W
hile the rest
of the world is
worried about
terrorism, it’s
easy to feel safe
from attacks
when living aboard out at sea. Days
go by without seeing another boat.
The vast majority of cruisers never
have to be concerned with safety;
thousands of good-hearted people
have wonderful years living aboard
their sailboats and powerboats. But
Christina “Tina” Curtin, who, along
with her guy Mark Beiser, had a very
different experience.
Bad guys exist everywhere—but
inexpensive, simple preventative
methods are all that are needed to
keep liveaboards safe at sea. Tina and
Mark are seasoned cruisers, having
lived aboard their 39-foot Westerly
Sealord ketch Rainbow for years. They
by Suzanne Wentleyloved snorkeling, fishing and relaxing
in beautiful anchorages throughout
the Caribbean.
Then came the one fateful day a few
years ago, which started with them
exploring Clifton Harbor and Frigate
Rock off Union Island, a nearly un-
inhabited part of the chain of islands
that make up St. Vincent and theGrenadines. It was that evening when
their idea of safety up-ended itself.
They had found a quiet anchorage
and settled into dinner as the sun
set. That’s when Tina saw what she
thought was a towel flapping on deck.
Turns out it wasn’t a towel. It was
a 15-year-old boy, who boarded the
vessel along with a 16-year-old boy.Staying Safe
at Sea