In 2025, the Caribbean yachting landscape saw a general moderation in reported crimes, with total incidents falling 14% to 124.
However, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) emerged as a notable exception to this downward trend, recording a 71% increase in activity, rising from 7 incidents in 2024 to 12 in 2025.
The uptick in SVG is attributed largely to cruising patterns normalizing as the region continues to recover from the impacts of Hurricane Beryl. The 12 reported incidents were distributed across several islands in the archipelago:
- Bequia: The primary hotspot with 5 incidents, including a serious assault at Admiralty Bay.
- Canouan: Reported 2 incidents.
- Mayreau, Mustique, and mainland St. Vincent: Each recorded a single incident at various anchorages.
Perhaps most concerning for the cruising community is the nature of these crimes. While violent crime across the Caribbean is generally declining, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines accounted for two of the region’s seven total violent crimes in 2025.
While Saint Vincent saw an increase, the rest of the Caribbean experienced a mix of record-breaking activity and significant improvements.
Panama became the most active country in the region’s history, recording 33 incidents—a 200% increase from the previous year. This activity was concentrated in the Bocas del Toro archipelago and Linton Bay. Despite the high volume, all 33 incidents were property-related, specifically opportunistic dinghy and outboard theft, with no violent crimes reported.
Other islands showed varying security profiles throughout 2025:
- Saint Martin (France): Incidents rose to 15, marked by a concerning shift from opportunistic theft to targeted, forced-entry burglaries in the lagoon area during hurricane season.
- Grenada: Saw a significant 59% improvement, dropping to 7 incidents.
- British Virgin Islands (BVI): Experienced a dramatic decline, falling from 20 incidents in 2024 to just 4 in 2025.
- Martinique and Saint Lucia: Both islands saw decreases in reported activity, falling to 11 and 5 incidents respectively.
- Trinidad and Tobago: Reported an increase to 6 incidents, including an assault at Mt. Irvine Bay in Tobago.
While the Caribbean is returning toward its five-year average of 119 incidents, the 2025 data highlights that security remains a localized issue, with Saint Vincent and the Grenadines requiring increased vigilance from the cruising community.