Yacht Moon Goddess was boarded on the night of April 29th while anchored at Puerto Santos just four miles east of the port of Carupano.

They had previously cruised for 14 months in Venezuela, Bonaire, and Curacao without incident.

At 2145 when they were locked into their cabin for the night, they heard banging and the noise of a pirogue hitting the boat followed by men yelling and pounding on the hatches and companionway door. The skipper fired a couple of flares out of a salon hatch which seemed to see the borders off, who immediately left and did not return that night.

“We knew we shouldn’t anchor anywhere on the Peninsula de Paria, but heck, it was our last night in a land that we had enjoyed for over a year. We pushed our luck by one night (and we were exhausted). Our plan now includes: locking companionway when inside, turning on the foredeck light immediately upon a boarding, blowing a loud horn, firing warning flares from the hatch. More lethal measures would have to be used if they gain entrance to our boat.”

Joe and Diane

Moon Goddess