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Venezuelan Navy intervention with US Sailboat provokes the loss of our vessel

9K views 31 replies 18 participants last post by  WanderingStar 
#1 ·
#2 ·
i'm glad you and your family are safe,dealing with foreign officials/citizens can be unpredictable,lets face it most of the world aren't a big fan of the u.s.,theres many innocent americans langishing in foreign jails with no hope of even a trial,i'll be interested in hearing the whole story,what ever the details i wouldn't expect any justice or even an official apoligy
 
#5 ·
I am very sorry for your loss.

When you can give us some more details please:

"demanded that they return to El Grand Roque Island, 15 miles east of the location they had been hailed, under VZ Coast Guard escort.
The series of events that followed resulted in their sailing vessel running aground; .... The escorting VZ Patrol Boat, which was directing the sailing vessel course of travel ..."

What was that serie of incidents? and what you mean by "directing the sailing vessel" other than telling you to return to El Grand Roque Island and escort you?

Regards

Paulo
 
#6 ·
Venezuela - Good place to avoid?

Venezuela

"Incidents of piracy off the coast of Venezuela remain a concern, and foreigners have been targeted. Attacks on foreign tourists in Venezuelan coastal waters and around Margarita Island have increased over the last several years. Recent attacks have been especially violent, including the murder of a U.S. citizen on his boat in November 2008, and the killing of a French yachter in September 2008. Previous violent attacks include the
severe beating of a U.S. citizen in 2002, the fatal shooting of an Italian citizen in January 2004, and a machete attack on a U.S. citizen in 2005. U.S. citizen yachters should note that anchoring off shore is not considered safe. Marinas, including those in Puerto la Cruz and Margarita Island (Porlamar), provide only minimal security, and U.S. citizens should exercise a heightened level of caution in Venezuelan waters. Please consult the U.S. Coast Guard website for additional information on sailing in Venezuela.

In addition to security concerns, yachters should be aware of registration and other required permits in order to anchor in Venezuelan marinas. U.S. citizens docking in Venezuela are strongly encouraged to check with local authorities regarding the proper documentation for their vessels and themselves.

Furthermore, rules governing the sale of fuel to foreign sailors in Venezuela vary by state. U.S. citizen yachters should inquire about specific state procedures prior to attempting to purchase fuel in any given location."
 
#31 ·
I am venezuelan and it makes me sad to post this, ive been living in Margarita island for 6 years now, because living in caracas became too dangerous, I am a lawyer, I am 35 years old, and sailboat owner too, and i have to post this because im sick and tired of seeing tourist from all over the word being mugged and kidnapped at gunpoint, and bribed by the coast guards as well as by the police, and national guards, ive seen many ships wrecked, seized, vandalized and in the best of cases very deteriorated by coast guards and police intervention, I love my country but I hate to say if its not safe for venezuelans It certainly cannot be safe for tourist so if you should really have to come take all the precautions you can and i mean all, because sometimes the same pirates are coast guards and police, again im sorry to post this but if i dont id feel guilty if i ever get to read or see something like what started all the postings
 
#10 ·
Moderators warning ... this thread lurches perilously close to being counted as political. If it descends further into discussion of the rights and wrongs, the lefts and rights and the sanity or otherwise of Hugo Chavez it will end up being punted to Off Topic.

That said I too wonder why any American, given the discord twixt successive US administrations and the Chavez regime, would choose to go to Venezuela.
 
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#12 ·
Moderators warning ... this thread lurches perilously close to being counted as political. If it descends further into discussion of the rights and wrongs, the lefts and rights and the sanity or otherwise of Hugo Chavez it will end up being punted to Off Topic.

That said I too wonder why any American, given the discord twixt successive US administrations and the Chavez regime, would choose to go to Venezuela.
Please do not punt this until we get a official report of what happened. I for one would love to here the details of how they were forced to run aground.
 
#11 ·
They asked us to change our course, and insisted that we sail they way they wanted to; we had to instruct them how the sailboat couldn't do what they wanted us to do; we will publish the official report, working with the insurance company. A very stressful experience when you are being followed by an armed vessel.
 
#19 ·
They asked us to change our course, and insisted that we sail they way they wanted to; we had to instruct them how the sailboat couldn't do what they wanted us to do; we will publish the official report, working with the insurance company. A very stressful experience when you are being followed by an armed vessel.
We are still waiting for that report.

What you tell us is vague.

Asked to change the course? And how that will endanger your boat? You explain them what you could and could not do, it seems that they have accepted that. You were doing what your boat could do? How has that lead to an accident? What part on that accident is due to the Venezuelan Navy and why?

Lots of questions. When you have time tell us all the story please.

Regards

Paulo
 
#14 ·
So a discussion on the rights and wrongs of a Venezualan Navy vessel and crew are not political, but the discussion of someone's socail and management skills are?

The distinction eludes me. It is, ah, to be found in what? The paucity of military sailing skills, as opposed to management styles? (It did seem like the style was at quesiton, more so than the skills, but perhaps I misread that.)
 
#20 ·
HS,

Apologies but I missed your post last week.

A discussion on the pros and cons, the sanity or otherwise of any nations leader is bound to end up in off topic. Such a discussion has absolutely nothing to do with sailing as such. The behaviour of a Venezuelan naval vessel and its impact on a sailing vessel is however sailing related, not necessarily political.

Hey, it may stray there and if it does then off to the sewer we go though to date it has not gone off the tracks.
 
#18 ·
If the Venezuela Coast Guard is unaware of the sailing charactistics of a sailboat, the last thing I would want is for them to tow my boat. What if they decide they want to get back to port quickly (it was about to get dark)? The 41' sailboat probably has a hull speed of about 8 knots. I can just see the inept Venezuela Coast Guard trying to do 10 knots or more to port. The loser in that battle will probably be the sailboat. Not a good scenario. Clearly, the owner had a difficult choice.
 
#21 ·
I believe for the sake of this discussion a copy of the the official reports as prepared by myself and the Venezuelan Armada would be a good starting point. Again, I'm working with my insurance company, and promise to provide both reports when this matter is settled. As Captain of Apuej BienI take full responsibility for the grounding, however I was not allowed to proceed on a course of my choosing which ultimately impacted the outcome. Hindsight is 20/20.
 
#23 ·
td, apologies graciously accepted but not needed. Perhaps I need to update my charts, they still say "Here be dragons" in some parts, so to me the existence or behavior of dragons is quite relevant to my sailing. Unless one questions the cartographers who put that little warning on the charts. Money, politics, mind-altering drugs...there must be some reason for that note on the charts. Do not lick the quill pen after using the silver ink, perhaps? <G>
 
#27 ·
Look, steel, I agree with you and I like having a good political stoush (I really do). But let's please keep this marginally sailing related. At the very least, until a copy of the reports are out and we can look them over.
 
#28 ·
I myself am having trouble understanding how the OP got onto the rocks? Short of the Navy forcing them into the rocks as the skipper of the boat are you not responsible for your boat above all others?

Its not clear to me what the OP was doing, nor what the Navy was requesting that he/she do thus I cannot understand how the boat was grounded. I can understand the OP's anguish at loosing his/her boat.
 
#30 ·
It might be interesting to know what flag Apuej BIEN sails under. The US Vessel Documentation Center has no record of it, so apparently this incident concerns a vesselflying an unknown flag, while in Venezualan waters, although the blog seems to indicate the owners are resident in Floirda? Is the vessel simply state registered in Florida? Or flagged in Venezuala? Or...?

I don't recognize "Apuej" in my limited language sets, how about a hint here?
 
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