7) Piracy Notes

Read a little and talked to some locals and we are deciding to bypass Isla Margarita off the Venezuelan coast.  Some piracy had occurred most recently and it’s wise to stay away.  The February 2005 ‘Caribbean Compass’ newspaper reported the following: …the Boca Del Rio area of Isla Margarita was recently a hot-spot for thieves targeting yachts.  Two of three thefts there reported in December involved yachts being looted by armed boarders.

            The following story reported in the February 2005 magazine called ‘The Boca’ portrays what piracy can do to dreams: In the last week of December, Rob Colbert and family of s/v Windsalm were robbed at gunpoint at Boca Del Rio on Isla Margarita and fortunately no one was harmed.  Rob explained; four young thieves armed with pistols and knives surprised us at midnight, rummaging while keeping us at bay for two hours.  They took all our cameras, GPS, computer, watches, dive gear and radios valued at US $7,000.  Rob reported the theft but the police seemed only to be interested in the description of the guns.  “I doubt that anything will be recovered”, Rob continued.

            Rob and Jo recently left Chaguaramas after spending 1-1/2 years doing extensive upgrading of their Westsail 32 at Peake Yacht Services with lots of help from his wife Jo and their three boys.  Their plans were to sail to the South Pacific and then back home to British Columbia, Canada.  “We haven’t made definite plans yet, but we are considering shipping the boat home,” Rob said.  “ We just need time to heal the wounds.”

            The owner of the refrigeration shop said there was recently a very bad act of piracy off Isla Margarita.

Here is another article from ‘The Boca’: A captain of a 50’ trawler who regularly travels between Cumana, Venezuela and Trinidad recently visited the Boca office offering some good advice relating to traveling along the northwest coast of Venezuela.  “Twenty-five miles off is still too close since boats can easily be spotted from shore and easily intercepted by high-speed pirates.  I have had it happen and I say that fifty miles offshore is much better,” said the captain that wished to remain anonymous.  He suggested that the crew should be alert at all times and suggested to keep running lights off.  “And one last thing,” he continued, “I recommend to avoid Puerto Santos area completely.”

11.02.2005 at 0400 LT in posn 10:16N - 064:35W, cement terminal, Pertigalete port, Venezuela. 

Two unlit boats approached a bulk carrier within 100m.  Security guards fired warning shots and boats moved away.