SOURCE: CSSN First Hand Incident Report

DATE: 2024-12-01 05:00

LOCATION: Honduras – Offshore

EVENT: Suspicious Activity

HAND: 1

STOLEN ITEMS: None

SECURED: Does not Apply

DETAILS:

A yacht was making a planned passage under sail from Livingston, Guatemala to The San Blas Islands, Panama. Three times during the passage the crew encountered fishing vessels that behaved in a suspicious manner. No radio communications were heard/made at any time.

The first encounter was at 0500HRS December 1, at position 16-29.51N 82-55.47W, approximately 100 nmiles off the Honduran coast. The yacht noticed the fishing vessel had turned and began tracking them at a distance of approximately 2 miles. The yacht tacked quickly, added engines/speed and headed NNW. After about 30 minutes the gap widened and the fishing vessel abandoned the pursuit.

The second encounter was at 1200HRS later that day at position 16-27.1N 82-26.6W, approximately 110 nmiles off the Honduran coast. The 55ft. fishing vessel had altered course to intercept. The yacht
again altered course to NNW , again motorsailing at full speed. Another fishing vessel appeared astern, and a third was spotted to port at a distance of about 3 miles. After about an hour all 3 fishing vessels turned back. The crew decided not to cross the Thunder Knoll channel and tacked north several times before turning east.

The third encounter was the next morning, 0800HRS December 2, at position 16-56.09N 80-49.64W, approximately 220 nmiles off the Honduran coast. A single fishing vessel again initiated an intercept course. Tacking again, the yacht increased speed and the gap and after about an hour the fishing vessel turned back. The yacht eventually turned southward leaving Serranilla bank to starboard and continued to the San Blas.

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