Safety checklist before you board

• Pressure for sex after you arrive

  A real sailing mentor does not treat your presence on the boat as sexual access. Heavy pressure after the first night is a reason to leave — not to “work it out.”

• “Cheap hitchhikers” for an ocean crossing

  If someone says hitchhikers are only there to wake the captain and to avoid paying crew, you are labor and leverage — not a student in a safe program.

• Stranger boat + international flight

  Flying to another country to join someone you only know online multiplies risk. Have a check-in schedule with someone at home and a backup place to stay that he does not control.

• You did all the vetting; he still controls the exit

  Long message threads are not a substitute for your own transportation, money, passport access, and a plan to leave without his permission.

• Isolation at sea or in a foreign marina

  Tell a trusted person the boat name (e.g. CAP II), marina, and his full name before you board. Track the vessel on MarineTraffic if it broadcasts AIS.

Read the full account of what happened with Johnny Dominguez, or see reporting and support resources.