Perception and Reality on Security

Well at this time we are back in Antigua after a sail down Island to St Lucia and the Pitons.The Islands as one sails south are very dramatic and lush with vegatation. It is hard to imagine with such beauty that one needs to concern them selves with security for both property and personal well being. The thought was brought to my attention the other day by a long time cruiser who has lived in the Islands for some time now. If we are in the main stream world and our 25,000$ car is stolen we call our insurance company. Down here in the Islands if our dingy is stolen we get our shorts in a huge tuff and alarm the cruising world of how bad security is. Well if you lock your car and take the keys the chances of your car being stolen are less than if you left the keys in the ignition. The same is true if you leave your dingy unlocked. On the personal side ones personal security is another story. On our recent trip down island we were alarmed to learn of the armed boardings and robberys on St Vincent. In particular the anchorage at Chataubelair. Their were two incendents before Christmass and two just after the new year. Armed with machete's thugs boarded an anchored yacht with a couple aboard and injured the captain and threated their lives if they did not produce all of the money they had. The captain was cut severely in trying to bravely repel the attack. As a result of this we did not sail anywhere near the Island of St Vincent and have no intention at this time of doing so. This is very unfortunate for the people of St Vincent as they need the visiting yachts to help with what is a very poor economy. So what does one do in light of these issues. As for personal protection one is faced with the delima of weather or not to resist and attack or to sucumb to it. Despite the fact that the couple had given them all of their money they still assaulted them. Carrying weapons has it's own problems and most countrys will not allow you to have them abaord while you are visitnig. I think that sailing in company with other yachts is one of the best forms of security as all of these incendents were against lone anchored yachts. Make sure that getting aboard the boat is not easy. Raise your dingy out of the water and make sure that the boarding ladder is not over the side overnite. By stringing lines across the deck so as to cause tripping and to put obsticals at entry points can at least alarm one to a boarding. This is no less than a home invasion and must be taken very seriously. We have made our own version of pepper spray using spray bottles and HOT HOT HOT liquid pepper as a personal wepon. I can only imagine how it would feel to have this stuff sprayed in your face ,eyes and nose. It appears that these thugs are a very violent segment of the Island community. I have not and hope to never meet any of these people. I will say that most all of the Islanders we meet are wonderful people and are always willing to help in many ways. Many provide great services that make our visits more enjoyable. I will say that this issue has changed my perception of paradise and unfortunatly made one become a bit more paranoid about being anchored alone off some remote island. Sure one can say that the numbers are small as compared to the dark side of a major city back in the states or europe for that matter. None the less perception or reality in certain circumstances I find myself sleeping with one foot on the floor. We have chosen as a fundemental philosiphy to defend ourselves. If one is to be attacked by violent thugs I am going down with a fight.