Jim Rohrssen & La Picaresca Reportedly Plying Deception NOW In Costa Rica

According to sources, Costa Rica may now be the next haven where locals and travelers alike need to be wary of the charlatan Jim Rohrssen (aka: James - traveling on SV La Picaresca, aka: SV Rhiannon).

His modus operandi (MO) is to sell passage on his sailboat (by the day, week, or month)... and then fail to fulfill on that which has been paid for.  The "agreement" he has with you will not allow for you to get a refund.  He has also proven on multiple occasions that his navigation skills are inadequate to keep him from running aground and getting stranded.

By perpetrating these shams, he is able to acquire enough money to pay for his food and other miscellaneous expenses.  Because of these alerts, he is finding it increasingly difficult to attract "paying customers"(victims) and may be experimenting with other shams.  (Several of the sailing crew & work exchange websites that he used to attract his victims have now shut down/deleted his pages)

Jim has also been known to exploit natural disaster situations/victims as well.  His most recent ruse (that we know of) was an attempt to collect "Bikes For Haiti" and charge a fee to help with the transportation of the bikes under the guise of a 501(c)3 organization (he did not have a 501(c)3 nor was he working with one).  When questioned about the monies and the bikes, he said there were none, yet on his web page (created specifically for this ruse) he had pictures, designated collection points, and indicated time-frames until shipment.

He has often been known to try to barter for moorage or anchorage... and has also been documented sneaking in and out of these areas (usually after dark) without paying.

This man does not bring "tourist" dollars to your country.  He functions as a leach on society and preys on unsuspecting people who have not taken a careful look inside his boat (which reveals that he would probably NEVER get a "Good Housekeeping" seal of approval AND his subsistence diet that more resembles the rations given to sailors in the 1800's).

He is more willing to do something on the sly, than to have to reach into his pocket and actually compensate for goods & services.

Is this the type of wanderer you want hanging out in your country... in your harbor... on your beaches... in your coves?