An article about GOST being used to successfully recover a vessel is posted on-line at SatNews publishers.

From the article – ‘The Yellowfin, which is used for offshore fishing, was stolen from Marsh Harbor in the early hours of the morning after the vessel had arrived from the United States the day before. Luckily, it was fitted with a GOST NT- Evolution security system, which enabled it to be located. The yacht was found drifting with no one on board and was successfully recovered.’

From Noonsite– news of a burglary in Upper Phang Nga Bay, Krabi, Thailand and an Armed Boarding in Paluan Bay, Mindoro, Philippines.

Excerpt – ‘This is our 2^nd visit to the Philippines and we must emphasise that we have had some wonderful and humbling experiences cruising many islands and visiting local villages across all regions.  The local people have always been welcoming, friendly and helpful.  Until that night we have never felt unsafe here. We think this was a group of uneducated opportunists and we were just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

In reporting this incident we hope not to scare people, or put them off coming here just be wary of people around your boat at night and stay out of that bay.’

Common to both events was the attitude of ‘it is so nice here, nothing bad can happen’ – same with our daily commutes on land. Be aware of your surroundings, be alert to signs that may be present to up your awareness if need be. There is no 100% magic cure – and it is up to you the cruiser/captain to provide your own security measures – someone else will not come to your aid until after the incident has happened.

On a similar note, the SE Asia Cruisers Radio Net – a local radio net is a great source for local news and information – has closed due to lack of demand and poor propagation. I hope someone in the region is taking note and can provide the service.

From Noonsite – outboard motor theft in Panama.

According to the article, the owners did the recommended actions to prevent the theft (raising the dinghy, securing the obm with a cable, etc).

One paragraph – ‘Once more, be vigilant. Use extra precaution in stowing the dink. Stowe it as high as you can. A bar-lock system is most efficient. Also, consider a cable-alarm system: no lock, the cable must be cut, which triggers a 120 db. alarm. Having a dog on board is a pretty good alarm system, as well as motion-triggered lights.’

I have a link on the site to Tampa Bay Alarm Locks, which offers a security cable with an audible alarm. Stop by, see if it will suit your needs.

Any other ideas?

From Noonsite, a great resource for all things cruisers need to know, comes this report of violence in French Polynesia.

My opinion, as the worlds economies continue to stagnate, attacks against those perceived as having ‘more’ will rise. Be safe out there, do the research before you travel. Comments?

Situational Awareness is an attribute we stress very much – from a self defense perspective, it keeps us from having to use the physical skills we usually associate with martial arts (and the damage tha can come from it on multiple levels).

ITS Tactical recently posted a link on the subject; and the folks over at Stickgrappler

have posted a great article, which ties in to the use of a color system (outlined below).

THE PROTECTION LADDER AND LEVELS OF AWARENESS

CONDITION RED

FIGHT OR FLIGHT
THE PRE-EMPTIVE STRIKE

CONDITION ORANGE

RESPONSE TO THREAT
MAKING A DECISION

CONDITION YELLOW

BASIS FOR PERSONAL SECURITY
AWARENESS – EVALUATION – AVOIDANCE

CONDITION WHITE

LACK OF AWARENESS

THE VICTIM SYNDROME

Take the time to read the insightful articles. Let me know what you think.