Boarded with bad intentions?

[jmschmidt]

I like Molotov Cocktails powered by dinghy motor fuel. My Hungarian friends used them successfully in the 1956 revolt against Russian tanks. Perfect for bad guys approaching in pangas. If it fails to ignite, a round from a flare gun will do the trick. And, its also an environmentally acceptable way to dispose of stale fuel.

Seriously, wasp & hornet spray will a shoot single stream over 20 feet right in the face. If on target, it is completely debilitating for a significant period, yet has no lasting harmful effects. And, boarding authorities won't give it a second thought, just another standard item on the boat.

[belizesailor]

Maybe make this a poll instead...."who has actually been borded?".

[Saleen411]

Originally Posted by belizesailor

Maybe make this a poll instead...."who has actually been borded?".

Great idea1.....I think only 2 so far on this thread.

[denverd0n]

Originally Posted by Hardhead

I'm sure it's better than nothing, but I actually saw a youtube video where this was tested, and even getting a ton of wasp spray straight in the eyes didn't do much.

Yep. Wasp spray is nothing but a complete myth. But it's on the internet, so it won't die (and, of course, it MUST be true!).

[Jdege]

I've had a permit to carry for over fifteen years, and I've carried pretty much every day since I obtained it. I've attended number of course on the issue of armed self defense. I've been certified to teach classes that would qualify my students to obtain permits to carry, and taught such classes.

And when I am asked for advice on getting a gun for home defense (which I am on a regular basis - everyone who knows me knows that I am a "gun guy") I tell them that a gun is the last thing they need - and I mean they in a very specific sense.

Buying a gun and taking no other precautions is downright stupid. It's far more likely to get you intro serious trouble than to actually help. If you don't know that the perp is there until he's standing at the foot of your bed, the gun isn't going to help.

What does help is lighting and landscaping, to deter burglars, solid doors and windows with good locks to show them down, alarms and cameras scare them away, and to alert you to their presence. And, more than anything else, a plan so that everyone knows what to do.

If you do all of that, you'll probably not need a gun. But I the rare case where it's not enough, where the alarms have alerted you, you have all the family in for designated safe room with the door locked and are talking to 911, and they start breaking the door down, you'll need an effective weapon, and by a wide margin a firearm would be the most effective.

So my advice would be to get a gun, and training in how to use it, store it safely, etc., but you do everything possible to ensure you'd not need to use it.

Now I've no real experience in security in a live-aboard boat, but I'd think that the general principles are the same. Lights, alarms, locks, matter. Site selection and making cordial arrangements with your neighbors probably matter more.

Weapons, whether you a choose a firearm, pepper spray, diving knives, heavy skillets, or whatever, should be your third level contingency, not what you start with.

[jewt]

Bear spray, & it will work on bears too.

jewt

[denverd0n]

Originally Posted by jmschmidt

Seriously, wasp & hornet spray... is completely debilitating for a significant period, yet has no lasting harmful effects.

You've got it exactly backwards. It is not at all debilitating, but it can have long-term effects if not washed out of the eyes quickly. That's what the doctor told me after I got accidentally sprayed in the face with the stuff. Luckily I did have the common sense to rinse my eyes thoroughly after it happened.


This is nothing but an urban legend, perpetrated across the internet, and I really wish it would just die!

[Training Wheels]

Am I the only one that keeps tactical type flashlights, with VERY bright strobes, handy?

[two-rocks]

Originally Posted by Training Wheels

Am I the only one that keeps tactical type flashlights, with VERY bright strobes, handy?

No you're not. But on a boat with limited means of egress - then what?

I keep them next to the wasp spray.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by Saleen411

Great idea1.....I think only 2 so far on this thread.

Yes, a lot of hypothetical (no offense intended) self protection strategies, but not much addressing the OP.

I think the reason is that very very few cruisers have actually been boarded by bad guys.

(Related note: I was just told of yet another armed robbery in Linton Bay, Panama anchorage recently).

[RobD527]

pool acid in a squirt bottle is good for removing gel coat rust stains and probably better for removing someone from your boat

[Hardhead]

All good points. Pepper spray is one of the easiest to keep handy, and certainly 1000% better than slapping at someone. As long as it does not get in your own eyes, you will gain an advantage. I caught some in the eye one time, and it's a pretty serious issue. Hard to see, and constant tearing.

[Saleen411]

Originally Posted by Gaia

Carry pepper sprays, the jet type, small so it is hidden in your hand and have them handy from wherever you are in many different places. Renew it periodically. With pepper spray you will not kill, innocents or other perhaps more desperate human beings. And they are unlikely to be turned on you like other weapons might be. They, because they can be omnipresent as suggested, will be available when you need them whether you are in bed or sitting on the head.
Jim

Jim

I'm sorry to hear what happened to you but glad you survived the attack....I can't even imagine what a traumatic experience that must have been for you.

I like the idea of having pepper spray on hand. I think I am actually leaning towards pepper gel as it has a longer range, STICKS so it's hard to wipe off and there isn't a blow back issue like the spray. One does need a better aim for the gel.

Unfortunately, pepper spray/gel is not legal in St Lucia....I just called the consulate since the web did not specifically say.

[Sailing August]

This is a subject that I agonize over. When cruising with my wife, daughters and occasionally their friends; their security is something that I constantly worry about. Third world impoverished criminals can be very bold and brutal because they dont have much to loose. We try to be careful and maintain situational awareness but attacks can happen anytime-anywhere. I am often the only male on board. If I became neutralized, it is not a stretch to imagine that a pirate robbery could quickly devolve into a brutal attack on women.
My first instinct is to be armed with a shotgun and hand gun.....but in the event that I killed an intruder / attacker; our cruising life would be over. My wife would never set foot on a boat again and I really have no wish to kill someone.
There is the alternative of using non-lethal rounds in the shot gun but I do not have any experience with this.
Currently we carry Alaska Guard bear spray. All the girls carry a can in their shore packs and we have several strategically placed on board.
Alaska Guard bear spray is 1.3 million Scoville Heat units and it sprays 30 feet (wind is a factor too). Police pepper spray is only 25,000 SHU.
Until we figure out a full strategy, this is what we are carrying. I am torn by this subject. I want to be fully armed and protect my family to the fullest extent but at the same time, I dont want to do something that can't be undone.
I know that this does not forward the conversation much but it is something that I struggle with.

S/V August

[wingssail]

In 33 years of living aboard and 23 years of cruising, through over 35 countries, we have been boarded exactly twice, once at a dock in the US and once at a dock on Australia. Both times the bone-heads were just lookie-loos who had no idea anyone was on board and when I stuck my head out the hatch and yelled at them they shat themselves while running away.

We've been anchored in places where there were dodgy people around. A yacht is visible to everyone and is an obvious target. So we have been nervous. Not staying in such a place for many nights is a good strategy (don't let some lowlifes get a chance to make a plan).

We chose not to live in fear and we have been lucky.

But other cruisers, as well as people living in houses, have had intruders and there have been thefts and killings. There have also been robberies while ashore, and other crimes committed.

So I think a simple trip line to lights and a low volume alarm (allowing me to avoid a heart attack from every false alarm) and a nearby switch to the really loud alarms and more lights, and access to a few cans of pepper spray, might be a good idea.

We also keep nothing of value on deck, the dingy hoisted and locked, and our boat such as it is, does not look to inviting (one glance lets you know that there isn't much there, unless the intruder likes big winches)