Attempted Piracy?

[BlueH2Obound]

As some of you may be aware, Laura and I, aboard MV Muirgen are finishing up our voyage from the PNW, down the West Coast, through the Panama Canal, and now across the Caribbean Sea, enroute to Florida. The following incident occurred late yesterday afternoon, and I thought it important enough to share with members.

Location: Caribbean Sea, enroute from San Blas Islands, Panama to Florida.

When/Where: 20 April 2024, 1830 cst. Vicinity of Thunder Knoll, (Lat/Long: 16.21.197N, 81.26.630W) , approximate 175 nm SSW of Grand Caymans, and 140 nm off the coast from Nicaragua/Honduras border.

Description of events: We were heading 319 degrees true, en-route to the Yucatan Channel, 8.2 kts SOG.

We were on a course to pass East of Thunder Knoll by about 5 nm.

We observed a vessel on radar in the vicinity of Thunder Knoll (Lat/Long: 16.21.197N, 18.26.630W), heading 225 degrees true, 0.9 kts to 2.4 kts SOG. Vessel was a 50’ to 65’ fishing vessel, white hull, beige superstructure.

As we approached to within about 1.8 nm of the vessel, the vessel changed course to 020, and increased speed to 8.5 kts.

On the radar, the vectors appeared to indicate we were on an interception course.

We turned right 20 degrees to 340 degrees, the vessel turned right to roughly 040, still on an interception course according to the radar. We turned further right 75 degrees, to 055 degrees.

The vessel turned right to about 050, which now placed him in our port quarter.

We increased our speed over ground to 8.8 kts, monitoring RPM and EGT. We weren’t maxed out yet, but close to it.

It was getting dark, and we turned off our NAV lights, and AIS. The other vessel was silhouetted in the sunset on the Western horizon. We were due East of the other vessel, against the darkening horizon.

After about 25 minutes, with several additional course changes which the other vessel mimicked, we had opened the range to about 2.3 nm (from 1.8 nm). At that point, the vessel turned around and headed back to the SSW, decreasing speed to about 3 kts, and eventually to between 0.7 to 1.5 kts, generally back to where he had originally been when we first saw him.

As I write this, he is now 8.4 nm distant, back on a course of 253 degrees at 2.6 kts. Our intent is to clear the area for at least another two hours, then turn our NAV lights and AIS broadcast back on. We still have AIS receive, as well as radar reflectors.

We warned another vessel, SV Courage, who we are in contact with, and who is about 45 nm behind us, and he is changing course to 360 to stand clear to the East of the Thunder Knoll by 30 nm.

For what it’s worth, we got out 4 flare guns, large and small, with about 25 total cartridges, 3 parachute flares, and a Hawaiian Sling. We prepared to lock all the windows, and further prepare to be boarded. Details aren’t important.

I also had United States Coast Guard Sector Key West on my phone ready to call them via wifi calling over Starlink.

We were also prepared to activate two PLB’s and an EPIRP that we would place out of view in various locations. We were also prepared to activate DSC on the VHF as well. None of this may have helped us, but might assist in the individuals being apprehended if things went bad.

We have no way of actually knowing the other vessels intentions, but given our location 140 miles off of the border between Nicaragua and Honduras, and given reports over the Panama Posse and other websites of problems encountered, with recommendations to remain a minimum of 125 nm off land in this area, we were in a state of, shall we say, heightened awareness.

End result is that we are unmolested, and continuing on our way, but it was an interesting situation.

I guess my takeaway from this is that it is better to think through these type of situations before hand, so that if, God forbid, they come up, you already have a basic idea of how you are going to respond.

Today, I will be discussing the incident with USCG Sector Key West.

Fair winds and following seas to all!

Incident report # 3292 uploaded to CSSN 20 April 2024, 2226 cst.p { line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0.1in; background: transparent }a:link { color: #000080; text-decoration: underline }a:visited { color: #800000; text-decoration: underline }

[Kettlewell]

Who knows? When we were sailing from Providencia to Honduras back in 2008 we traveled in a group with a couple of other boats. One of them encountered a fishing boat that came very close, so our boats all kept chatting on the VHF radio to sound like a big fleet coming along. At the same time we increased speed to try to close the gap between us, but in the end the other boat reported they were just fishing. I've encountered what appeared to be strange behaviour from fishing vessels and other commercial vessels many times, and often we depart with no explanation. Out there in the middle of the Caribbean we once encountered a large ocean-going freighter at night dead in the water showing no lights, for example. I've had draggers go back and forth across my course forcing course changes, with no response when called on the radio. I've encountered lobster boats running dead at us at high speed. Hard to tell what your situation was and you will probably never know.

[mvweebles]

Kettlewell - this exact area has had several similar reports of suspiscous activity and a smattering of violent boardings by pirates. It's a known hot spot and very difficult to avoid by yachts transiting anywhere in the western Caribbean.

NoForeignLand conveniently shows the CSSN reports for the region. I took the liberty of guessing where the OPs boat was relative to other reports. In my opinion, this is much different than the standard passing of boats on the horizon which I'd reckon Scots boat has done 100s of times since leaving Alaska 6000 miles prior.

[Kettlewell]

this exact area has had several similar reports of suspiscous activity and a smattering of violent boardings by pirates. It's a known hot spot and very difficult to avoid by yachts transiting anywhere in the western Caribbean.

Yep, that's the same area I passed through back in 2008 as I mentioned above, though we were closer in to the coast since we were headed to the Honduran islands. A Canadian boat had disappeared in the area just a few weeks earlier. We were wary, went at night with no lights, didn't see anything ourselves. As I said, our fellow cruiser thought the fishing boat was acting suspiciously until they crossed very closely and could see they were just fishing.

[GordMay]

Sorry, you got a ‘scare’, BlueH2Obound; but very happy it worked out well, for you.
Can you share any info’, on how SV ‘Courage’ made out?

[s/v Jedi]

Boats that are fishing don’t go at flank speed on intercept course and then continually change course to intercept as you change course.

Don’t stick your head in the sand, this was attempted piracy in pirate infested waters. We stayed more than 200nm offshore a couple years ago as we passed this area.

[BlueH2Obound]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

Boats that are fishing don’t go at flank speed on intercept course and then continually change course to intercept as you change course.

Don’t stick your head in the sand, this was attempted piracy in pirate infested waters. We stayed more than 200nm offshore a couple years ago as we passed this area.

s/v Jedi, that was our take on it. Who'd a thunk our boat could've "outrun" ANYONE!

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by BlueH2Obound

s/v Jedi, that was our take on it. Who'd a thunk our boat could've "outrun" ANYONE!

We had a similar experience off the Venezuelan coast so it’s very recognizable. We also had many fishermen moving about back and forth, steering towards us etc. and that is not nice, but very different from being intercepted.

[Iron E]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

Boats that are fishing don’t go at flank speed on intercept course and then continually change course to intercept as you change course.

Yeah, that's definitely the problem here. My Spidey sense was tingling reading that part.

Originally Posted by BlueH2Obound

s/v Jedi, that was our take on it. Who'd a thunk our boat could've "outrun" ANYONE!

We'd have to devise a plan B since we max at 7kts. Glad you're safe!

[donradcliffe]

BTDT. In some parts of the world, the difference between a fishing and a pirate vessel is opportunity, and that is one of them. In my case, it was a daytime encounter east of the Vivorillos. It was 14 years ago, so I laid out what weapons I had and put out a Pan call on the ham net. It is a very scary feeling, and I'm not going through that area again without a throwaway shotgun.