Protection from Pirates: The Almost-Perfect Solution

[hummingway]

Originally Posted by vintageray

A bit off topic, but there are Sea Weasels here in North Carolina. I kept finding muddy paw prints on my boat and wondered how dogs were getting on board. One night I heard some scrambling around on the cabin top and opened the hatch to see a 60 pound or so Weasel taking a crap on a neatly coiled line, right next to me. Very startling for both of us. It jumped in the water and swam away.

Sounds like an otter.

[Astrid]

Yes it does. If one thinks about it, otters do have a certain resemblance to weasels. Actually I have a stoutly locking companionway hatch and forward hatch not so much for fear of two footed intruders as for the four footed kind that might amble down the pier at night (bears, raccoons, etc.).

[tropicalescape]

Originally Posted by vintageray

A bit off topic, but there are Sea Weasels here in North Carolina. I kept finding muddy paw prints on my boat and wondered how dogs were getting on board. One night I heard some scrambling around on the cabin top and opened the hatch to see a 60 pound or so Weasel taking a crap on a neatly coiled line, right next to me. Very startling for both of us. It jumped in the water and swam away.

Was it a nutrea or a giant Sea Weasel..dont think ive ever seen a Sea weasel before but we have been inendated with these Nutreax..Not sure about the spelling..DVC

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by vintageray

One night I heard some scrambling around on the cabin top and opened the hatch to see a 60 pound or so Weasel taking a crap on a neatly coiled line, right next to me. Very startling for both of us. It jumped in the water and swam away.

Could have been worse - could have been a Pirate

[James Baines]

Originally Posted by denverd0n

Yeah, good luck with that. Insulting the intelligence of the police in countries where this might actually come up is always just such a WONDERFUL idea!

*Political content deleted*

I have been advised by the police in a number of countries that you should never, ever just take one shot at an intruder; the advice given to me was that you should always double tap them to make sure they go down. And that advice came from police in the USA as well as many other countries.

Some posters have asked “Would you really take the life of a common criminal”, and my answer is that if I were under threat, a resounding YES is my answer and I would not lose a moment’s sleep over it.

To put that in perspective, NO criminal “Human” life is anywhere near being equal to my right to protect my own non criminal, law abiding life and I would not hesitate, not for a moment, to shoot to kill.

Like many military veterans on this site, I have been under fire and just like back then, if I were under threat, I would not hesitate to take the first shot to avoid being shot at or swung at with a machete, or threatened with a knife. And my first shot would be the first of however many it would take to render the intruder(s) safe.

As I said in an earlier post, getting back to our boat in a supposedly “Secure” mooring in Baltimore after a night out in DC, my son and I dealt very effectively with two would be thieves and I cheerfully admit that our treatment of those mutts was brutal, almost to the extreme, and it was deliberately brutal, we wanted to treat those mutts brutally to discourage them from ever repeating their errors and I’m confident that we succeeded.

Others have pointed out, rightfully so, that passive deterrent solutions work for them and I agree that a hard to break into boat, or an infra red or other sort of light beam that will set off both a very loud alarm and very bright lights are both effective and cheap to install and maintain, and I encourage anyone at risk to install them but, in the event that you are confronted with an immediate personal safety threat, you need to prepare yourselves, train yourselves and equip yourselves with whatever you need to protect yourselves. Sorry for the long post but I had a lot to say…James

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by James Baines

*Political content deleted*

I have been advised by the police in a number of countries that you should never, ever just take one shot at an intruder; the advice given to me was that you should always double tap them to make sure they go down. And that advice came from police in the USA as well as many other countries.

Some posters have asked “Would you really take the life of a common criminal”, and my answer is that if I were under threat, a resounding YES is my answer and I would not lose a moment’s sleep over it.

To put that in perspective, NO criminal “Human” life is anywhere near being equal to my right to protect my own non criminal, law abiding life and I would not hesitate, not for a moment, to shoot to kill.

Like many military veterans on this site, I have been under fire and just like back then, if I were under threat, I would not hesitate to take the first shot to avoid being shot at or swung at with a machete, or threatened with a knife. And my first shot would be the first of however many it would take to render the intruder(s) safe.

As I said in an earlier post, getting back to our boat in a supposedly “Secure” mooring in Baltimore after a night out in DC, my son and I dealt very effectively with two would be thieves and I cheerfully admit that our treatment of those mutts was brutal, almost to the extreme, and it was deliberately brutal, we wanted to treat those mutts brutally to discourage them from ever repeating their errors and I’m confident that we succeeded.

Others have pointed out, rightfully so, that passive deterrent solutions work for them and I agree that a hard to break into boat, or an infra red or other sort of light beam that will set off both a very loud alarm and very bright lights are both effective and cheap to install and maintain, and I encourage anyone at risk to install them but, in the event that you are confronted with an immediate personal safety threat, you need to prepare yourselves, train yourselves and equip yourselves with whatever you need to protect yourselves. Sorry for the long post but I had a lot to say…James

Most of the actions James you have described would land you in jail. Hence you wouldn't be " law abiding" anymore and by your standards could be treated brutally.

