Cruisers can feel relatively safe in St. Maarten again. There has been a collective sigh of relief by all in the yacht industry in St. Maarten after the arrest of three Dominican men for the grizzly murder of Ludivic Guillevin, a 37-year-old French Caucasian cook from the mega yacht Cheetah Moon, in February.
They have also been accused of the murder of two other men on the half Dutch (Sint Maarten), half French(St Martin) island. Occurring just before the Heineken Regatta in St. Martin, it had cast a pall over the island. St. Martin is a huge base to yachts and many mega yachts. As a result of the murder of Cheetah Moon‘s cook, the St. Maarten Marine Trades Association expressed outrage at the increase in crimes against members of the marine community.
Association Treasurer Lorraine Talmi told the local paper, “This is not the first time nor, do I fear, will it be the last. In fact, this is the second time in a week that a crew member was abducted from the Simpson Bay area. The first one managed to escape, and perhaps that is why, if it is the same gang, the second one wasn’t nearly as lucky.”
For some time there has been serious concern about security on the island – Customs and Immigration Office in St. Maarten used to have a poster warning captains and crews of the dangers of gangs of male youths on the island.
Knowledgeable cruisers, when on the island, have recently remained acutely aware of their surroundings and the circumstances. Precautions included not going anywhere alone after dark, sticking to the more crowded areas, and relaxing only when on the boat or on the beach.
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This is an unfortunate trend for such a small community, but regretfully many visitors that arrive in Caribbean appear to be fairly insensitive to what is left of the indigenous culture they encounter. Yachting crews have been known to take-over the areas that they populate, and often take no pains to be humble despite the lavish life styles they represent. There appears to be growing resentment of this type of Mega Wealth, and unfortunately completely innocent people become marks, or targets of opportunity. There is nowhere to run. We must begin to solve this type of problem from within the community, not as a “Yachties are being victimized” issue. No doubt locals are more often the victims of social misfits. What a shame.