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Subject: RE: [worldcruising] Re: Routes to UK - Piracy
From: Barry Brazier (barryb@XXX.XXX)
Date: Sun Jan 14 2001 - 17:26:56 EST
I would not let the wealth of a nation or it's inhabitants determine were I
sailed.
Most of Africa is no worse than South America
Income does not determine the level of crime. I was impressed by the very
low income of the Pacific Islanders (income = 0) Many there exist on
subsistence farming and barter. I found a very low level of crime .
Barry
-----Original Message-----
From: Wiets Wilken [mailto:cupboards@XXX.XXX]
Sent: Friday, 12 January 2001 10:54 PM
To: worldcruising@XXX.XXX
Subject: Re: [worldcruising] Re: Routes to UK - Piracy
Thank you for sharing your viewpoints. However, I live in Africa and I have
done so all my life - 44
years. I've also spent 3 years in Somalia and a further 4 years in the Red
Sea countries. During
this time, I had no less than 14 violent situations, 50 to 100 awkward
situations, 1000's of
beggars, more times than I care to remember bribing officials instances,
etc.
Not everybody living in those countries are criminals. The real problem is
that these people are so
impoverished - it is almost beyond comprehension. Here are some pointers
about the poverty;
In Somalia you can hire casual labour for as little as .3 US$ a day.
Or you can get 3 days of labour for a packet of 20 cigarettes.
A bottle of whisky is a extreme priced item - this represents 4 weeks of
labour.
A huge number of people do not have ANY form of housing or protection - they
sleep in the wild.
In this country the average and UNOFFICIAL life expectancy is 36 years of
age.
This is a country where 30 % of the population has never seen a doctor.
Now place yourself with all your luxuries and conveniences amongst such like
people. Immediately, in
the mind of the criminal, you are a huge target. By robbing you of US$ 1000
means security for the
next 5 to 10 years. To make matters worse, the authorities do not spend
their resources on crime
prevention in the same manner or proportion that western countries do. To
maim and kill another
human being has a totally different concept and value than in developed
countries. In some cases,
this is the only way in which disputes are settled.
There are many beautiful things to see with rich and ancient cultures. The
people are exceptionally
friendly and naive, local goods are cheap, life is cheap, etc. You also do
not want to end up in the
local hospitals - you'll go in with a mild diagnoses but you'll came out
with some serious illness.
The chances of anything happening to you is perhaps less than 1 %. However,
tourists with their
seemingly rich trappings are prime targets for the criminal element. Beware
if you are caught in a
conflict situation - you might pay with your life!
For those that really wish to visit these places, simply take stock of the
situation and prepare for
the worst possibility. To those of you who has never being there, don't let
your ignorance or
believe system be the cause of your death or that of a loved one.
And before I forget, Rick the Mouseherder, this is not armchair stories. I
have experienced it for 6
to 7 years of my life.
Have you EVER being to Somalia?
Wiets
Rick the Mouseherder 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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___________________________________________
William Angliss Institute of TAFE
The First Choice
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