Voluntary Reporting Regime Announced for Cruising ‘Hot’ Waters – Loose Cannon
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When all else fails, try journalism. Voluntary Reporting Regime Announced for Cruising ‘Hot’ WatersOcean Posse and U.S. Southern Command Develop Procedures for Eastern Pacific and Caribbean
These are the areas in which the U.S. military is targeting vessels it says are smuggling drugs. The Ocean Posse, a community of more than 1,500 long-distance cruising sailors, today announced a new cooperative voluntary reporting arrangement with U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) designed to improve safety and reduce the risk of misidentification for private recreational vessels transiting high-risk areas of the Eastern Pacific and Caribbean. The agreement comes amid growing mariner concerns over sharply degraded Search and Rescue (SAR) capabilities in Venezuelan waters, the potential for malicious false reports labeling legitimate cruising yachts as suspected drug-running vessels, and warnings from multiple governments that parts of the region are becoming operationally “hot” due to heightened counter-narcotics and security operations. “Recreational sailors could become collateral damage in an environment where accurate vessel identification is increasingly difficult,” said Dietmar Petutschnig, founder of the Ocean Posse. “Warships and patrol aircraft operating at high speed often have only minutes to decide if an unknown radar contact is innocent or hostile. A properly filed float plan and up-to-date open-source vessel profile could be the difference between a simple fly-by and a dangerous interdiction.” Under the new voluntary regime, captains making offshore passages (beyond 12 nautical miles) in the Eastern Pacific south or east of Huatulco, Mexico, and north of Ecuador, as well as in the Caribbean south of the Cayman Islands, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, USVI, and BVI and north of South America, are strongly recommended to enact this protocol: Pre-Departure Actions
The U.S. Navy build up is part of a pressure campaign against Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. Underway Best Practices
Dedicated 24/7 rescue coordination hotlines for family and shore-side contacts are:
“This is not mandatory, but it is the best layer of protection available right now,” Petutschnig said. “A float plan filed directly with SOUTHCOM’s humanitarian notification desk gives US forces immediate access to proof that your vessel is a legitimate cruising yacht with known passengers and itinerary—information that can prevent escalation during an encounter.” The arrangement was developed in direct consultation with SOUTHCOM staff and reflects the command’s interest in reducing risk to innocent mariners while maintaining operational security. The PDF below contains full instructions for captains.
Additional resources and the latest safety seminars for the region are available at www.oceanposse.com/floatplan and www.floatplancentral.org. The Ocean Posse is one of the world’s largest community of private vessels undertaking long-distance cruising, providing weather routing, port clearances, safety seminars, marina discounts and real-time marine intelligence to its members. LOOSE CANNON covers hard news, technical issues and nautical history. Sometimes he tries to be funny. Subscribe for free to support the work. If you’ve been reading for a while—and you like it—consider upgrading to paid.
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