Flame thrower aboard??

[tp12]

Originally Posted by mvmojo

Haven't tried it myself, but a friend of mine claimed he used to toss beer cans overboard and shoot them with a shotgun. He said it's fairly easy to hit them even 50' away.

A shotgun is not a rifle, though. They're very different animals for very different purposes.

[argonauta1]

Best protection is to network and stay away from troubled areas. If heading west out of Triny go straight north almost to Grenada and stay at least 100 NM north of the Venezuelan Coast. Check to see if the northern Venezuelan islands of Blanquilla, Tortuga, Los Roques, and Las Aves are still safe otherwise go non stop to Bonaire. Forget the artillery as you will most likely lose any gunfight and such gear presents a series Custom issue.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by mfortinberry

If I get enough big inverter (or 4), and a boat full of lithium batteries.... I am thinking maybe a laser...

Fully solar powered of course. Hate to have to turn on the engine or genny every time a pirate comes round...

Yeah.!!! Your fuel bill would be sky high.

[Franziska]

How about a hidden switch for 220V or more on the lifelines....
Does not prevent shots, but surely makes for a good first surprise...

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by lituya1617

Robbery, rape, murder - all these things can and do happen to cruisers all over the world. They are rare, luckily. The seas north of Venezuela up to about Dominica are more dangerous than most in this hemisphere. I know of a couple murdered aboard their boat at anchor off Portsmouth, Dominica a few years ago and I have heard of pirates attacking boats near shore in Venezuela. I know of a sailor who was attacked and severely injured by pirates while sailing in the harbor at Cartegna, Colombia. There is a need for care and self defense on cruising boats. On the deep sea, you are the only police who can help you. It is entirely in your hands.
Now, the majority of pirate attacks are brutal and often fatal. You have a choice: fight or risk death.
A little-appreciated characteristic of fiberglass, especially in two separate layers like in a cockpit, is that it is pretty hard to shoot through. In short, a sailor has pretty good protection if he fires from low in the cockpit. It is quite difficult to be very accurate while tossing around on the ocean; however, a modern automatic rifle like an AK47 with 30-round clips will hose down the general area of any attacker pretty well. Remember, the attacker is probably in even a worse position to shoot than a sailor with a sail-stabilized hull and deep, heavy keel. I would opt to blast the pirates to bits, given the chance. A useful, if difficult to obtain, addition to an AK47 is a grenade launcher. Those little buggers will blow a small boat to pieces. If you can get one, it is a worthwhile purchase.
The governments of the world really hate the idea that free people can defend their freedom. The laws are horrible, stupid as hell, and cruel when it comes to having firearms on a private boat. Grenade launchers and bazookas make the "authorities" absolutely froth at the mouth with rage. So, you cannot allow yourself to be apprehended with firearms, etc. and the authorities have become almost as much a threat to you as the pirates. To solve this problem, you have to be willing to toss the stuff overboard if approached by a Coast Guard boat or its foreign equivalent. Guns sink fast.
When you approach a foreign port where boats are usually searched by snoopy dolts who think cruisers are all drug smugglers, you must get rid of the weapons in such a way as to allow yourself to retrieve them later. A method I have found useful is to place the weapons and ammo in a canister able to resist 100 psi of external pressure (a depth of 200 feet), drop it overboard with a polypropylene floating line attached to it. Place a float on the line so the weight of the canister pulls it just under the surface - a few feet will do. The float is a glass ball painted white inside a sock made of white netting so it can be seen from the surface. Heavy currents may drag the float down so avoid using places where these currents exist. After depositing the weapons, just go check in and relax. When you leave port you can go to the GPS position of the float and haul up the weapons. One precaution: make sure you are at least three miles from the port when you drop the canister. I have had the police follow me for over two miles after leaving a port in Cuba.
I have never been approached by pirates in the Caribbean but the Boy Scouts Motto is applicable: Be Prepared.

Ahh.. The old drug smuggling trick..
Make the drop then send the gps location to the fishermen accomplices ashore to collect next time they attend their crab pots.

[Exile]

Originally Posted by Saleen411

THAT is very clever.

I've totally stayed out of gun threads, but will comment now after having read a book about a cruising couple that spent 20 years sailing around the world.

This cruiser was armed. He was pissed at himself for declaring his weapons when he first started cruising. (pistol and shotgun). He at some point stopped declaring his weapons knowing full well what the potential consequences could be.

