Stealth Sailing

[witzgall]

Hey, the OP did not ask about the merits of avoiding any particular area. There is another huge post active right now for that.

Avoid any emissions, such as radar, VHF, etc.
don't sail a bit steel boat.
travel at night
ETC

I don't think there is any magic bullet here.


Chris

[hpeer]

Radar depends upon foes sophistication. I have a SeaMe on my boat. It beeps when it receives a radar signal. Another make will also give you a vector. So if the bad guys have one of these then they can see you over the horizon and at night.

In fact, you might be able to do the same thing with a simple car radar detector?

So my guess is, radar is a net negative.

[SkiprJohn]

My old all wood boat was hard to see with radar. Wood boat, wood masts. Of course that doesn't help if you want to do that area with your current vessel.
regards,

[HHNTR111]

When I was in the Navy, we would practice EMCON, whuch stands for emmission control. We would be absolutely we were transmitting nothing, not radar, radio, avoidable noise, smoke, nothing.

To answer the OP's question, then, for sailboats, emit nothing, including no radar transmissions, drop your radar reflector, turn off your AIS, depthfinder, anything that emits a detectable signal.

[David_Old_Jersey]

I think this might be the answer



If you don't want to use it as a flying gun platform can use it for Pirate Spotting. and maybe some Youtube

PowerBoat TV- 2002 Polaris Flying Boat Profile

[geko]

I was woken up by my brother on watch 40 miles off the coast of Flores Indonesia. A ship suddenly appeared dead ahead about 2miles off but it wasnt moving.The ship must have been in stealth mode, then seeing us turned on its lights.Then a strange voice came over Ch16 "this is mumma ship who are you" I replied but no answer came back. Then a bright search light appeared from a motor boat of its stern.The boat was coming for us.That was time for us to go into stealth mode. Lights off, tacked, gave the 5hp mariner a kick in the guts, then like a lizard drinking got yhe hell away from there with this boat still looking for us. Scary stuff. But what were they doing?

[osirissail]

There are areas of the Caribbean where it is advisable to run dark and run silent. These are known centers of pirate activity and diverting out away from land is not the preferred way to go. Simply you turn off all the lights and you do not answer any radio calls. You try to time your passage to be tranversing the area at midnight to 3 AM when most respectable pirate are home at sleep.

[John A]

Originally Posted by osirissail

There are areas of the Caribbean where it is advisable to run dark and run silent.

This may be safe to elimate boardings, but what about legitimate shipping?
COLREGS?
Would the excuse during litigation over a collision at sea be vaild if I claimed that the lights/radar were off for what? Safety?

One night, sailing south from ST Martin to Antiguia I almost hit a Island Packet 37 that was sitting dead in the water with all their lights out. There was no response over the VHF.
Fearing the worst, I dropped my sails and motored back. Stopping next to the boat I managed to hail a man who informed me that they never sailed at night! They had read that in a Cruising Guide!

Maybe I was lucky that he didn't start blasting away with his shotgun!!

Its getting to be a weird mentality out there!
John

[Scottie2]

One of the most consistent recommendations that comes across in my research when in sailing in areas of piracy is to sail in a group in convoy. I realize that does not answer your question directly, though; You may not be able to take this strategy.

[anotherT34C]

Should a sloop rig be more or less detectable than a ketch (single tall mast vs two short masts)? What about (re: radar cross-section) synthetic standing rigging vs stainless?

Since the pirates are likely only using the radar systems found on their stolen fishing boats (or similar, ie not military), are there any relatively easy (and temporary) ways to mask your mast's signature?

[David M]

Originally Posted by anotherT34C

Should a sloop rig be more or less detectable than a ketch (single tall mast vs two short masts)? What about (re: radar cross-section) synthetic standing rigging vs stainless?

Since the pirates are likely only using the radar systems found on their stolen fishing boats (or similar, ie not military), are there any relatively easy (and temporary) ways to mask your mast's signature?

The military has radar jammers. No idea if there is a version that civilians could own. It could create other obvious problems as well.

