Incident Off Ecuadorian Coast: First Impressions Not Always Right

Created by doina. Last modified on 2007-03-27 10:18:24
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Topic: Piracy Reports 2005

We left The Gulf of Panama with a strong northerly blowing around 30 knts - this was great as we were heading south to Ecuador. Our only plan for Columbia was to get past it as fast as possible due to recent reports of pirate activity. On the third day off the coast of Columbia we did have a fast powerboat with four men in it come screaming straight towards us. They pulled up alongside Citation (did we have stress at this point??) - and told us (my Spanish which is bad, took a quantum leap) that they had a "Long Line" Fishing net up ahead and that we should follow them so as to safely pass it. When we got to the long line they weighted it down so that Citation could pass unfouled. We traded beer - it's so much more than just a breakfast drink - and last saw their smiling faces waving goodbye to us. We hate to think about when they approach a gun toting Texan. It confirmed our plan to be armed with only smiles.

Kevin and Betty Donahoe, Citation, March 2005.

Jimmy Cornell had a very similar experience when he single-handed Aventura III from Panama to Ecuador in 2002. This is what he reported at that time:

....There was a reason for keeping up a good speed as I was trying to pass as quickly as possible through this stretch of Colombian waters. As a precaution, I had set a course that kept me well offshore and only closed with the coast on the fourth and last night. By now I was about 30 miles off the Ecuadorian coast, and signs of its proximity became increasingly obvious. We passed through an area with lots of debris probably caused by heavy rains inland. Dodging uprooted tree trunks in the dark was quite unnerving, but by now the wind had dropped to almost nothing so it was easier to slalom under power. By dawn I was confronted by a new menace: miles of long fishing lines barely marked by floating buoys. Single-handing under these conditions didn't seem so much fun any more, especially as first the keel and then the rudder got entangled with a line. I managed to free the line by pumping up the centerboard or rudder, and as I was peering ahead for clear water, I saw in the distance a boat approaching me at great speed. It looked like a whaler-type boat about 25 foot long with three rough looking guys who, even at a distance, looked quite menacing. There was little I could do but wait and see. As they got closer, they started waving frantically, and once I could also hear what they were shouting, I understood that they were trying to guide me clear of their lines. They shouted to follow them and when we were finally clear of the lines, they waved good-bye and were gone. As they disappeared in the distance the thought occurred to me that here was a perfect example of the dilemma faced by anyone carrying a gun on board: when to shoot? If one waited too long until the intentions of the possible attackers became clear, they might have got too close and using one's gun may be too late. If one shot at them when they were still at a safe distance, one might end up shooting some innocent fishermen, as in this very case. So, once again, I decided that whatever the dangers involved, guns were not for me!