We get a lot of questions about pirates from students. What about pirates? Do you carry guns? What will you do? Are you scared?
Our next port is Cartagena, Colombia, and there has been a recent pirate attack in this area. We have been learning as much as we can about how to be safe and what we can do to make ourselves less of a target. We were fortunate to have met the crew of the ketch Karaka (pictured above) in Port Antonio and had the chance to learn from their pirate experience in Cartagena just two months ago.
In summary, they were attacked by pirates at sundown very close to the city in the main harbor of Cartagena. They were motoring towards the city when a small dugout canoe with four men came alongside asking for water. When the skipper’s back was turned, the men were onboard in a flash and took the boat over at gunpoint. They scoured the boat for anything valuable (computers, cellphones, and cash) but did not hesitate to steal random bags of gear as well. Fortunately for the crew of Karaka, they spotted a suspicious group of boats earlier that day and had presence of mind to hide their most valuable possessions deep in the boat. This was the best thing they could have done since it made it very difficult for the robbers. Although the crew was tied up and pushed around, no one was seriously injured. Like Eye of the World, the crew of Karaka does not carry weapons and has decided that a gun would not help you in a situation like this. In fact, it might get you seriously hurt or killed. Most pirates want your stuff, not your life.
Their report also generated an alert for other cruisers like us on www.noonsight.com, a website with a wealth of information for cruisers that keeps track of pirate reports. Our plan of defense when entering Cartagena will be to enter the harbor in full daylight, not at sunset. Entering at sunset means that if someone attacks your boat they will soon have the advantage of darkness, and other boats will probably not be able to recognize that you need help or that your boat doesn’t look quite right. We will also hide all of our valuables deep in the boat well in advance of getting to port, just in case. We will have our radios close at hand and keep an eye out for anything suspicious. Luckily, Colombia has a very swift and effective Coast Guard and alerting them quickly will help keep us safe.
Karaka’s full report on the incident can be found at their website.