In any case, he was pursued by pirates more than once. He was also boarded at night. He did use his shotgun as a deterrent while being checked out by a large "fishing boat". He only had to brandish the weapon to prevent from being boarded.

His advice if he had to do it all again?......he would never have declared his weapons and would have had a professional construct an undetectable hiding compartment for his weapons.

Personally i would HATE the feeling of being defenseless and at the mercy of criminals that wish to do me and my loved ones harm.

Oh, they too had close friends murdered while at anchor ......in Barbuda.

I've now been thinking of where NOT to cruise because of criminals/pirates. (Lots of places sadly)

It looks like we will be planning to spend most of our time in the South Pacific, Australia and NZ.

I've read in other threads where the Aussie Customs officers have used dogs at check-in to sniff out drugs as well as firearms/ammo. Might he difficult to hide firearms from that.

Fwiw, there have been a few experienced delivery captains that have weighed in on CF over the years who also happen to be firearms enthusiasts (so no politics/emotions). They have concluded that having guns onboard was not worth the bureaucratic hassles when declared, along with the potential risks if not declared. As others have said, it depends where you are sailing and your personal weighing of the pros & cons.

[Saleen411]

Originally Posted by Exile

As others have said, it depends where you are sailing and your personal weighing of the pros & cons.

True. This couple had really bad experiences in the Philippines and SE Asia. They had run ins with criminals and were chased by pirates in the Sulu Sea and Straight of Malacca.

They did what they could to be safe, like sailing in the bad areas at night with lights off. Unfortunately, one night they accidentally gave themselves away communicating with a pirate boat they thought was a freighter they were trying to avoid.

They knew that something was rotten in Denmark when asked...how many of you are on board?, are you armed?, whats your destination? what's your location?

They could tell by radar that they were actively being searched for. The fishing boat was zig zagging while asking questions on the radio.

They got lucky.....and not sure if firearms would have helped in this situation.

I'm not 100% sure if one can sail around the world these days and avoid ALL trouble spots. I will probably never find out.

[rsn48]

Obviously not military or police force.

[fish53]

Until now I had no idea that the NRA was also a cruising organization. As someone that's been shot at and hit most of this is quite disturbing.

[Olddan1943]

Originally Posted by fish53

Until now I had no idea that the NRA was also a cruising organization. As someone that's been shot at and hit most of this is quite disturbing.

Fish, I, and I am sure many others, have watched many threads deteriorate into guns or no guns discussion. I am surprised the moderator has let this go on as long as it has.
"Guns on board" is a personal decision. Declaration of "Guns on board" is a very personal decision. If you are 'caught', no longer will it be a personal decision. It may result in seizure of fire arms, a significant fine and maybe some time in jail. Remember, there is a big difference between one or two shotguns and a crate of shotguns and or other long guns.

I am told, some countries will "accept" there is gun but the ammo, ..... that's a bit different. If you come in with a box of shotgun shells, customs may either ask you to surrender the ammo, to be retrieved when you leave or, they may just keep the ammo. Others will ask to physically count the 'rounds' to clear customs coming in and also count the 'rounds' when exiting.

Hand guns, a totally different story. My recommendation.... leave the hand guns at home.

All that being said, you know my personal position and decision.

[Thalas]

The worst thing that could happen to this thread is that it converts to a legit discussion of guns on board. The topic is well covered. No new information can be offered.

Be silly. Be stupid. Be creative. Please don't threadjack down that rabbit hole.

[sailorboy1]

What's this gun talk? The thread is "flame throwers"! If someone wants to talk guns on a "flamethrower" thread it needs to be up to task.

Focus people, focus!

[hellosailor]

ROFL!

But you know, Elon Musk DID in fact give out a number of flame throwers as a special event last year.

You'd probably have the pirates lining up for free barbeque service.

[Olddan1943]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

ROFL!

But you know, Elon Musk DID in fact give out a number of flame throwers as a special event last year.

You'd probably have the pirates lining up for free barbeque service.

LOL, gasoline flavored fish. That does sound tasty (sarcasm)

[Ian on Leila]

First time commenting on an item here.
I am really interested in the idea of a flame thrower.
I am in Trinidad at the moment.
Been boarded twice by pirates on two separate occasions and don't carry a gun.
I regard life a precious - but they ain't coming on board my boat again !
Other than the popcorn are there any other serious suggestions ?