FAQ - Do you worry about pirates?

When we were in the Indian Ocean, David wrote a blog about piracy concerns in the area. Incidents of piracy in the Indian Ocean were all the news, especially after watching Captain Phillips.

We were very aware of potential problems off the Somalian coast. We planned to stay offshore well south of the questionable area. We were not particularly worried, nor did we have any problems, but we were certainly cognizant of the issues and aware of the four Americans aboard the yacht Quest who were pirated and murdered in 2011. When we were heading from the Guianas back into the Caribbean Sea, the questions were posed again. We received several inquiries from friends and readers about piracy in the Caribbean in light of several attacks near Trinidad and the Venezuelan coast, the area in which we would be sailing. This time we were more concerned.

Piracy has been a problem since men started plying the ocean waters. According to Wiki, “the earliest documented instances of piracy were in the 14th century BC” in the Mediterranean and the Aegean Seas. Certainly, Treasure Island and Pirates of the Caribbean has provided lots of piratical entertainment for audiences in a very romanticized way. In truth, however, the pirates who plied the Caribbean waters... and there were many... were known to be excessively barbaric and cruel. In the Golden Age of Piracy (1650-1730), L'Olonnais, Captain Kidd, Blackbeard and countless others wreaked havoc throughout the Caribbean. Some, like Sir Francis Drake and Henry Morgan, were sanctioned by the Crown.

Today's pirates of the Caribbean are not sanctioned by any government, but they are just as real and just as ruthless and bear no resemblance to Johnny Depp.

Statistically, piracy attacks are down worldwide, but that makes little difference to the individual yachts that are attacked. Actually, only larger ships are counted in the statistics and most yacht attacks are downplayed in the interest of local tourism.

Just after our passage from the Guianas to Trinidad in December, two yachts were boarded at gunpoint and robbed by pirates. The coast of Venezuela seems to be a particularly troublesome pirate hotspot at the present time.

So what can cruisers do to protect themselves against pirates?

1. Well, larger yachts hire armed security guards. We are not a larger yacht. We do not carry guns aboard. We figure we'd be outgunned anyway.
2. Officials say “avoid known pirate areas” (duh!). This makes sense if you're cruising and not passage-making. For sure, anchoring in known pirate areas is inviting problems.
3. Since we had no choice but to sail through an area known for piracy, we heeded the local advice. Most pirate attacks in the area have been in open boats with big, fast engines, so outrunning them is not a possibility. Instead, we stayed well offshore away from the Venezuelan coastline and away from the usual travel routes.
4. Traveling at night is recommended … on a multi-day passage this is kind of difficult, but if we were sailing between the islands, it's reasonable and would have done it.
5. Traveling in company is a recommendation. In our case, there was no one to travel with, so we traveled alone, but there's definitely safety in numbers. Forming a flotilla of boats to make a passage through a high-risk area makes good sense.
6. Some advocate “sailing dark” and “sailing silent”, ie no running lights, no radio communication. We did not opt to do this, but we've certainly done it on occasions in the past when sailing off the coast of Colombia into Cartagena.
7. Stay alert. I'm not sure what tactics you might employ to thwart a pirate attack, but you'd perhaps have more time to radio for help.
8. If you're accosted, don't fight. Your life isn't worth the gear the pirates steal. Easier said than done, perhaps, when you're the one being violated and it's your gear they're walking off with. Still, sage advice to live by.

Though the number of pirate attacks on yachts in the Caribbean seems to be increasing, we sometime wonder if part of the increase is due to the fact that more yachts are filing formal reports. Both the Venezuelan and Trinidadian national coast guards have increased their patrols in the area providing a bit more security, but caution and careful itinerary decisions rule.

We have been boarded while in a marina and while in a boatyard and had things stolen from the boat. Those are security issues, not piracy. The chances of being boarded by pirates, if reasonable common sense is used, are probably pretty slim, something like being car-jacked. Still, I'd say offhand, we're probably lucky. The only pirates we've actually encountered have been tradesmen and vendors who “saw us coming” in boatyards and a few friendly buccaneers in Charleston, South Carolina who politely reserved a boarding time in advance.

Kitchen Lessons

Being out of the loop of modern galleys, I mean kitchens, for long periods, leaves us at a disadvantage when we come back. We just don't know how to operate in the kitchen. Add together the trendy, high-tech, non-intuitive appliances, the different venues (Boston and Las Vegas) and our bad memories and we are challenged daily to perform basic tasks. I've already outlined the issues just trying to learn how to use our iPhone, but it just gets worse and worse. I don't think we're techno-phobes, just techno-ignorants.

Here's what I mean …

Many times I'm the first one up in the morning and want to get the coffee started. Well, both Lin and Mary have high tech coffee makers which not only make coffee (which is really all I want to do), as well as set the time to start the coffee, when to shut it off, how to make it bold or regular, feed the dog/cat, etc., etc., etc. How many scoops do you put in? ( 6 at Lin's; 3 heaping at Mary's). How do you keep the water from spilling all over the place when you're filling up the reservoir? (No one knows) Oh, yes, and use the reverse osmosis water only. When making the coffee, hold in one button till the BOLD icon lights up, then press it again to start brewing the coffee. Now I realize, there are much more complicated coffee makers than this, but you're talking to a girl who typically adds boiling water from her whistling kettle to instant Nescafe or an Earl Grey tea bag and calls it done.

