Defense Weapons Against Piracy

[Patient]

Another consideration with DPSS lasers (Green) is that even though they are low power, their beams are extremely visible, even when its not that dark out.

[Lexam]

Originally Posted by capngeo

DO NOT TRAVEL WHERE PIRATES ARE!

This has probably already been asked and answered. But it brings up the question for me. What route can one take to avoid pirates?

[Free Agent]

Originally Posted by Lexam

This has probably already been asked and answered. But it brings up the question for me. What route can one take to avoid pirates?

I remember when I started cruising, one evening I was watching Walter Cronkite on the CBS evening news.

He did a piece on his sailing trip to Bimini and the Abacos and showed his 8mm movies of people that had been robbed and murdered.
Sailboats floating adrift with the swolen, bullet ridden families bloodied on the decks.

Cronkite went on to argue that the Bahama authorities refuse to investigate any of what he discovered, covered it all up, and the tale goes the police are affiliated with the bandits as far as Cronkite, The Most Trusted Man in America was concerned.

Like the crazy Aunt in the attic that no one talks about,,,, with robbery and murder, no one wants to admit it happens,, but it does.

Pirates are where ya find them.
We travel in a flotilla and watch each others backs.

Stay away from anchoring in the bigger cities. We port in Marinas with security.

When you check in to customs, you have to declare your firearms, and unfortunately,, that tells the bad guys what heat you are carrying.

We all carry a Winchester Defender deck sweeper with OO buck rotated with slugs,, magnum loads,, 9mm pistols with XTP rounds.

Yeah, we're gun crazy Americans, but we will most definitely kills the thugs that kill us.

Happy Cruising!!!

[cabo_sailor]

Sigh...

Dave is right. While it is possible to build an EMP generator, for the kind of power we have available it would have to be located probably within a foot of the electronics. The company that was giving all the glowing reports on how effective it is, is apparently a scam and well known on the net as being a scam.

Hud,

As far as disrupting stereo speakers for the other thread, I did see a suggestion by a car audio specialist that a CB radio running through a 1KW linear amp would do the trick. He suggested a quarter wave yaggi antenna for directing it and transmitting a recorded 60 cycle hum.

Rich

[David_Old_Jersey]

I am mulling over an (inverted) Danforth Anchor fixed atop a sheet Winch as a transversable shooting platform that could could be swapped between sides.

Plan is to hide behind and shout at the Pirates . But in a CF play nice kinda way

[Pblais]

Plan is to hide behind and shout at the Pirates . But in a CF play nice kinda way

That could work. In fits of laughter you toss out banana peels and they fall overboard.

[perchance]

Green lasers? yes. Provided I get exclusive distribution rights for pirate eye patches.

[goboatingnow]

but we will most definitely kills the thugs that kill us.

hmmm.. while thats nice, its hardly effective is it.

Dave

[cabo_sailor]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

hmmm.. while thats nice, its hardly effective is it.

Dave

Sometimes effective takes second place to satisfying, especially if the outcome is the same.

[JoeDiver]

Originally Posted by Pblais

A BB gun can poke your eye out

That was actually an icicle if I remember correctly, hanging from the garage....

I have a very effective red laser....the attachment to my AK increases the effectiveness exponentially....

[Lexam]

I didn't want to start up another pirate thread. So fielding the idea here. What about electrifying one's boat? Say the life lines and metal railings? Have a switch that when you are safely inside you can hit it and anyone that touches the metal on the outside of the boat gets zapped into the water?

[heyniceguy]

how about a fake grenade? you know, the kind used as paperweights in some offices... toss two or three in the skiff as they come close and see how many will bail out. if both boats are moving, it's a good chance they'll be left behind. and if you bowl a strike, hey! free skiff!

[webejammin]

Originally Posted by Lexam

This has probably already been asked and answered. But it brings up the question for me. What route can one take to avoid pirates?

Try the North West Passage It's open these days if your brave enough and warm blooded. Other than that put your boat on a ship like folks are doing now days to avoid 3rd and 4th world countries with folks starving into piracy. AAARRGGGGGGGG

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Lexam

This has probably already been asked and answered. But it brings up the question for me. What route can one take to avoid pirates?

The 2245 from Bombay to Cape Town....

[Mark Johnson]

There is no true safety in this world. The most we can have is a temporary illusion of safety. The reality is that none of us gets out alive!

In cruising, as in the land life, while guns may make SOME people "feel" safer, they seldom actually "make" one safer. (Statistically, the opposite is usually the case). Going into an area known to have pirates, heavily armed, with the idea that if you get approached, you'll just blast the bastards out of the water, is a fools game.

All we can do is stack the odds in our favor. The way to do this cruising, is use a LOT of common sense. Most places with REGULAR acts of piracy are well publicized. DON'T GO THERE!!! There are other places with infrequent, but occasional, acts of piracy. DON'T GO THERE EITHER... unless your desire to pass through is so high, that it's worth the risk, it is of short duration, and then go with a flotilla, preferably in daylight.

There are so many places to cruise to that are MUCH safer than living in what ever country that we came from, WHY go to the others?

In most cases... ONLY by shooting first, BEFORE you truly access a situation, can a gun help in your defense. To do so is utterly immoral!

That "suspicious looking guy" that approaches your boat at great speed around dawn, only wanting to sell you a nice fish or ask: "fumar"??? Doesn't deserve to be shot, out of a gun wielding cruisers fear of what he MIGHT do.

Go to safer places, be considerate, be smart, prepare your boat, keep a good watch, stay lit, be careful where you anchor, and for ALL our sakes... PLEASE leave your arsenals at home!

True "pirates". (as opposed to petty thieves), travel in groups armed with machine guns, and have NO problem shooting first! unless you adopt the same mentality, and up your armament to Stinger Missiles, then avoiding the situation is the only rational thing to do.

Peace, & be safe... M.