Arms on Board?

[captain58sailin]

Right arms or left arms?

[Tellie]

Originally Posted by rover88

I am an enthusiastic advocate for arms on board a boat!!

It's not that I have anything against amputees sailing, but have found that my arms are very helpful for pulling all those strings that make my boat go.

Yeah, who really needs electric winches on board when you have Bear arms.

[Bash]

Originally Posted by bluemoose

OK, we get it, all you world cruisers don't want to take guns for the headaches. Fine, however, it isn't "worldcruiserforum.com", so get a grip.

As far as getting a grip is concerned, this actually is an international forum.

[K_V_B]

Originally Posted by rover88

I am an enthusiastic advocate for arms on board a boat!!

And they should be kept on board. As well as the legs. Especially when docking.

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by Group9

The best weapon is intelligence and situational awareness. Every other weapon's effectiveness is either enhanced or diminished, depending on any particluar individuals skill set, or lack of same, in these two areas.

I agree 100%. Very well stated.

[bluemoose]

Never had a CC number jacked until traveled down under for the first time last month. Sorry, CanUS, EU and ANZ might be mostly safe, but it's the places in between that worry me.... I'll error on the side of not visiting places that won't let me defend myself on the high seas if I so choose. To each their own.

[bluemoose]

Originally Posted by Bash

As far as getting a grip is concerned, this actually is an international forum.

Totally agree. Just that when a poster says he is staying in all US waters, don't bring up why it's a bad idea from an international perspective, that's all. Total waste of time.

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by Soldierofortune

is there any specific requirements for having weapons on board a boat?

Getting back to the original question and main point of this discussion:

The major issue I would concern myself with when carrying firearms onboard would be the legality in various States and countries which you plan to visit. As you probably already know, the laws vary quite a bit from state to state here in the USA; this is the primary reason why we chose weapons which would be legal to possess in all 50 states. In most cases, local law trumps federal law within US harbors.... some states and cities can be quite restrictive in what is allowed, especially when on land. But generally speaking, your vessel is considered your home, so Homeland security and the Coast Guard officials will allow registered weapons that would be allowed in one's own home for home defense, such as shotguns or hunting rifles. Handguns can be a problem in some cities.

Don't try to be sneaky, at some point you will be boarded and searched, and the officials will run a check on the firearms serial number and measure the barrel length, so everything must be legal.

When visiting other countries, we always obey and respect the host country's laws, we don't want to invite any trouble from law enforcement.

[sailorboy1]

Is it just me or does everyone else feel trolled? I mean from the OP user name, profile and the opening post it just feels like a setup!

[rover88]

Originally Posted by Don L

Is it just me or does everyone else feel trolled? I mean from the OP user name, profile and the opening post it just feels like a setup!

Actually, that very thought is what predicated a flippant response to the OP's question. Not as a matter of disrespect, but anyone who has been on this board for more than a few weeks knows what subjects are taboo and will get the hounds baying.

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by Don L

Is it just me or does everyone else feel trolled?

No. Just seems like a fellow looking to get started and wanting some basic questions answered. Nothing wrong with that.

[Lake-Effect]

Guns that shoot anchors. yeah....

What kind of anchor will fly truest? Which is faster to reload? Discuss.

[boatsail]

I will refer to a prototype of an anchor/I have a photo stored on my desktop for such demonstrations to the public. Think of it as a multitool. With threads like this, it will catch on.

[Saltyhog]

Originally Posted by Group9

The best weapon is intelligence and situational awareness. Every other weapon's effectiveness is either enhanced or diminished, depending on any particluar individuals skill set, or lack of same, in these two areas.

Irrelevant of whether the OP was a troll or an honest question, the above is the best response. I've never responded in one of these threads, but I always read them because I find it interesting as to other individuals' responses. It gives you a picture of where they're coming from. In any event, IMHO most on CF would be best served by not even considering deadly force weapons aboard. The investment is far too great. It's nothing to do with the $$$ of a weapons' purchase, where to keep them, or how to deal with with local laws. To be "armed", an individual will spend far more on training than on even a sizable arsenal of firepower. To be "armed", an individual will expend more practice ammunition in a month than most "gun owners" will fire in a lifetime. To be "armed", an individual will practice and continually advance their skills in the martial art of gun fighting for hours each week. Range time is a small part of it. Throwing lead at a paper target with perfect precision means nothing in a real situation. Having been in that "situation" via training and having the skills embedded in muscle memory is what will count. This is in general far more than most here are willing to invest. Carrying a firearm without the skills embedded will do you little or no good and will likely hurt. Learning to identify the potential situation is the first skill taught and most often (by far) used. Situational awareness is a skill anyone can learn and practice on a daily basis. It's legal everywhere. Most victims are blissfully unaware of the situations' theater unfolding around them, until their time and thus options are used up. Those who would do you harm count on that.

[goboatingnow]

If you want guns onboard, sail around the US, thanks, leave the rest of the world to people with a little bit more grey matter between their ears. The last thing we need is the suspicion from officials that boaters are gun nuts. I see no advantage whatsoever outside the US to carrying firearms unless one is going into dangerous wild animal country ( on a boat !!).

The reason these debates are facetious is that advocates aren't interested in a reasonable debate. so it descends into the creation of absurd scenarios or inane re-statements of supposed "rights".

The humour responses probably get it right.

Dave