{"id":11859,"date":"2018-12-10T13:05:39","date_gmt":"2018-12-10T17:05:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.bwsailing.com\/?p=11859"},"modified":"2018-12-10T13:07:59","modified_gmt":"2018-12-10T17:07:59","slug":"theft-in-bequia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bwsailing.com\/bw\/theft-in-bequia\/","title":{"rendered":"Theft in Bequia"},"content":{"rendered":"

Another perfect day in paradise? Well, maybe not when an iPad goes missing and the police and lawyers get involved\u00a0 (published April 2018)<\/em><\/p>\n

I was enjoying a peaceful breakfast at Wildcat<\/em>\u2019s cockpit table Wednesday morning, watching the sailboats tied up to mooring balls behind us in Bequia\u2019s Admiral Bay harbor swing back and forth in unison in the morning breeze.\u00a0 Jan and I were recovering from the weekend Bequia Music Festival, and had no plans for the day. I needed to sweat out some rum.<\/p>\n

A navy blue SVG Coast Guard launch motored by heading for the city dock. Onboard were five CG officers\/policemen and one woman with short white hair who looked a lot like a cruiser named Cori who had been onboard our boat for a 14 person happy hour a few nights ago. That was a very unusual sight.\u00a0Obviously, something was wrong.\u00a0I picked up the mic and called Tom and Sabrina on Honey Ryder<\/em>, and told them what I had seen. Sabrina said that she would send me an email, which I opened a few minutes later.<\/p>\n

It seems that the owner of Maria\u2019s Internet Caf\u00e9 had been out in the harbor going boat to boat looking for a woman pictured in security camera footage, stealing his iPad from the Caf\u00e9. Thirty minutes later, the SVG Coast Guard boat came alongside Hi Flite and took Cori off the boat. All of the hatches were still open onboard Hi Flite and the dinghy was still in the water. There was no sign of her husband Dale on deck.<\/p>\n

Like Jan and me, Tom and Sabrina are cruisers willing to help other cruisers in a pinch.\u00a0Wildcat and Honey Ryder teamed up last year to tow a 45-foot sailboat with engine trouble into the dock in Martinique.\u00a0I picked up Tom in my dinghy and we went over to Hi Flite to see if Dale needed help.It was 9:30 am, and Dale was passed out in la la land. It took a while to wake him up and get him up on deck. Dale has back pain and the Bequia doctor had been most generous with his script book, selling Dale three different types of pain pills, telling Dale to try each one and see which one worked the best. Dale decided to short cut the scientific decision process and took all three pills at once.The pain was gone, and so was Dale.<\/p>\n

Once Dale was up, and half dressed in the cockpit, it was clear that he did not know what was going on. He thought that Cori was at yoga.\u00a0When Tom explained that the police had taken her to the police station for stealing a iPad, Dale\u2019s response was: \u201cIs this some kind of bad joke?\u201d
\n\"\"
\nTom convinced Dale to get dressed, get some cash, and close up the boat so we could take him into the police station to find out what was going on.\u00a0Tom and I returned to Honey Ryder<\/em> to brief Sabrina on the situation.\u00a0While we were there, the SVG Coast Guard launch with only one officer onboard, came along side Hi Flite<\/em> to pick up Dale. The officer told Dale to bring Cori some shoes, a change of clothes and some toiletries.\u00a0She was under arrest for theft and would be going to jail.<\/p>\n

Tom and I dinghied over to the CG launch and explained to the officer that Dale was on medication and we were willing to assist him to the police station.\u00a0The officer agreed with the plan and stood off while we helped get Dale organized and into our dinghy. After 15 minutes, Tom and I loaded Dale in my dinghy and were escorted to the town dinghy dock by the CG launch. A policeman and dock security man met us at the dinghy dock and escorted us through the main town street, to the police station.<\/p>\n

