[ltgoshen]

Better be careful in this area.

http://http://www.noonsite.com/Countries/Curacao/bonaire-and-curacao-no-coast-guard-patrols-by-sea

 

[hellosailor]

"Curacao is a popular island for drug transit"
And the druggies have gotten so bold about beating up the Dutch CG that they are afraid to patrol now??
That's gonna put a wet blanket of the tourist trade. Or a new row of shops on the duty-free strip.

 

[Group9]

That's not good.

 

[hellosailor]

"That's not good. "

Depends on whether you're buying or...Oh, wait. Wrong forum.(G)

 

[Yorksailor]

The ABC's are very close to the Venezuelan coast and are a major hurricane season destination and transit stop for boats going from the Caribbean to the Panama Canal. Many hundreds of cruising boats visit each year.

If the Dutch Coast Guard surrender those waters to the Venezuelan drug runners and pirates the area could be come as dangerous to transit as the rest of the Venezuelan coast.

Phil

 

[ltgoshen]

York That looks like what is going to happen here. Darn shame. Looks like a nice place to chill in and around Sept -November

 

[zeehag]

venezuela has been in a state of revolution all summer.
it is no longer recommended for travellers. they especially do no twish usa travellers to go there.
avoid if you wish to maintain your own autonomy.
friends there have so advised me.
seems these 2 islands might be a lil too close to venezuela for anyones comfort.

 

[SansaBoat]

That's kind of weak on the coast guard's part. Bonaire is such a quaint little island. I dream of cruising there someday, and doing a few weeks of scuba diving.

 

[Yorksailor]

Sans,

We have spent a total of 10 months in Bonaire and have made 200 dives there. It is the best place in the Caribbean to spend hurricane season. It has been safe and the moorings are $10/day...no anchoring as the entire island is a marine sanctuary.Curacao is a good refit center at reasonable prices and when we were there a year ago the Coast Guard were very active.

However, the Dutch have a history of not being non-confrontational in military and police matters...In Amsterdam they appear to hide from the street dealers! The article in the Curacao paper spoke of the Coast Guard being concerned about violence towards their people. I am not sure how you intimidate a 60 ft Coast Guard cutter with a 40mm cannon on the bow!

Hopefully it will be resolved an Bonaire will remain safe and wonderful. In one of the pictures you can see the cruisers on the moorings just off the City wall and the 100 ft scuba dive
off their sterns.

https://www.google.com/search?q=bon...a=X&ei=hkyAVL-yNYqngwTGloPAAg&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAg

 

[SansaBoat]

Very true - if I were the captain of a 60' cutter with a machine gun, I don't think I'd be too concerned about being intimidated. I'd probably have a napoleon complex and strut that cutter all over the place sucking up free drinks and inspecting boats just for fun.

We love Bonaire and hope this stuff doesn't spoil an idyllic paradise:

 

[Group9]

However, the Dutch has a history of not being non-confrontational in military and police matters...In Amsterdam they appear to hide from the street dealers! The article in the Curacao paper spoke of the Coast Guard being concerned about violence towards their people. I am not sure how you intimidate a 60 ft Coast Guard cutter with a 40mm cannon on the bow!

https://www.google.com/search?q=bon...a=X&ei=hkyAVL-yNYqngwTGloPAAg&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAg

I agree. But, I've worked in places where the local law enforcement had become scared of the criminals and those are not fun places to be.

 

[zeehag]

i think this change has to do morewith the state of revolution maduro has created in venezuela than w ith drug running at this time.
in case no one noticed, the govt of venezuela began confiscating yachts a little over a year ago, and the outlying islands of venezuela now have limited access to foodstuffs and provisions to the point of fail. studdents at the university whop protest this dictatorship and conditions are being killed in the streets. this has come to a slowdown, but there are incredibly limited provisions in venezuela and venezuelas outlying islands. (reported online by a resident of margarita island who is a friend of mine)
bonaire is probably quite nice, as is curacao, but the situation bears watching.
iff the govt under maduro begins to occupy these islands, the situation will change towards cruisers in a hotflash, and then is too late.
this could well be what the guardians of that particular coast are most concerned about at present, as maduro keeps doing dastardly dictatorly things to his people and the islands off coast of venezuela.

 

[ltgoshen]

It was on our list of Diving spots for this coming spring. I think we will fly there instead of sailing there. It will not afford us as much time because of the cost of hotels and food ashore. So we jet in dive a few days and jet out. It will be our first time so we will check out the cruisers areas and see if we want to do it by boat sometime in the future. Maybe the political / security climate will change by then. I did a Google search and it looks like the island of Bonaire and Curacao suffer from petty steeling. I hope it stays safe for all of moving forward. Its a beautiful place.
Cheers.

 

[djodenda]

I hope things get sorted out over there. My father was shipwrecked there back in the late 80s and thought it was a great place.. Friendly locals, no crime.. great place.. I hope to visit there some time.

 

[k7el]

So, the Dutch Coast Guard UNION made this decision in the absence of any action from the government? Pretty interesting.

 

[zeehag]

for the past two years there have been warnings posted about the conditions in venezuela.
bonaire and curacao are still , according to friends who regularly cruise those waters currently and as we typo
good luck with your dive trip/
let us know what the atmosphere is in vene towards strangers..i heard it wasnt good.

as for petty theft--that is world wide. not specific to one locale. be ready for that everywhere you go.
revolutions are not universal and could well be a problem in travels of recreational nature.

goodluck

 

[MarkofSeaLife]

Hmmmmm. Well the coastguard seem to be doing a fine job!

confiscatedcocaine15122014WILLEMSTAD, Curacao:--- During a patrol of the Coastguard on Sunday morning in the Spanish Waters of Curacao, a suspicious motor vessel was detected. Immediately the central control room of the Police was contacted. While police units were moving to the area, the Coastguard had intercepted eight bales in the area of Kabrietenbaai. They also noticed a vessel leaving the Spanish Waters at high speed. Upon further investigation, the police found a car at Caracas Bay with six people all born in Curacao. It involves the following suspects: C. S. (21), R.S. (40), L. A. (26), G. S. (24), L. A. (30), and C.K. (41). All six were arrested around 9:30 pm. Around 10:00 am, the police made another arrest in the vicinity of Director's Bay. It was a man, with initials H. S. of 54 years. Later in the day a local boat was also interce

St. Martin News Network - Cooperation between Coastguard and Police leads to 7 arrests and cocaine seizure.