Boarded with bad intentions?

[daletournier]

Originally Posted by Gaia

I am disappointed at most of these comments I hesitate to say. Most, I am sorry to say, bristle with nonsense. Nonsense which is counterproductive when dealing with or thinking about this serious subject. We have been there four times during our 23 year long circumnavigation. We left Canada with pepper spray on board and it saved our lives in the Rio Dulce. I kid you not. It is by far the best solution much aided by having a dog on board which however brings with it it's own problems. (We did not). The attack happened after midnight while anchored. Although i was hospitalised the use of the spray by Helen immobilized two of our attackers and Helen then chased the third knife wielder into his dugout.

The next day she returned to GAIA to clean up copious quantities of blood, mine, and found a noose----!

It is quite illuminating how experiencing a violent attack opens ones eyes and thoughts to the reality of these situations. I could go deep into this subject but let me just say that carrying weapons and attempting to use them is nuts to be blunt. The many reasons have been adequately covered elsewhere and if you are not convinced now my opinions will not change your mind.

One example will suffice: In the middle of the night we were jolted awake a long ways up the Gambia river and on coming on deck, cautiously and carrying pepper spray as we had learned to do years before in the Rio Dulce, we saw a person in the act of coming on board over the transom. His sudden appearance fightened us! It turned out that his drift net had caught around our keel. (We were anchored in the middle of the river and fishing thus is their modus operandi.) I spent the next two hours helping him recover his only means of earning a living. Considering our heightened state of excitement, as we had never forgotten the Rio Dulce, I cringe when thinking what might have happened had we been stupid enough to carry a firearm.

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. That cannot be said of other weapons unless you go around looking like Wyattt Earp in Paradise. Try tucking a Colt 45 in your underpants. Had we reached for a gun while being attacked in bed we would both be dead now. Of that there is absolutely no doubt. And you will not need to lie, nor face the consequences thereof, when asked time and time again 'do you have weapons on board'?

My apologies for using aggressive language early on but one should not comment on subjects one knows nothing about particularly when they might involve life or death.

Jim

Jim

Hi Jim, great advice based on true real world experience. I agree that most that carry on about what they would do with their weapon of choice haven't been there and don't understand the reality.

Ps, we met in Langkawi 6-7 years ago., I was on Freeform (Freedom 32), you were asking about my Hoyt camber spar.

Cheers Dale.

[Hardhead]

I threw up a poll - but if anyone cares to make a better one, please feel free to do so.

I was unsure of the poll format available, so it looks like the way to proceed would be to just check a box if the response is "YES."

If the poll can be edited, I'd be happy to change it. There should probably be a box for NO TO ALL as well - so we can see the percentage of sailors boarded overall who respond.


Or - maybe scrap that poll, and someone with some more skill can make one up.

[gulfcoastsailor]

As at home, my first line of defense is Wasp Spray with that long distance nozzle.

[DreadPirateRob]

Oh, this one's easy! Lock all of the cockpit seat lazarettes except for one... figuring that they'll always look for the easy stuff first. In that lazarette, you keep a bunch of fake severed body parts that you pick up on clearance after Halloween. Not many people open a second door when the first one revealed a pile of bloody severed human heads.

Though, if you forget to explain what's they're about to see... this can lead to some damned awkward conversations with customs inspections.

[Stingo]

I had a few large rubber snakes. I have no idea if that kept uninvited superstitious local intruders off my boat, but there was seldom any birdshit to be found. So a result, as far as I am concerned.

[Hardhead]

Originally Posted by DreadPirateRob

Oh, this one's easy! Lock all of the cockpit seat lazarettes except for one... figuring that they'll always look for the easy stuff first. In that lazarette, you keep a bunch of fake severed body parts that you pick up on clearance after Halloween. Not many people open a second door when the first one revealed a pile of bloody severed human heads.

This is genius.

Also, seeing a large black snake lying on deck in moonlight might deter the sober thieves. I guarantee it would scare the hell out of me - on my second trip back up to the deck...

[Saleen411]

Originally Posted by Stingo

I had a few large rubber snakes. I have no idea if that kept uninvited superstitious local intruders off my boat, but there was seldom any birdshit to be found. So a result, as far as I am concerned.

My ex put rubber snakes on my dock in the hope of deterring river otters and waterfowl from crapping on everything.....defecating ducks in particular.

HA! All of them were carried off. Our great blue herons are the usual suspects.

Next!!!!

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by Stingo

I had a few large rubber snakes. I have no idea if that kept uninvited superstitious local intruders off my boat, but there was seldom any birdshit to be found. So a result, as far as I am concerned.

One of those did scare the **** out of me the other day, until I realized that it didn’t move and must be rubber, but I almost had a heart attack until I realized that.
For gods sake people if you get a rubber snake, don’t get the BIG rattlesnake.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by jmh2002

A further semi-commercial security system option being developed which might be interesting for some cruisers:

https://www.piratelights.com/

https://www.piratelights.com/captain...product-review

https://www.piratelights.com/captain...-pirate-lights

I looked at that a year or two ago and quickly decided it was for people with more money than sense, there isn’t much to it, but look at the pricing !

[barnakiel]

Boarded by a thief in Cabo Verde, Brava Island, Faja village. Day time.



There was some amount of physical contact involved when I threw him overboard. And then again as I had to become his Pamela Anderson when it turned out he could not swim.



Somehow I escaped getting locked up BUT they did charge us an arm and a leg (actually more like two arms and two legs) for potable water next morning on our departure. We never drank that water either as we knew it was POISONED. Or, as a minimum, spat into.


We never stopped again at CV for that reason.


b.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by two-rocks

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

well while they are blinded and dazed by the tactical flashlight I bet my short spear can get the point across to them

[Stingo]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

Boarded by a thief in Cabo Verde, Brava Island, Faja village. Day time.
[snip]
We never stopped again at CV for that reason.
b.

I had a similar experience and like to call the place crapo merde

[endlesspursuit]

Stopping their entry is defense #1. The dead bolt on my bedroom door saved an intruder's life. Had he gotten in I would have dropped him where he stood. But for boats and cruising guns are a problem. I recently saw a vid from "Brick House" in South Africa. They were selling paint ball guns with optional rubber balls, steel balls they said would break bones and balls with pepper spray inside them. Anyone know of legality of paint ball guns on board? Could be a non-lethal approach to level 2 or 3 defense.

[GTom]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

Boarded by a thief in Cabo Verde, Brava Island, Faja village. Day time.
There was some amount of physical contact involved when I threw him overboard. And then again as I had to become his Pamela Anderson when it turned out he could not swim.
.

Pirate, that cannot swim epic

[Training Wheels]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

well while they are blinded and dazed by the tactical flashlight I bet my short spear can get the point across to them

Or my fish billy!