Enough of the comic quotes - there's just too much going on in the world today. For instance:

Thought For The Day - Hezbollah is actively working in Venezuela. - Read all about it at Venezuela Today.

What has this got to do with personal security especially on cruising yachts? The way I see it - everything. One way we cruisers can protect ourselves is to stay informed about what is going on in the world. I realize it's easy and desirable to forget these things when you're in a safe peaceful anchorage or marina and living the good life offshore. After all, we set sail to forget about all this, right?

The problem with this train of thought is that, given the world situation today, it pays to stay informed before something happens that directly affects you. Venezuela is a great example. Many cruisers have boat insurance policies that dictate the boat must be below 12 degrees latitude during hurricane season. One look at their charts and they realize they have a choice of Trinidad or Venezuela in the eastern Caribbean.

This season we've heard reports of increasing crime in both these areas and now comes a report of Hezbollah openly recruiting in an area not that far from where cruisers sail in Venezuela. This report is not meant to scare you away from Venezuela, only to inform you of what is happening there so you can make an intelligent choice as to where you want to go in that country. Stay safe.