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‘Pirate’ Attack in Western Carib

By Andy Turpin | February 5, 2016 | Offshore of Nicaragua's East Coast |
Isolated incident or new trouble spot? Colombia’s Isla Providencia lies 120 miles off the Nicaraguan coast. In the interest of keeping plenty of sea room off the lee shore of Nicaragua’s east coast, many mariners on north-south transits pass near Providencia and its sister island San Andreas. 

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Many Eastern Caribbean sailors were shocked in late December by reports of two separate incidents of modern-day piracy that took place off Trinidad. Last Wednesday, another attempted act of ‘piracy’ was reported, this time in the Western Caribbean off Nicaragua, near the Colombian island of Providencia.

According to the professional mariners’ website, Dockwalk.com, while en route from Colón, Panama, to Roatan, Honduras, the Nordlund 70 motoryacht Golden Eagle thwarted an attempted attack by outrunning her pursuers.

"We are all fortunately okay, but the 60-ft steel fishing vessel tried to ram and board us," Golden Eagle‘s owner Andrea Peterson explained. "A chase ensued, and we were able to outrun them going full speed at 14 knots. I think we lull[ed] ourselves into a false sense of security cruising the Caribbean Sea." The motoryacht’s crew included Peterson’s four-year-old son. US Coast Guard District 7 in Miami, FL, is investigating. 

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