Whether you like it or not most "law abiding" countries treat criminals ,pr would be criminals as normal citizens albeit citizens who are breaking a particular law. You are not allowed to victimise them or to expend more force then is necessary to protect your possessions or to prevent bodily harm. ( you cannot teach them a lesson , that is solely the role of the criminal justice system. ). Legal case history backs this up in many countrieses is where criminals sued for damages caused by excessive force and won

What may be acceptable in the US will not be often acceptable elsewhere. Suggesting people arm themselves is pure nonsense, unless the laws of the land are respected.

Please these threads get highjacked by the extremists, people who probably have never sailed to another country. What interesting is to discuss practical methods. Not murdering people and dumping them offshore as one poster suggested

Dave

[hummingway]

Originally Posted by tropicalescape

Was it a nutrea or a giant Sea Weasel..dont think ive ever seen a Sea weasel before but we have been inendated with these Nutreax..Not sure about the spelling..DVC

I think it's nutria - spanish for otter.

[Boracay]

Speaking of making a mess in the cockpit, just how dangerous would the discharge from a dry powder fire extinguisher be if it were to be directed at a person?

I'm only asking out of concern for the health of a misidentified person on my boat...

[Coachbolt61]

Not to do with boats but heard a guy had a mint condition monaro. Stopped at the lights and a guy walked up and tried to carjack him. He wound the window up with the carjackers hand still inside the car making him drop the gun he had. Than he drove to the nearest police station with the carjacker still attached to the car. Would it work in a yacht I wonder?
Coachbolt

[canucksailor]

You are not allowed to victimise them or to expend more force then is necessary to protect your possessions or to prevent bodily harm. ( you cannot teach them a lesson , that is solely the role of the criminal justice system. ).

And we can see what a WONDERFUL job the legal system is doing in protecting us, can't we?
I'm with James. Someone boards my boat and they'd damn well better know how to swim to shore with two broken arms while bleeding large quantities of blood. My only regret would be to find myself in shark free waters in those circumstances.
I'd rather be explaining to the police why such force was necessary - and they're quite willing to believe you when it's clear that you're dealing with mutts - than having someone taking me to the hospital or worse.

[Boktok]

I don't know why anybody would need guns just to deal with a few otters....seems people indulging a Rambo-fantasy to me (or was that Caddyshack?)

[niel12]

Originally Posted by vintageray

A bit off topic, but there are Sea Weasels here in North Carolina. I kept finding muddy paw prints on my boat and wondered how dogs were getting on board. One night I heard some scrambling around on the cabin top and opened the hatch to see a 60 pound or so Weasel taking a crap on a neatly coiled line, right next to me. Very startling for both of us. It jumped in the water and swam away.

I guess if you had a cattle prodder at hand that weasel might'hve taken his crap with him!

[Kapena]

I wonder how an otter tastes?

Seems a better idea to argue why you had a prohibited item on board (spray, knife or gun) than the alternative. Both conditions result in a police report.

[niel12]

Originally Posted by canucksailor

And we can see what a WONDERFUL job the legal system is doing in protecting us, can't we?
I'm with James. Someone boards my boat and they'd damn well better know how to swim to shore with two broken arms while bleeding large quantities of blood. My only regret would be to find myself in shark free waters in those circumstances.
I'd rather be explaining to the police why such force was necessary - and they're quite willing to believe you when it's clear that you're dealing with mutts - than having someone taking me to the hospital or worse.

If any one can convince me that a unwanted guest with a club or a knife or a gun in the dark is social then i guess he need his head read! Those type of vissitors have only one thig in mind!

Please allow to share with you a true story of a African Gentleman who pointed out a crippled man walking difficultly dragging his one foot. I asked what does this to do with peace. He smiled and told the story.

That young man was caught stealing another man's money and food and when caught he beat the owner. The community caught him and cut the sinew between the anckle and the heel rendering the foot useless and it would not heal without a opperation. He lives in shame and inhimself is a warning to others.

The sooner we accept that 9 out 10 unanounced unwanted guests mean you harm one way or another the better we can prepare ourselves. In the minds of those criminals we are a legion of sitting ducks, ready to be picked without any resistance. Trying to evaluate the intent of the robber or try to determine what he should be talking for free so that he wont use force...naw! theres no gauruntees.... here the law of the jungle is the gauruntee! In closing not a single item in my boat was deliverred fee of charge, neither did i buy a item that i could not use one time or another and lastly if there is something to give away i will do that of my free will.

ANYTHING BEYOND THAT I DEAL THE CARS AS THEY FALL.

[vintageray]

Originally Posted by Astrid

Yes it does. If one thinks about it, otters do have a certain resemblance to weasels. Actually I have a stoutly locking companionway hatch and forward hatch not so much for fear of two footed intruders as for the four footed kind that might amble down the pier at night (bears, raccoons, etc.).

It was a Sea Otter. I only say Sea Weasel because I've been told that Sea Otters only live in the Northern part of the Pacific and not in N.C.. Nobody told that to the ones we have here.