[Sunroof]

Here's the latest Pirate Alert Locations for the month as provided by "Latitude and Longitude Magazine for Sailors, Cruisers and the like. All locations reported with armed boardings, several hijackings and armed robberies:

Port Abidjan - Ivory Coast
Dar es Salaaam - Tanzania
Santan Port - Indonesia
Gulf of Aden
Lagos Anchorage - Nigeria
Golfe de Porto Novo - Corsica

Back when I was living aboard my 35 foot Coronado and sailing Florida and the Bahmas, we stopped in Tarpon Springs, Florida and were preaparing a run along the "big bend" of Florida, which follows close to the panhandle coast where there were no marina's between Cedar Key to Appalachicola. The run was poorly marked and void of US Coast Guard stations. This was in 1983! As it turned out we were told that their were "pirates" who were taking sailboats and powerboats for the drug trade back in the bend. High powered Donzi type vessel with large fuel tanks that hit you suddenly, set you adrift and took your vessel. Come on, for real?! Well, several folks claimed this was true, so rather then testing the tales and mounting a 50 cal. or a 12-pounder on the deck, we decided to hold off anyways. So much for "Pirates of the Big Bend".............

"..............no treasure to plunder no cannons to thunder, I am just an over 40 victim of fate"

Bob