It makes me wonder whats the most powerful laser that a civilian could obtain? I would imagine that a laser that puts out a few hundred watts could do some serious eye damage even outside of gun range. That might just scare the hell out of them if not anything else.

A 1000, 2000 or 3000 watt laser might even start a fire. Wouldn't it be fun to start multiple fires on their wood boats? Dousing fires with buckets of water would distract them for sure. Not to mention really fun things like lighting their pants on fire.

As far as I know, lasers are not banned the same way guns are banned in most countries.

One company on the internet selling lasers says: "When selecting a laser, it is important to get a laser that has enough power and is otherwise suitable for your application." I wonder if red or green lasers are more suitable for catching pirate boats on fire?

I have no idea about the physics or the reality, I just thought it was a fun thought.

[S&S]

Originally Posted by David M

It makes me wonder whats the most powerful laser that a civilian could obtain? I would imagine that a laser that puts out a few hundred watts could do some serious eye damage even outside of gun range. That might just scare the hell out of them if not anything else.

A 1000, 2000 or 3000 watt laser might even start a fire. Wouldn't it be fun to start multiple fires on their wood boats? Dousing fires with buckets of water would distract them for sure. Not to mention really fun things like lighting their pants on fire.

As far as I know, lasers are not banned the same way guns are banned in most countries.

One company on the internet selling lasers says: "When selecting a laser, it is important to get a laser that has enough power and is otherwise suitable for your application." I wonder if red or green lasers are more suitable for catching pirate boats on fire?

I have no idea about the physics or the reality, I just thought it was a fun thought.

You'd want an infrared one to start a fire. Laser efficiencies are so low that I doubt any reasonably sized boat could sport one. If you're comfortable carrying some pretty nasty and reactive chemicals on board, a chemical laser should fill the bill.

[Aussiesuede]

Might be on the right path here. Got me thinking about an electro-magnetic pulse gun. You could simply shut down their engine at a range of 200 meters. They'd be buzzing along towards you when all of a sudden they'd just stop. The looks on their face alone would be priceless.



http://videos.howstuffworks.com/disc...bomb-video.htm

[Talbot]

Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May Be Deemed to Be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects
Protocol IV, Vienna, 13 October 1995


Objectives

The aim of the Convention and its Protocols is to provide new rules for the protection of military personnel and, particularly, civilians and civilian objects from injury or attack under various conditions by means of fragments that cannot readily be detected in the human body by X-rays, landmines and booby traps, and incendiary weapons and blinding laser weapons.

Key Provisions

This Convention serves as an umbrella for protocols dealing with specific weapons. The Convention and its annexed Protocols apply in the situations common to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949 for the Protection of War Victims, including any situation described in Additional Protocol I to these Conventions.
Protocol IV on Blinding Laser Weapons prohibits the use of laser weapons specifically designed, as their sole combat function or as one of their combat functions, to cause permanent blindness to unenhanced vision, that is to the naked eye or to the eye with corrective eyesight devices. The High Contracting Parties shall not transfer such weapons to any State or non-State entity.


So that would be a no!

[David M]

Originally Posted by Talbot

Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May Be Deemed to Be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects
Protocol IV, Vienna, 13 October 1995


Objectives

The aim of the Convention and its Protocols is to provide new rules for the protection of military personnel and, particularly, civilians and civilian objects from injury or attack under various conditions by means of fragments that cannot readily be detected in the human body by X-rays, landmines and booby traps, and incendiary weapons and blinding laser weapons.

Key Provisions

This Convention serves as an umbrella for protocols dealing with specific weapons. The Convention and its annexed Protocols apply in the situations common to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949 for the Protection of War Victims, including any situation described in Additional Protocol I to these Conventions.
Protocol IV on Blinding Laser Weapons prohibits the use of laser weapons specifically designed, as their sole combat function or as one of their combat functions, to cause permanent blindness to unenhanced vision, that is to the naked eye or to the eye with corrective eyesight devices. The High Contracting Parties shall not transfer such weapons to any State or non-State entity.


So that would be a no!

So what this is effectively saying is that it is better to use guns because they are safer.