How to avoid being killed ?

[svmariane]

This post is not intended for those who for personal reasons or circumstances are content with (or resigned to) their home slip in their home port.

It seems that there comes a point in a boat-owner's life when he/she stands on the dock, knowing the boat is about as sea worthy as she'll every be, knowing she's prepared for extended voyaging, and either steps aboard and slips the lines - or walks back to the clubhouse and over some drinks tells others "next year I'm going to" blah blah blah.

Figuratively speaking, are "you" a mouse, forever cowering in your safe little hole, afraid that a cat may pounce should you venture forth? Or are you a man?

Quoting two men who've "been there; done that", as it were:

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." Mark Twain {Samuel Clemens}

"It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly, who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat." Theodore Roosevelt

Written from aboard while swinging on the hook in a port at an island I'd never even heard about until three years ago.

James
s/v Mariane
Pago Pago

[CarinaPDX]

Originally Posted by Saltyhog

Gun? What gun?

Yeah, I realized after posting that I must be getting old if I focused on the gun and not the gunner...

svmariane- nice post!

Greg

[Nicholson58]

"No fancy clothes & no jewelry" I figured it must be Zee

[darylat8750]

I got distracted by someone holding some Kind of metal.........
Oh yea. I heard wasp spray has good range and is very irritating . I took out a wasp nest and with very little practice 20 feet seems like a reasonable range. Few governments will complain about bug spray.

[tropicalescape]

Originally Posted by CarinaPDX

You are going to die. Get over it. The only questions are how you are going to live and how/when you are going to die. Brave or afraid, death comes to all of us. The likelihood that your death will be the result of violence is exceedingly small; it is far more likely that an accident or heart attack will take you than a violent attack. That is not an argument against taking precautions - you certainly should - but put things in perspective and do not live in fear of something so unlikely. But still it might happen...

When I was in Trinidad in 1996 a 70 year old American woman was killed. She was a very nice person, looking forward to an Atlantic crossing. She was in the habit of walking the 5 miles up the road to the north shore, and return, in an undeveloped area of the old US Navy base at Chaguaramas. For months she took this walk, and for months locals and cruisers alike warned her that this was a dangerous area to be in, even driving a car, but she was too free a spirit to be cowed. Then one day she didn't return - her body was found a week or two later and the perpetrator was quickly caught. Of course this was a terrible tragedy and had a great impact on the cruisers. It seems to me that there are two perspectives one might take on this: the first is that it wouldn't have happened had she simply taken the good advice she had been given, and the second is that she had lived for 70 years without fear of the world. Was her life better in some sense because of her choices? It seems to me that while mourning the loss we might well celebrate the life.

My own choice is to take reasonable precautions and then to get on with things without fear. There certainly have been times when I was afraid, and that was my cue to get the hell out of there. But I refuse to live in fear, and particularly of something that is so unlikely (but still possible).

We each have to make our choices, hopefully informed.

Greg

Sad story...This is the kind of info and real life experiance that I feel is most helpful when travling the world..Places have a bad rap and we are warned,always take heed..Even a place that was safe to walk and not have fear , last year, can turn into no mans land this trip..Understanding the local political scene always gives good insight into the "peoples feelings"(yea right) and " economic situation" ,..If money is tight at home ,how much (very,very, much)tighter is it in a place with a per capita of $8000.00 (US)per.(this is a very generous amount in 70% of the world..)Considering that places like Mexico are an upper middle income country even economics may not play such an important part when it comes to "getting killed" or not getting killed..seems like some people are just mean and hateful just because..Always be aware of your environ ..

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by tropicalescape

even economics may not play such an important part when it comes to "getting killed" or not getting killed..seems like some people are just mean and hateful just because..Always be aware of your environ ..

For sure some folks are "mean and hateful" (both with and without reason) - but plenty more (the majority of the planet) simply do not share the judeo-christian system of subservience and control, which translates into a very different sense of proportionality and a good nights sleep .......for stuff that would have the average westerner in a lifetime of therapy.

