Based on reports to Noonsite from cruisers, petty theft is on the rise in the Caribbean in general. Cruisers should take basic safety precautions and use common sense when ashore. Avoid walking alone in isolated areas, especially at night. Don’t carry large amounts of cash around or wear expensive jewelry.
The risks of petty theft, pickpocketing and assault increases during regattas and festivals. Do not leave drinks unattended.
Dinghy thieves operate throughout the Caribbean. Be sure to lift, chain, and lock your dinghy and outboard when not in use, especially at night. When leaving your dinghy ashore, ensure that your dinghy and outboard are securely locked.
AirTags and other cell based/Bluetooth tracking devices are being used by cruisers to track their dinghys/outboards. Some thieves are aware of this practice and may detect, locate and disable them. Understand the limitations of using tracking devices. (See this May 2024 Jost Van Dyke, BVI CSSN report.) The use of GPS trackers (rather than Bluetooth trackers) is recommended. See this Report by David Lyman.
Advice throughout the Caribbean is to remove items from the deck that may be tempting for thieves. When going ashore close all hatches, lock your boat, hide valuables out of sight and secure any loose items, including fuel/jerry cans and jugs. Keep the boat well-lit to deter boarders. It is also advisable to keep your cockpit/salon areas and hatches locked at night when sleeping onboard.
A new method of corruption appearing in Caribbean islands is for a “finders” fee to be demanded when a stolen dinghy is “found”. (See this Nov 2023 Tyrell Bay, Carriacou CSSN report and this Apr 2024 Clifton Harbour, SVG CSSN report.)
St. Lucia suffers from a fair share of boardings and theft from yachts, as well as dinghy thefts. There have been a number of reported armed robberies or attempted armed robberies on yachts at anchor in Rodney Bay, Vieux Fort, Soufriere/Pitons and Anse Canaries areas. If heading to Soufriere to see the Pitons and Bat Caves, be aware that this part of the Island has suffered security issues in the past and continues to do so.
The Caribbean Safety and Security Net (CSSN) collects and shares reliable reports of crimes against yachts in the Caribbean, helping cruisers make informed decisions.
The CSSN website offers current and past incident reports, stats, regional piracy info, and annual summaries. Here are some of the ways to use their site:
Visit the CSSN St Lucia page or visit the CSSN Interactive Map to keep up to date with the latest incident reports.
See Noonsite security reports for St. Lucia and read the Comments section for more information on security incidents experienced by cruisers.
Last updated: July 2025
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