I think that the entire town came out to watch the parade as if it was a walk of shame.\u00a0I was beginning to have second thoughts about being involved in this ordeal.\u00a0But I had a hard time believing that Cori was a crook.\u00a0She and Dale fit the profile of most other cruising couples who we have met, and none of them were crooks. So, I was giving her the benefit of the doubt and going with the innocent until proven guilty theory.<\/p>\n

Once our parade reached the Bequia police station, Tom and I stood with Dale in front of the desk police officer and spoke on Dale\u2019s behalf.\u00a0We learned that Cori had been arrested, charged with the theft and put on the 10:30 water ferry to Kingstown, St Vincent.\u00a0We looked out the window and could see the ferry steaming out of the harbor.\u00a0Justice moved swiftly in Bequia. Cori was headed to jail in the third world country of St. Vincent and had no idea if Dale even knew where she was.<\/p>\n

We learned that she would be arraigned in court that day or placed in a holding cell if the court was not in session. If she pleaded guilty, she would be sentenced and probably deported.\u00a0If she pleaded not guilty, she would be held in jail without bond until the trial.\u00a0The officer said that the next ferry left Bequia at 1:00 pm and arrived in Kingstown at 2:00.\u00a0However, we might want to find a speedboat to take us there sooner. If the court was in session, Cori might be deported by the time we arrived in St Vincent.\u00a0We were also warned to be careful in Kingstown, carry all money in pockets and no valuables in backpacks.<\/p>\n

As Tom and I escorted Dale back to the dinghy dock, I tried to think of a way to get Dale on a boat to Kingstown by himself and end our involvement in what was quickly escalating into a serious and potentially dangerous situation. We have avoided going to St. Vincent for the past five years because cruisers have been robbed and killed there.\u00a0I certainly had no desire to go to the main port city of Kingstown and walk around as a mugging target.<\/p>\n

Jan and I had seen this legal drama before in the Bahamas, when a woman we were friends with got crossways with a local Bahamian, who called the police and told them that our friend had firearms onboard her vessel.\u00a0The police searched her vessel and found three firearms and 45 rounds of ammo, the possession of which are legal in the Bahamas only if you list them on your cruising permit. She had \u201cforgotten\u201d to do so.
\n\"\"
\nIn a scene reminiscent of this morning\u2019s arrest of Cori, Jan and I watched six large police officers escort our petite blonde friend off to jail in a navy blue police boat.\u00a0She was facing a number of years in Nassau jail, confiscation of her sailboat, and deportation afterwards. Jan and I were able to help her find an attorney, and get the sentence reduced to a fine and loss of weapons.<\/p>\n

We learned three things from that ordeal: Do not do anything illegal anywhere, especially in a third world county. They can lock you up in some hell hole jail and throw away the key. If your friend gets arrested, hire the best criminal attorney in town. And, bring a big wad of cash to pay the attorney, fines and court costs.<\/p>\n

Tom and I explained to Dale that we should hire a go-fast boat, take Cori\u2019s change of clothes, shoes and a big wad of cash over to Kingstown to see if we could find an attorney to represent her. We could come back on the 6:00 PM ferry, assuming that we did not get mugged in Kingstown. Dale was still zoned out but shook his head yes.<\/p>\n

We found two water taxi drivers eager to take us to St. Vincent.\u00a0We chose Shawn on the taxi named Rumors<\/em>. We took my dinghy to all three sailboats to collect money and four rain jackets for the rough ride offshore. While I was putting the dinghy away on Wildcat<\/em>, out of the blue, a local named Mr. Kydd approached us in a grey RIB dinghy.\u00a0He asked if we would like the name of an attorney in Kingstown.\u00a0I thought to myself that this must be divine intervention and everyone in Bequia must know what is going on.<\/p>\n

Mr. Kydd came onboard, called Richard William\u2019s Law Office on his cell phone and handed me the phone.\u00a0I gave the office manager Cori\u2019s name and told her we would be there in an hour. Mr. Kydd wrote down the phone number for me along with the name and phone number of his friend who is a cab driver in St Vincent.<\/p>\n

