The attack took place in Anse Canaries, a bay on the west coast of the island, about three nautical miles north of Soufrière. Shortly before midnight, three young men rowed a kayak to the anchored yacht. The sleeping skipper woke up when they held a machete to his throat and threatened to kill him if he resisted. They injured him slightly, bound and gagged him and then calmly robbed him of all his valuables, clothes, food supplies and even the dinghy over a period of almost two hours. They left the skipper tied up.
Fortunately, he managed to free himself a short time later. He used his Garmin inReach, which the perpetrators had overlooked, to inform relatives, who notified Interpol and the authorities in St Lucia. Fearing another attack, the sailor immediately left the bay. The police later reached him at sea in a patrol boat and took up the case. At least his dinghy and outboard motor were recovered a short time later and were to be handed over to him. There had already been two similarly brutal attacks at Anse Canaries in 2022; sailors should avoid it at all costs. More information, including an interactive map of criminal hotspots in the Caribbean, can be found on the Page of the Safety and Security Net.
It is highly regrettable that such brutal attacks, which are undoubtedly traumatising for the crews, have recently become more frequent again. Moreover, not all cases, especially minor offences such as theft and burglary on board, are reported to the police. The police are also proving to be less effective in combating and preventing offences, and apart from a large-scale patrol campaign in the Grenadines (see link below), there are hardly any improvements to report. However, one must also be aware that many of the island states in the Caribbean are very poor countries. The locals often earn at the income level of developing countries, so thefts are correspondingly tempting. So far, these have tended to occur without the use of violence, but their increase in recent years is worrying. However, as was the case this time, the cases are often limited to certain regions where there are few violent offenders, such as the Bay of Canaries. Crews should then consistently avoid these areas. It is advisable for charter crews to check the CSSN website shortly before the trip and ask the base staff whether there are any bays that should be avoided. The staff are usually well informed. Also, lock the boat when you leave it and do not leave valuables lying around. The dinghy should always be tied up in the harbour; the bases usually provide wire ropes with a lock for this purpose. Bring the dinghy on deck at night and connect the engine. These measures have been standard practice for years and are no cause for concern; most trips run smoothly.
If the risk still seems too great, you can switch to the much safer areas of the Caribbean, such as the British Virgin Islands or the French islands around Guadeloupe, Martinique, Marie Galant and the Îles des Saintes.
