Honduras: Sailing Boat Boarded and Robbed by Pirates

[minaret]

Originally Posted by foolishsailor

nice video but notice that after he adds a pole to bend it to over 60 degrees they dont show it return to straight...

Yes but it did both return from a 45 deg. bend and bend 90 deg. without breaking, which is impressive. Try that with your average sheath knife!

...and i would also put money down that both presenters have ssent their lives throwing knives in thier backyards or at competitions and never in their entire existance at actual people...

Of course! The guys in that video are just trying to sell a product, the guy throwing was a well known pro, and I would never advocate throwing a weapon at anyone, its just for show. Almost no one anywhere has ever thrown a knife at a person in anger, it's just not done.

Irony aside...i get the whole threded knife thing and looking at these I am actually considering ordering one but...minaret, you are better than this hollywood style garbage as a contribution to this thread...

Yea, the video is cheesy. Was just trying to give an example of the product, some of the other videos are even worse. Clearly you think the idea has merit, as you are already considering one. I didn't make the cheesy video, so don't blame me for it's "hollywood" BS. Next time I'll just post a still, just thought the vid might be slightly more informative, though cheesy. I keep this set up handy in the cockpit anyway, because if I bring a big fish alongside sometimes I like to stab the hell out of it with something big before gaffing it, it keeps me and the boat from getting beat up quite so much. My freeboard is 5' at the lowest, so for anyone not armed with a gun getting aboard over my netted lifelines is almost impossible if anyone is trying to prevent it. I need a ladder to board from a dinghy. The boarding pike is one of the oldest seagoing weapons for a reason, you can poke the guy before he gets on your boat (you hope).

[minaret]

Originally Posted by manitu

He's a mix between tibetan mastiff and boerboel, south african lion-hunting dog.. Two the world's most protective breeds.. He will fight until death, and then minute or two..
I would like to see the pirate who willingly takes on this dog, with a spiked collar and a steel chestplate.
But he's kind as the day is long, once you are properly introduced.

edit: did I mention that i got his mother too? Pure boerboel

.manitu

Boerboels are pure AWESOME! Mine is a Cane Corso. I've posted many pics and some Schutzhunde vid on other threads. Already made clear that I feel a well trained dog is the best and safest form of protection for countless reasons, though they certainly have their drawbacks as well. Here's my guy when he was still a puppy-

[minaret]

Originally Posted by captainKJ

video amounts to bringing a steak knife to a gun fight. 10 foot pole in a sailboat trying to strike someone??? not enough room to maneuver.
does someone think that they can throw that spear on a rolling boat and hit someone in a dingy. What do you do when there are 2 people????ask them for the spear back so you can throw it again??.

why not just get a bunch of walmart steak knives and start throwing them????? cheaper than the pole. You can always get a bunch of forks to throw at them and say FORK you as you throw them

Couldn't agree more, the decision about how and when to resist is very personal and fraught with risk. I'd rather have the choice to be able to take as many different options as possible at the moment of decision, than be limited to just one or two choices. I feel the odds of survival are probably increased this way, as long as you make the right choices! And unlike guns, this particular option bears little risk, unless you choose to use it at the wrong time ( ie you thought they were unarmed but they weren't). Note that it is also legal almost everywhere and costs $30 new, and in proper cruiser fashion it serves more than one purpose.

[Mr B]

It all depends on the situation at the time,
It also depends on the individual on the boat about to be boarded,

It depends on whether the individual is an agressive person that can actually fire up at the time and do some thing or whether the person is a meek mild mannered over weight individual that cant or wont do any thing,

Its totally up to you, whether you submit blindly or aggresively,

Only you as an individual can make that decision,

You cant make that decision for some one else,

I am not an overweight, unfit, mild mannered individual,

The people that board boats are fit, healthy and extremely agile,, just like me,

I do have the advantage of being on a solid platform, when the boardees are on a bobbing platform, and unbalanced attempting to grab hold of my boat,

They are not 40 yards away, They are 2 feet from my face, Close enough to actually plant my foot in their face, And I do mean it, if I am going to kick some ones face,

My flares are just inside my cockpit door, By the time these people have actually got close enough to board, They are at my feet, once you have knocked the boardee over, you drop or throw all your flares into their boat,

They do have enough flame and time in them to set their boat on fire, Even drop your rear anchor onto their boat or the person in the boat with great force,

But this is me, You can do or not do what you like at the time, only you can make that decision,

Heres a couple of piccys of this crazy old codger taken last year, 63 years of age, and no safety harness,
When you see sparks falling from the top of tall multi story new buildings, I am the idiot making the sparks, Doing onsite repairs to steel while its hanging on the crane. 200 feet in the air,

I am a doer, not a talker.

Cheers,
Brian,

[Doodles]

Originally Posted by Mr B

.....

I am a doer, not a talker.

Cheers,
Brian,

I'm neither ... just here for the popcorn.