[DoubleWhisky]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

No fancy jewelry, no fancy clothing.

Add her a couple of these, just for a good company...

[Kenomac]

[QUOTE=DoubleWhisky;1458473]Add her a couple of these, just for a good company...


My Friend.... You're spending way too much time running with the wrong pack.

[Lake-Effect]

Originally Posted by pbmaise

If the whole point of this thread is to avoid getting killed while cruising...then most people are missing the boat.

well, of course. More cruisers will die from peeing off the stern, or hepatitis, or bad shellfish, than will be killed by boat invaders.

But if it amuses the kids to get all worked up about the most remote of possibilities, who are we to spoil their fun?

[minaret]

Originally Posted by Lake-Effect

well, of course. More cruisers will die from peeing off the stern, or hepatitis, or bad shellfish, than will be killed by boat invaders.

But if it amuses the kids to get all worked up about the most remote of possibilities, who are we to spoil their fun?

Duh! Have we not talked about all of those things ad nauseum? We have. So what's so terribly wrong about discussing this issue as well? I think we all understand how to prevent a boom, but given the number of cruisers attacked in the last two years I'm not at all sure people are as up to speed on security as they are on basic boat operation. If we discuss boom preventing 100 times, would it be OK with the thought police if we discuss security in earnest just once?

[DoubleWhisky]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

My Friend.... You're spending way too much time running with the wrong pack.

Running? Only with my dogs.
And they make for a quite good pack

Cheers!
My best regards to Your Lady, everytime!

[Lake-Effect]

Originally Posted by minaret

Duh! Have we not talked about all of those things ad nauseum?

Well it depends on one's threshold for nauseum, but I would say...no.

If we discuss boom preventing 100 times, would it be OK with the thought police if we discuss security in earnest just once?

I think you'll find that there's 100 times the threads/comments on guns/weapons and repelling assailants for every one of the other threats (which yes have been well covered) . It's a public forum, the mods say it's ok to do so (til it implodes), so please don't let me dissuade you.

[jahillsr]

Originally Posted by minaret

What if you lived in a place where when a yacht was "taken on" in the past, no hell rained down from the cops at all, and instead they just chuckled about it? Do you really think the cops in most of these places are actively pursuing dinghy and outboard thefts to the utmost of their ability? If they were, I dare say it would stop. People get stuff stolen off their boats while they are aboard all the time.

I suspect that crime in the islands is not dissimilar to here in the states or the problem they are having in England. In areas with restrictive gun/self-protection laws, home invasions while people are in the home sleeping is higher due to the criminal pretty much knowing that they won't have a real fight on their hands and there is more likely cash and credit cards at home when the homeowner is there. Google what the current Police Chief in Detroit has to say on the problem as an example. What about carrying a speargun?

[tropicalescape]

Originally Posted by minaret

Duh! Have we not talked about all of those things ad nauseum? We have. So what's so terribly wrong about discussing this issue as well? I think we all understand how to prevent a boom, but given the number of cruisers attacked in the last two years I'm not at all sure people are as up to speed on security as they are on basic boat operation. If we discuss boom preventing 100 times, would it be OK with the thought police if we discuss security in earnest just once?

Yea ,really..I agree..I think it is going to get worse before it gets better and whos to say that what is overtaking many parts of the world(revolution!)wont spread to places like the Carribean,South and Central America etc(places people would like to go cruising)...I can imagine places like Haiti, Cuba(?) Jamaica etc. being "forced" and "dragged" into the 21st century much as places like Somalia,Sudan etc. are being "dragged" and "forced" into it..Security is one of the fastest growing businesses in the world and is projected to be one of the top exports from the developed world to the developing world in the first quarter of this century. So there you go ,I have come to the perfect answer to the "make money while crusing" thread,Hire your self out as a mercenary to crusiers that would rather sit around and party ,rather than worry about security issues..

[Bluebound]

How about a couple of powerful spearguns on board. Is that legal?