[TrishLambert]

Jonathan--

I don''t think your questions are paranoid. Rather, they are prudent. The concerns you raise are valid, and do need some thought and planning.

About your dinghy--yes, it may be at risk. I suggest that you think about locking systems that will discourage a thief from taking the time to try to break through. It''s a terrible thing to have to say, but look from the viewpoint of the thief, and make it more attractive to focus on some other dinghy. Thing is, if they want to steal a dinghy, they will...and you want to make sure it''s not yours. Also, when you are at anchor, hoist your dinghy out of the water at night and, again, lock it. Ditto the outboard. When I was in Cartagena, the nighttime thiefs (who were fishermen by day) were extremely adept at lifting outboards off hoisted dinghies...sometimes with the skipper asleep in the cockpit right next to them!!! That said, don''t think about this in terms of only the Caribbean. U.S. anchorages can be risky as well...one cruiser I know had his dinghy stolen in West Palm Beach FL.

Security extends on land as well. Be careful when you are doing any banking transactions and assume that you are being watched. We always jumped in a taxi as soon as we did our banking business even if we were going within walking business, to deter any muggers who might be lurking. Also, do not wear any flashy jewelry (including watches) when you walk around on land--thieves can be very creative about how they relieve you of those belongings.

As far as insurance, I was also not insured when I was in the Caribbean. Now, on my current boat, we carry a policy we procured through West Marine that has pretty extensive coverage (which, of course, we pay for). Insurance companies will have policies and procedures for the Caribbean, since it is such a popular boating center.

When it comes to officials, in my books and talks I always make the point that if you hate bureaucracy, you might want to think twice about cruising. Even in U.S. waters, we have to interface with a lot more government agents than we did when we lived on land. When you leave the country, the interfaces multiply greatly. And you never know who you will be dealing with...some people can be very petty and wield their power almost brutally, while others can be quite friendly. Best way to prepare is to talk to as many folks as you can who have recently come from the place you are headed. They can give you the context of their experience and knowledge of the government interfaces, and it will be the most up to date. We did this when we were in Costa Rica, and elected to completely bypass a popular cruising stop because the official there was bullying visiting yachts and there was no way to counter his behavior.

Hope this helps with your PRUDENT questions!