Tragedy in Grenada
Many of our friends and family have seen this tragic story from Grenada:
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We don't know this couple, but we know people who are friends with them. Everyone is devastated to hear that this has happened...
Lynda and I had a long talk about this incident, along with our options for this year, when news of this broke last week, especially our plans for going back to Grenada.
In spite of this incident, Grenada is still far safer than Ft Lauderdale, or Atlanta, or Key West, or even where we lived at the farm near Athens (at least one student death on the UGA campus in the past week alone). There was a shooting in St Thomas last week, as well.
It's easy for people to overlook the danger that exists where they already live, because it's around them all the time. We become numb to it. Crime and danger elsewhere can feel heightened, even when it is much less frequent and (usually) much less severe.
Grenada prides itself on being a safe island, and they take crime, even petty theft, very seriously.
We will be beefing up security systems on the boat a bit, but otherwise we will be continuing all of the precautions that we normally take every day. Everyone we know in the boating community seems to be of similar mind - talking about and exploring options to improve boat security, but otherwise acknowledging that there really isn't anywhere in the world that is completely free of crime. Nobody that we know has decided not to return to Grenada because of this incident.
We appreciate your concern, and we want you to know that we take this very seriously. We constantly monitor news sites, Facebook groups, and the Caribbean Safety and Security network for issues and hot spots.
We never take for granted the safety and security of our boat or of the boats around us, many of whom have become our best friends. The fact that the criminals have been apprehended (something that could not be said for the issues in Panama last year) brings a sense of closure for us. Because of this, we intend to continue with our plans for this year, reaching Grenada before hurricane season.