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Subject: Re: [worldcruising] Re: Routes to UK - Piracy
From: Doug Sterrett (dwsterrett@XXX.XXX)
Date: Fri Jan 12 2001 - 10:34:28 EST
Hi Wiets. I read with great interest your comments. I think you shared
some very valid information that was educational to us all. Thanks for
speaking up.
Regards;
Doug
At 02:01 PM 1/12/01 +0200, you wrote:
>Dear Doug Sterrett
>
>I respect your views and thank you for sharing them.
>
>With great respect, you have it good and you don't not know how bad it can
>get. Ask most South
>Africans about crime and a new fearful picture will emerge.
>
>Regrads
>
>Wiets
>
>
>
>Doug Sterrett wrote:
>
>> Rick, I agree with your statements. One has only to look at the crime
>> statistics for any metropolitan area in the US, even in my little neck of
>> the woods, Boise, Idaho, to figure out that you have a lot less chance of
>> being a victim of criminal activity when you leave the US aboard your boat,
>> even in so-called pirate hot-spots. Having said that I have no intention
>> of being complacent overseas and will take precautions to minimize risk,
>> such as choosing routes to avoid known high risk areas, increased
>> vigilance, buddy-boating, etc. I will not carry a gun. Morally I don't
>> think I could pull the trigger and even if I did, I'd probably shoot myself
>> or my wife instead of the "pirate". The "guns on board" issue could start a
>> whole new controversy here.
>> Regards;
>> Doug
>>
>> At 06:50 PM 1/10/01 -0500, you wrote:
>> >Oh good. They've opened a new Fear Monger Shop, right here in our
>> >neighborhood. Folks, don't be swept up in the hysteria of armchair tyros
>> >like this. What a crock.
>> >
>> >It is obvious why big ships are hijacked: that's where the goods are.
A few
>> >dozen containers of cigarettes would make a small enterprise wealthy in
>> >Asia. It is also obvious why real acts of piracy against yachts (hostile
>> >boarding, not just garden variety thefts) are not reported on those web
>> >pages: it just doesn't happen that often. Small yachts just aren't worth
>> >the effort or trouble. We spent 5 years in the pacific cruising and
another
>> >5 years working on Guam. In all that time, the only confirmed deaths or
>> >boarding from "pirates" we knew of happened on the SE corner of Papua New
>> >Guinea (an area embroiled in a low-level civil war for decades--same area
>> >where the killed a Rockefeller many decades ago).
>> >
>> >One of the great things about being an American is that as soon as you
leave
>> >the shores of this country, you've decreased your chance of violent
death at
>> >the hands of criminals many fold.
>> >
>> >No doubt there are trouble spots, and cruisers avoid them. Hell, in
>> >Zamboanga, Philippines, where the Muslims make blood sport of taking
>> >tourists hostage, even the priests carry guns. I think I'd avoid Jakarta,
>> >right now, too. Same for certain stretches of Central American coast.
>> >
>> >Forget pirates. If you're going cruising you need to be a lot more
>> >concerned about submerged containers floating just below the surface,
>> >uncharted horseshoe coral reefs, and meteorological "bombs" than armed
>> >boarding. Modern day pirates run travel-lifts or own chandleries.
>> >
>> >----------------------------------------------------------
>> >Rick the Mouseherder - nh2f
>> >Westsail 32 Xapic, Hull #438
>> >Annapolis, MD
>> >
>> >A small boat and a suitcase full of money
>> >beats a 40 footer tied to the Bank.
>> >
>> >Creative graphic solutions in vinyl for your boat lettering & designs
>> >http://www.mouseherder.com
>> >
>> >Visit our Westsail 32 Xapic
>> >http://www.mouseherder.com/xapic
>> >
>> >The Westsail Owners Assn. Homepage
>> >http://www.westsail.org
>> >
>> >
>> >
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>> >
>> >
>>
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