[PEACETIME]

After reading and thinking for a long time as to what I would do , I offer this option.
What would the pirates do if there were no one above board ? By that I mean instead of trying to talk them out of boarding why not a defensive move. What if one went below and locked the hatch closed ? What if the pirates couldn't get to the below decks ? There are a few options one could then employ such as a PAINFULLY loud noise from the speaker at the spreaders. A remote controlled fire bottle started in the cockpit. Very bright flashing lights in the cockpit. At least one could buy time to decide if a face to face with the pirates was called for. Am just thinking there would be a strong position in dealing with unwanted people without them in your face as it was. What would the pirates be thinking if they couldn't get to you ? Would they be wondering if you were arming, calling for help, or how many are below ?
I am still working out what my response would be, but just thinking that buying time is usually better.
Peace

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by Mr B

It all depends on the situation at the time,
It also depends on the individual on the boat about to be boarded,

It depends on whether the individual is an agressive person that can actually fire up at the time and do some thing or whether the person is a meek mild mannered over weight individual that cant or wont do any thing,

Its totally up to you, whether you submit blindly or aggresively,

Only you as an individual can make that decision,

You cant make that decision for some one else,

I am not an overweight, unfit, mild mannered individual,

The people that board boats are fit, healthy and extremely agile,, just like me,

I do have the advantage of being on a solid platform, when the boardees are on a bobbing platform, and unbalanced attempting to grab hold of my boat,

They are not 40 yards away, They are 2 feet from my face, Close enough to actually plant my foot in their face, And I do mean it, if I am going to kick some ones face,

My flares are just inside my cockpit door, By the time these people have actually got close enough to board, They are at my feet, once you have knocked the boardee over, you drop or throw all your flares into their boat,

They do have enough flame and time in them to set their boat on fire, Even drop your rear anchor onto their boat or the person in the boat with great force,

But this is me, You can do or not do what you like at the time, only you can make that decision,

Heres a couple of piccys of this crazy old codger taken last year, 63 years of age, and no safety harness,
When you see sparks falling from the top of tall multi story new buildings, I am the idiot making the sparks, Doing onsite repairs to steel while its hanging on the crane. 200 feet in the air,

I am a doer, not a talker.

Cheers,
Brian,

Great stuff, explain to me how you'd deal with the 45 the guy is waving in your face as in the case of the OP

Dave

[rognvald]

Originally Posted by Doodles

Nothing like another pirate/gun thread to bring out the ....

Attachment 42348

Perfect!

[susanna reiter]

@CaptainKj and @minaret.....

...whatta about them boat hooks..?....LOL.....one of ours is an old fashioned extremely sharp pointed brass headed one.....it's a bit like an old time pike.....of course its not like a 12 gauge but its not illegal either...I don't think it is anyway....in this crazy world...who knows...

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

Great stuff, explain to me how you'd deal with the 45 the guy is waving in your face as in the case of the OP

Dave

I dunno about Mr B, but I would be using the spare crew I had onboard as a human shield .

Obviously if they have a gun and especially if also with a faster / more manouverable vessel then odds are "you" are kinda stuffed .....at least until you can get the gun onboard (see comments about human sheild ).

But if no gun then a fella (or 2) sitting on deck, with a machete visibly in reach, or casually in hand does say to someone (esp. a fisherman thinking of going Pirate) that an opposed boarding is gonna be more trouble than it's worth.........and if at that point they produce a gun can then retreat to the bow - and let them get on with robbing you.....and if at that point they still insist on trying to disarm you, then you know their intentions are not honorable.

[goboatingnow]

But if no gun then a fella (or 2) sitting on deck, with a machete visibly in reach, or casually in hand does say to someone (esp. a fisherman thinking of going Pirate) that an opposed boarding is gonna be more trouble than it's worth.........and if at that point they produce a gun can then retreat to the bow - and let them get on with robbing you.....and if at that point they still insist on trying to disarm you, then you know their intentions are not honorable.

I didnt know bullets can't reach the bow of a boat, good thing to know. Do I have to perform any magic rituals to ensure its a safe place from bullets. What's it like is it a kind of " in the matrix" effect.

Dave

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

I didnt know bullets can't reach the bow of a boat, good thing to know. Do I have to perform any magic rituals to ensure its a safe place from bullets. What's it like is it a kind of " in the matrix" effect.

Dave

Because you iz bobbing up and down makes you harder to hit ......plus if someone has you safely out of their way then they shouldn't need to disarm you.

and what you could also do from the bow (if you had hank on sails) is to unclip the halyard and then swing around (outboard!) and decapitate them as you swung past . Probably help with the element of surprise if also came out of the sun .......other crew should shoot some Youtube - even if it goes badly should still be good to watch .

[CSY Man]

is to unclip the halyard and then swing around (outboard!) and decapitate them as you swung past

That's the perfect job for wifey: She is lighter and more agile than me and besides, I am better at supervising...

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by CSY Man

That's the perfect job for wifey: She is lighter and more agile than me and besides, I am better at supervising...

I guess your name is not Errol.

or Flynn

[CSY Man]

I guess your name is not Errol.

or Flynn

It was 20 years ago...