Common Objects to Defend Your Boat at Sea

[Chotu]

Then there are the mega yachts. Maybe my Canadian forum friend from near the six can speak to this as well as others who have worked in the industry.

More than one mega yacht I worked on had an arsenal of undeclared firearms hidden aboard.

They are prime targets. They don’t seem to run into the problems we beat to death on here when gun threads get out of control.

I didn’t even know traveling with these things was such an international issue until this forum. We just had them on the big boats. As do tankers and container ships and whatnot. They are under control of the captain only.

Maybe it’s just too much boat to inspect for customs?

Why is it only a problem for our little boats?

[thomm225]

Slight off the subject but this was an excellent boat about Somalia Pirates capturing an American Sailboat. (they missed on a tanker)

It's based on a true story and covers both side leading up to and after the event. Even the Navy got involved as well as the FBI.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/...-of-dark-water

http://corbanaddison.com/books/the-t...rs-dark-water/

[Franziska]

Simple answer. Gun possession for the general public is very highly regulated and mostly forbidden in most countries (personally I am very much in favor of such, but let's not start that discussion... ).

I can very much relate to, that in these countries no-one would want foreigners have access to guns. So to say "you enter my country you play by my rules" .

That some try to wave the rules will always be the case, but, if they are cought they rightly bear the cost of doing so.

Originally Posted by Chotu

Then there are the mega yachts. Maybe my Canadian forum friend from near the six can speak to this as well as others who have worked in the industry.

More than one mega yacht I worked on had an arsenal of undeclared firearms hidden aboard.

They are prime targets. They don’t seem to run into the problems we beat to death on here when gun threads get out of control.

I didn’t even know traveling with these things was such an international issue until this forum. We just had them on the big boats. As do tankers and container ships and whatnot. They are under control of the captain only.

Maybe it’s just too much boat to inspect for customs?

Why is it only a problem for our little boats?

[sailorboy1]

I wonder if there is a panga fishing boat forum that has lots of threads about trying to trade a $100 fish for some matches or a beer to a cruising boat, but getting attacked with flares etc.

I personally find some cruisers plans of attack to be ludicrous and at best only ends up hurting themselves, and at worst turns a simple petty robbery into a life and death issue.

[sanibel sailor]

I made a set of burglar bars for the main hatch.
I have thought of a fillet knife zip tied to a boathook would be a good deterrent to anyone trying to force entry. Spreader lights and alarm to get them off deck.

[malbert73]

I read somewhere about wasp spray. Could be fired into the face through a small opening or bars. Only once someone is on with dangerous intent of course

[Zzmeyer]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

I wonder if there is a panga fishing boat forum that has lots of threads about trying to trade a $100 fish for some matches or a beer to a cruising boat, but getting attacked with flares etc.

I personally find some cruisers plans of attack to be ludicrous and at best only ends up hurting themselves, and at worst turns a simple petty robbery into a life and death issue.

Well said. Some folks must have pretty fancy gear to die for. My defensive actions would emphasize not getting killed, less so on saving my gear. I suspect far more boats get robbed than owners get killed. I wouldn't be surprised that many of the proposed actions would 1) endanger innocent people approaching a boat for other than nefarious reasons - interestingly potentially costing you far more in court than if they were crooks and stole your Icom, or 2) Making a thief a murderer. As the thread is about defending your boat at sea the implication is that you are aboard. Project Atticus added bars to the hatches. I think that might dissuade a personal attack while minimizing the amount of gear stolen. I also suspect thieves generally would prefer you not to be aboard so I'd bet most thefts occur at anchor or in a marina. Over the years I have been nervous at night a number of times. Would have been wrong every time if I killed a fisherman.

[Dogscout]

I just want to hear more about BOPPING THE PIRATE IN THE HEAD!

[Franziska]

Come on :-)
Bobbing ON the head should suffice, no :-)

Originally Posted by Dogscout

I just want to hear more about BOPPING THE PIRATE IN THE HEAD!

[Tetepare]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

Seriously?

You, Sir, are a spoil sport. Let me remind you that it is deep into the month of September, and we have not had a gun/ defense discussion in this month. Meanwhile, we've had no fewer than four MORE discussions on anchors, and a further four MORE discussions on anchoring techniques. Thus, squeezing in one more defense discussion can be of no harm.


In fact, gun discussions on CF are invigorating, second only to that cup of Morning Joe you're now holding in your hand. They excite and invite participation far more than, say, clearing the reef into Munda. See? Case in point- Mike, you've already participated in this thread, but if I were to start a new thread on how to breach the bloody reef into Roviana Lagoon you'd not participate, not even to be nice and provide my thread with exposure, boosting my post count.


The OP does offer a novel twist, that being body armor. In fact, I can think of nothing better to wear on deck than a five kilo suit. I can remember taking down the headsail in a storm, and being struck hard by the clew, and it caused quite some injury; had I been wearing body armor that personal physical damage would have been avoided.


Body armor offers other benefits. If, for example, your anchor is dragging you could don body armor, tie yourself to the anchor rhode, and jump, thereby saving your wife. Further, if racing crews wore body armor there would never be the dilemma of whether to turn back or not when a crew member goes over.