Before he left, Mr. Kydd looked at me and said,\u00a0\u201cWhen you get to Kingstown, keep your money on you, not in your backpack. Take a cab straight to William\u2019s law office. Do not go to the police station. Do not walk through town. Be careful. If you have any trouble, call my taxi driver friend.\u201d
\nSabrina and Jan set up a text and email communication center onboard Wildcat<\/em>, but I opted to leave my VHF onboard Wildcat so it wouldn\u2019t be stolen in Kingstown. I would be out of Wildcat<\/em>‘s VHF range as soon as we left Bequia.<\/p>\n

The water between the islands of Bequia and St Vincent is open ocean with a strong current setting to the west. The winds that day were a normal 14 knots from the east.\u00a0The current combined with the ocean swell created a nasty chop that sent the 22-foot plywood speedboat Rumors crashing through waves. We were soaked. Fifteen minutes into this ocean joyride I was wishing that I brought my VHF radio.\u00a0I was watching the bottom of the plywood floor flex as we pounded into the swells, and wondering how we were going to call for help if the boat split opened and sank.\u00a0I saw one fiberglass covered wooden stringer that had cracked long before this trip.\u00a0 It was flexing at the crack. I decided to adopt the \u201cNo Problem Mon\u201d mantra, watching the oncoming waves instead.<\/p>\n

The driver, Shawn, yelled at me: \u201cWhere do you want to go?\u00a0The customs dock?\u201d
\nI replied, \u201cNo!\u00a0The police station!\u201d
\nSean\u2019s eyes widened with disbelief: \u201cThe police station?\u00a0 Really?\u201d
\n\u201cYes, Dale\u2019s wife has been arrested.\u00a0Actually we need to go to Richard Williams\u2019 office first.\u201d
\n\u201cOh, Richard Williams is my lawyer.\u00a0He is the best. I will take you to him.\u201d
\nWe pulled up to the concrete fishing wharf after 30 minutes of pounding and tied up along side a fishing boat. Once on the dock, I reminded everyone to keep their money in their pockets and try not to stand out in the crowd, which was laughable for two reasons.\u00a0One, we were the only three white guys in a sea of black and brown locals.\u00a0And, two, Dale had packed Cori\u2019s shoes and things in a very bright yellow waterproof pouch that screamed \u201csteal me!\u201d Blending into the crowd was not an option.<\/p>\n

We ran into trouble with the security guard at the gate while trying to leave the wharf security area.\u00a0We obviously were not fishermen, but 20 EC took care of that problem. Shawn looked at us and said, \u201cStay close to me and you will be OK\u201d as we snaked through the sea of people in the bustling fish market, dodging people, honking vans, busses and fish carts.<\/p>\n

Dale was falling behind.\u00a0He had both arms wrapped around the bright yellow pouch like a linebacker carrying a football as he stumbled forward.\u00a0I took the yellow bag from him so he could walk faster. My real plan was to fling the bag into the crowd if someone attacked us and run like hell. I kept that plan to myself.<\/p>\n

Shawn lead us down a quieter back street searching for the right building. About the time that I was beginning to suspect that Shawn was lost, he pointed to an open doorway.\u00a0At the top of the stairs, we found Mr. Williams\u2019 office. After a five minute wait, Mr. Williams met with us in his conference room.\u00a0He was an intimidatingly tall, broad shouldered black man, impeccably dressed in a dark blue suit with a white shirt, obviously ready for a courtroom appearance.
\nAfter a 30 second summary of today\u2019s events, Mr. Williams interrupted us to ask, \u201cWhere is the girl now?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe do not know if she is in holding or in court.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mr. Williams picked up his cellphone and pressed a speed dial number for holding. \u201cThis is Richard Williams, are you holding a woman named Cori there? Caucasian. Thanks.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