Or how about the microwave? Yes, we have one aboard. We bought it in 2000 when we started sailing and we think it still works. We can only use it when we have shore power, which is rare. Even when we're in a marina, we forget we have it. We use it primarily as a Faraday cage for the electronic instruments during electrical storms. So figuring out how to use Lin's was tricky. We finally managed and then hers broke and she bought a new one and we started all over again. Then we came to Mary's and hers was a whole new beast. Reading a manual to figure out how to heat leftovers seems counter-productive somehow. I've always preferred cold leftovers.

The fridge-freezer? You couldn't be expected to open the door to get water or ice and no, there are no ice cube trays to refill. You have to select which you want, however, (cold water, cubes, crushed, etc) and try not to change the fridge temperature or set off any alarms while you're doing it. We have no ice cubes aboard … mostly because we have no freezer. We open the fridge lid, take out cold stuff, close the lid. That's it. No technology involved. Cold water comes from the faucet; hot water comes from the tea kettle.

Lin's stove allows two timers to operate at once (although I use my analog wristwatch since I haven't learned to set even one timer yet) and there are all sorts of options for top-of-stove burner use and setting oven functions. Mary's stove is more user-friendly. It's gas (I'm used to that) and as long as I don't have to use the oven, I'm good as.

Play a DVD or watch TV while cooking? I can't even contemplate this. It's like walking and chewing gum at the same time. After dinner, I'm happy to hand the TV remote(s) to someone who cares and seems responsible and head to my computer or iPad where I can watch a YouTube about correct and proper refrigerator use.

There are blenders, mixers, and food processors, pasta makers and rice cookers, popcorn makers, slow cookers, fast cookers, electric griddles, egg steamers and SodaStreams. Oh, we'll eventually catch up once we have a house and have to use all the gadgets every day, but in the meantime, it's nearly overwhelming. Give me a GPS, chartplotter, AIS, radar, Navionics charts on an iPad … now we're talking easy to use.

10 Unexpectedly Cool Ports of Call

We rarely find a port we don't like, but some are such pleasant surprises, we're amazed we hadn't heard more about them before we visited. What's our criteria for “unexpectedly cool”? Well, it's usually a small port that's welcoming and cruiser-friendly and offers some interesting things to see and do that we were just not anticipating.

Mosselbaai (Mossel Bay), South Africa

We anchored just off the friendly Mossel Bay Yacht and Boat Club, located on South Africa's south coast. Everything is close and within walking distance. There are pleasant walks to the point and great views from the Cape St. Blaize Lighthouse. The best part of Mosselbaai, however, is the Bartolomeu Dias Museum Complex, just a stone's throw from the anchorage. This maritime museum is excellent and thoroughly enjoyable.

Deshaies, Guadeloupe

The small Caribbean port of Deshaies (Day-hay), Guadeloupe is wonderfully French. The aromas of coffee, freshly baked croissants and baguettes waft into the anchorage each morning and beg the crew to come ashore. The surprise was the pleasant, 15-acre Jardin Botanique (Botanical Garden) within walking distance from the dinghy dock.

Streaky Bay, South Australia

Streaky Bay is a little coastal town on the western side of the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia. The anchorage is idyllic, well protected from the winds and weather of the Great Australian Bight. Again, there are all the basic cruiser amenities, but beyond checking out the great white shark replica at the Streaky Bay Roadhouse, we enjoyed one of the finest dinners we've ever had at Mocean (pronounced Motion … like ocean with an M).

Neiafu, Tonga

If you've ever imagined a tiny South Pacific port where old-time trading ships pulled up to the docks and offloaded their cargoes, this is the place. The myriad of islands and islets to visit within this protected area seem limitless. The culture, the high quality Tongan carvings at colorful markets, the warmth and generosity of the Tongan people made this South Pacific nirvana.

Eden, New South Wales, Australia

A small, protected coastal port along the southeast Australian coast, Eden is a lovely place to catch your breath. The Killer Whale Museum is a highlight, but the town is so pleasant, friendly, and walkable, we could have stayed for months.

Strahan, Tasmania

After bashing down the wild west coast of Tasmania and entering through Hell's Gate into Macquarie Harbour, we weren't prepared for the beauty and calm of Strahan. The town is picturesque and lively and the anchorage is calm … a lovely surprise for weary sailors.

Dunedin, South Island, New Zealand

Dunedin is a gem of a city on New Zealand's south island. It's definitely not small, but it was a surprise nonetheless. A university town, it's vibrant and culturally engaging with museums and parks and everything's within walking distance. It's a great base for exploring the Otago peninsula or heading inland on the Taieri Gorge Railway.

Port Louis, Mauritius

In the middle of the Indian Ocean, we just didn't expect St. Louis, Mauritius to be as cosmopolitan and welcoming as it was. From the colorful, historic foreshore to the traditional Saturday afternoon horse races to the inland tea and sugar cane plantation tours, we were kept busy and entertained throughout our stay.

Lüderitz, Namibia

We chose to stop in Lüderitz, Namibia because it was a convenient stop between Cape Town, South Africa and St. Helena Island. We didn't anticipate enjoying our stay as much as we did. A neat and tidy German colonial town, the town is isolated from the rest of the country by the diamond fields that surround it. The diamond-mining ghost town of Kolmanskop is highly recommended as a tourist stop, but walks around town, out to Shark Island and along the rugged coast are outstanding.

Searsport, Maine

It's been a long time since we visited the little seacoast town of Searsport, Maine, but the hospitality of the town is indelibly imprinted in our memories. The town is dubbed "the home of the famous sea captains" and the "Antique Capital of Maine" and we enjoyed the nautical spirit of the place and the people. Wayne Hamilton, owner of Hamilton Marine, a stellar chandlery, greeted us himself and showed us to a free visitor's mooring, then offered a ride to the chandlery and the classy Penobscot Marine Museum.