Now, the repeating flare launcher! What a great idea! I'll just go whip one up out of plastic. Never mind issues such as feed and timing, reinforcement, or storage. Or the fact that several military contractors and commercial designers have already done this a multitude of times in the past fifty years, and they have all been a flop. Oh, the dreaded "ghost gun" flare launcher, I'll just do what CNN says and make one on my 3D printer. Good lord.


As far as baseball bats, there's an old saying "never bring a bat to a gunfight." Any good pirate is going to have a gun. Good luck with that bat.


There's a whole lot of wrong in that post. Am I going to get banned and change that to "a whole lot of stupid"?



Sometimes pirates don't have guns, sometimes they fly big flags that say "We Dont Got No Guns" so you know that a speargun will be sufficient defense. Personally, every time I schedule a piracy I fly a Canadian flag so they know I'll be boarding and looting without a firearm.


Now, the lead sinker thing I have to lend credence to. Twice in my life while fishing some moron had clobbered me with a 3 oz sinker. And let me tell you, that little sinker knocked me silly. It's a powerful weighing FOUR TIMES that of a .45 caliber bullet, acellerating at the end of a pendulum straight for my head. I would really like to avoid that again, that's why I don't participate in the Combat Fishing on Salmon River in October. You think I'm kidding? Sneak your Canadian backside over the border and I'll give you a lift to Pulaski so you can see how a 3oz sinker feels.


As far as pipes, I'm on that. All of my lifelines have QD connectors so I can quickly grab stanchions for use as weapons. Side benefit is if I have to replace some lifeline I can do two meter sections, not buy the whole damned thing stem to stern.


Like it or not Mike, it's a new thread on an old and tired topic, and you're in it!

[sailorboy1]

There is no proof that wasp spray will stop an attacker! Maybe it will, but probably wouldn't and I bet you can't get all of them at once. One thing is certain and that is your attacker is now really pissed off! What happens if it didn't stop your attacker and instead of taking your money he wants to cut your head off? Even if it is effective you would have to use it early enough and I doubt he is just going to stand there in range with you holding the can waiting. Have you practiced your aim lately. What if you are wrong that you were under attack and now you have blinded a poor fisherman? Bet that isn't going to go over very well. In fact even if he was going to job you, it still isn't to go well for you with the locals probably.

Flares - do a google search and you can find a video of some stupid kids shooting themselves in the head point blank with a flare "gun". Yeah that will stop them ...................... in a James Bond movie maybe.

I am not saying it is totally unreasonable for a cruiser to have some type of protection methods on the boat. But come on people stop with the stupid parrot items that are pretty useless and more likely to result is turning a bad event into something worse.

And remember deadly force is only acceptable in a life and death scenario and that isn't the fisherman wanting to rob you. Same as it is not acceptable to blind someone, or burn them up etc. for the same.

[Tetepare]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

There is no proof that wasp spray will stop an attacker!

Sadly, people don't bother to use that thing up top call "Search", and worse Facebook Karens reiterate the stupid tale about how effective wasp spray is.


I have said it before. Wasp spray is an annoyance, nothing more. It will not deter, it will infuriate. It will not stop a bear, nor a racoon.

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by Franziska

Simple answer. Gun possession for the general public is very highly regulated and mostly forbidden in most countries (personally I am very much in favor of such, but let's not start that discussion... ).

I can very much relate to, that in these countries no-one would want foreigners have access to guns. So to say "you enter my country you play by my rules" .

That some try to wave the rules will always be the case, but, if they are cought they rightly bear the cost of doing so.

So all of these big boats are in danger of arrest?

I find it hard to believe professional captains with decades of experience running large ships and mega yachts to a perfection most of us can only dream of on our little boats are taking that level of a risk.

Maybe, just maybe... these particular rules aren’t enforced in the way most of the people here think they are.

Because the MAJORITY of megayachts i worked on had an Arsenal aboard.

We went from Caribbean nation to Caribbean nation without any incident just like the rest of everyone did.

And for sure the big tanker types are armed as well.

These is a huge incongruity between what we say on this forum and what real boats (but larger ones) are doing in real life.

[Franziska]

I was involved in megayacht design myself, and yes there are proper gun lockers installed on some.
What goes onboard is usually controlled by the rules of the flag state. So if your flag allows them you can have them if you feel the need (I don't).
These guns are licensed as are the potential users.

Still, when you enter port and have a gun locker, these gun lockers tend to be sealed by officials if the country in question does not allow them.
Guess in a real emergency the captain could decide to break such a seal. So the guns are available for a real emergency.

Sometimes you may also have to hand the guns over to officials and get them back when leaving.

[Tetepare]

Megayachts can have arsenals on board because they are owned by rich people who have political connections. If the customs or cops are told to keep their noses out, they will.


That said, one got busted coming into NYC a few years ago. Flagged in Marshall Islands, owned by an American. Guess he didn't have the right connections. But who cares? It was the crew that got arrested, not the owner.