He hung up and pressed the courthouse phone number. \u201cThis is Richard Williams, do you have a Caucasian woman named Cori there?Thanks.\u201d
\nHe stood up and announced, \u201cShe\u2019s in court, let\u2019s go see what is going on.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was raining when we exited the building. Mr. Williams led our parade through four blocks of cars and people.\u00a0I felt safer this time because people in the street were waving to him and a few even said \u201cGood morning Mr. Williams\u201d.\u00a0We had found the rock star of criminal attorneys in St. Vincent.\u00a0 The front door of the courthouse was locked because court was in session.\u00a0We snaked around to the back entrance of the building to a door marked \u201cSerious Offences Court Entrance.\u201d<\/p>\n

The closed door to the courtroom was guarded by two guards dressed in traditional all white formal uniforms.\u00a0They let Mr. Williams right in while the rest of us sat outside in chairs along the wall of the hallway. A few minutes later, Mr. Williams came out and motioned for Dale to come inside.
\nThe guards patted him down before letting him through the door.\u00a0Shawn, Tom and I entertained ourselves with tales of testifying in U.S. courthouses and wondering if we could leave and go to lunch.\u00a0Tom texted a report to Sabrina and she replied that they had found the nearest U.S. Embassy, but it was on the island of Barbados.<\/p>\n

After an hour of watching various men in handcuffs being escorted in and out of the courtroom, it was over.\u00a0Court was adjourned. Mr. Williams lead Dale and Cori out of the room.\u00a0They were free to go.<\/p>\n

Mr. Williams had negotiated a plea bargain to a lesser crime of petty theft. Cori admitted stealing the iPad, paid a $400 EC fine, agreed to return the iPad to its owner and, in return, was not deported. Lawyer fees were $600 US, and transportation expenses with tips to the gate keepers totaled 750 EC.\u00a0 We had found the right attorney.<\/p>\n

Cori cried most of the way back to the speedboat, claiming that she was going to stop drinking because \u201cI think I am a lot smarter than I really am when I am drinking.\u201d<\/p>\n

The trip back in the speedboat was slightly less wet, at least until it rained. To top it off, the motor started cutting out as we neared Bequia.\u00a0There were long periods of time when the motor would only fast idle, then burst to life as if the fuel blockage had suddenly been solved, only to bog down again to a wallowing idle speed. I kicked myself for not bringing the VHF radio.\u00a0I had no way to call for a tow if the motor quit completely.\u00a0Fortunately, we finally made it back to our respective boats, soaking wet, but otherwise okay.<\/p>\n

Later on, over sundowners, Jan and I met with Tom and Sabrina to analyze the incident in great detail.\u00a0Our discussion centered around two issues:
\nTrust:\u00a0We cruisers are generally open and trusting people. This theft was an important reminder that not all thieves live onshore.\u00a0Some of them are part of the cruising community.\u00a0We go to great lengths to protect ourselves from the island based thieves.\u00a0We need to do a better job of identifying and protecting ourselves from crooks within our own cruising community.<\/p>\n

Did we do the right thing in helping a thief?\u00a0 We think so. We were helping two cruisers who were in real trouble. A St. Vincent jail is no place for anyone to get locked up in other than hardened criminals, murders and drug dealers. Justice was served. The iPad was returned to its rightful owner, Cori paid the fine, and Hi Flite has been \u201couted\u201d within the cruising community.\u00a0Tom summed it up when he said: \u201cIf I had it to do over again, I would still help them.\u201d
\nThat is why we like cruising with Tom and Sabrina.<\/p>\n

George and Jan Todd are testing their marriage for the sixth season sailing in the Eastern Caribbean onboard <\/em>Wildcat. George Todd has published two ebooks: <\/em>Island Sailing is NOT all Rum and Bananas Vol 1: and Vol 2: containing humorous stories from sailing in The Bahamas and Caribbean which can be downloaded from iBooks, Smashwords, Kindle and most ebook sites.<\/em><\/p>\n

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