I do't give security a second thought. In some places(e.g. St Vincent being one), heightened vigilance and higher levels of situational awareness are wise. Places with more than sporadic violence (e.g. Hugh-land) are best avoided altogether.

What is the consensus among your fellow cruisers in those areas regarding the level of threat?
Consensus among cruisers? Are you kidding? It's the lack of consensus and broad diversity in the community that makes them such a charming bunch. :D
 
#35 ·
The myth that wasp spray is a good, or even better alternative to other products that are self defence specific is not something that should be perpetuated.

But that's just my humble opinion, your mileage may vary.

That being said, anyone, and I mean ANYONE who has been in the immediate area while "wasp spray" is being used and can compare it to being in the immediate area while pepper spray and/or mace, etc. was in use will support the hypothesis that CHOOSING insecticide over another proven method of self defence spray is just plain silly.
Rob,

I have no way to "prove" which is better and I'm not advocating for either. My first choice was Fox pepper sprays until customs authorities seized them. They did not seize the insect sprays I also had on board. So if you have to cross a risky place and you don't have a can of pepper spray squirreled away somewhere, wasp spray may be the answer.

My guess is that the dude at the CIA may have had experience with both products. He liked the combination of wide availability, spray pattern and range, and relative effectiveness of wasp spray.

As for the links you posted....cruisers are not likely to encounter a bear except in Alaska, Canada or elsewhere in the high Arctic, where large caliber firearms are permitted, even required in some places. Relying only bear spray (to say nothing about some people who feel safe with a "bear bell" pinned to their shirt) would be silly when more effective firepower is available.

As for the Okla. self defense instructor, he's selling something to people who apparently have the option to buy either. Some people will only have access to wasp sprays. Also, most self-defense courses suggest you spray and run away. Running away from a drug crazed guy with a machete whose just boarded your boat is not an option. If you're going to put up any resistance at all, you'll need to follow the advice of the CIA guy and spray for immediate effect and then follow up aggressively with a baton, baseball bat or other blunt object.

I really like the heavy wire grate shown several posts above. I'm going to have one made for BR's next trip through the Caribbean.
 
#38 · (Edited)
We choose a suite of options, including avoiding risky locations, bad weather lee shores, and thin water. I've been a pedestian on the streets of many port towns. The line between a 'safe neighborhood' and a rough one is thin. The spice market in Doha was colorful, but we didn't feel it was dangerous. Jacksonville FL did.
In Christianstead, St. Croix, we had a flat tire. The police zoomed up behind us, jumped out, informed me of the low tire, then ran across the steet to break up a wife beating in progress. We had to wait for the rental company to bring a spare tire. We felt vonerable on a rough street.
The only place that we were boarded by strangers was while docked in Annapolis MD.
We confronted a woman peeing in the cockpit!
Would she have deficated? I don't know, but she said that I scared the $h!# out of her.
No, I didn't shoot her, she left quickly pulling up her pants.
 
#39 ·
We stopped in Chateaublaire some years back.. it didn't 'feel' right, only one other boat in sight so we 'checked in' and moved on further down the coast. We've often heard off and on that areas of St Lucia are ill advised. This is the first incident we've heard of at Frigate.

There's no forgiving ANYONE, ANY AGE, taking a machete to another person, as far as I'm concerned they've clearly crossed the line and anything they receive is on them.

When we have cruised the island chain our hosts work hard to get along with the locals. They use the boat boys, including dinghy watchers (it costs little and hopefully generates goodwill) It's not hard to imagine that word of mouth travels quickly and your boat may become 'off limits' for pilfering. Of course whether that scenario would have prevented such a blatantly violent criminal act is debatable.

On the flip side, we've observed cruisers rejecting the boat boys, loudly announcing that they are crooks etc in local watering holes.. equally easy to think that would breed resentment and perhaps make you a target... I remember another incident where, after we had a delightful walk around Charlottetown in Nevis, at the dinghy dock the owner of a 100+ foot motoryacht was telling everyone that would listen that there's 'nothing here'..

I'm certainly not saying these latest victims acted as the latter - there's no info I've seen about that, and seriously criminal elements anywhere don't need provocation.

The whole situation is one that could naturally breed resentment among locals living with little.. cruisers must be seen as wealthy to them.. even if they really aren't. Many boats are probably worth more than what some of these people might earn in a lifetime. It's almost surprising that they are as generally friendly as they are, and it's nice to be able to add to their local economy.

It's a sad story, hopefully they have the right offenders and they are dealt with appropriately. It's a wonderful cruising grounds, it would be a shame to have to look over your shoulder all the time. We lock the boat, lock the dinghy, etc. as a general precaution and in 5 or 6 visits have happily not had any issues, or even any real scares.
 
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#40 · (Edited)
I'm realize that your idea of the caribbean is sun and waves and steel drums and kum ba ya. The guy holding the machete isn't on a lifetime vacation. Your feelings don't dictate his motives.
Well, being as Mark is currently one of the few here actually posting to this thread from the region, has been there for quite some time, and not to mention has a little bit of voyaging known as a circumnavigation to his credit, well... I'm willing to bet he has a pretty good "idea" of what cruising in the Caribbean is, and what it is not...

Perhaps even a better one, than from some of us posting to an internet sailing forum, from 'safely' inside of Fortress America... :)
 
#47 ·
Fair enough, but you make the assumption that I haven't spent a lot of time there. I lived in the Caribbean for several years and have travelled there many times since leaving, albeit not on a sailboat floating around in nice, tourist areas. I know what I'm talking about.

Get off the boat and go live in the typical ramshackle third-world neighborhoods that are several blocks inland from the nice pretty waterfront. After a few weeks you can tell me all about how lovely life is in most of those areas, particulary at night time.

I'm not saying that all of the islands are all dangerous, not by a long shot. But it is disengenous to put forth the romantic notion that it's all Gilligan's Island and sipping milk from coconuts. If you can see the cruise ships from where you are standing then you aren't anywhere close to the reality of the slum life prevalent in many areas there.

Situational awareness is key, no matter where in the world you happen to be. If you are anchoring for the night in St. Petersburg, FL you will think it's the greatest place around. If you wander a mile inland and sleep in your car in the Church's Chicken parking lot you might discover a whole new reality.
 
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