Can Solo Women Cruisers Feel Safe?

[easterly]

The only bad thing about using spearguns out of the water is the over penetration. They will go through the intruder, through your boat and halfway through the boat next to you.

[easterly]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

A nasal strike, using the open palm to drive the cartilege of the nose up and back into the brain, may kill instantly. Or, it may just break the nose again leaving the attacker [chorus] REALLY PISSED OFF AT YOU.

.<G>

Urban legend. The nasal bone is not long enough to penetrate the nasal cavity, then the skull, and go into the brain. The cartilege is not strong enough to penetrate the skull.

[sailmatch]

Thanks Brent - I am fairly careful and like to research a place before going there and appreciate your information - every little bit helps!!

[GordMay]

Martial Arts Mythology
"There is a great deal of ******** regarding hand-to-hand combat that is commonly believed to be true . . . even by a few respected instructors who really ought to know better. The majority of these myths involve "deadly karate moves" which allegedly enable a martial artist to kill a man with a single blow, and are passed from student to student like a virus being replicated. Due to the fact that the vast majority of martial artists have never been placed in a situation where it is permissible to actually implement such techniques, and also due to the fact that most martial artists have never studied human anatomy at the college level, it is understandable that people who ought to know better are ignorant of such things. Hollywood action films and imported kung-** flicks perpetuate such legendary falsehoods. In this section, I shall attempt to debunk a few of the cherished fantasies of the dojo ballerinas..."

Goto:
New Page

righteouswarriortemple.org/New%20Folder/myths.htm

[Vasco]

I sleep with the companionway hatch open. In iffy ports I leave the winch handle on the top step. I also sleep with a small baseball bat that I used to kill fish with. For fish I now use rum in a squirt bottle, the fish seem to prefer this method.

[imagine2frolic]

Heck, I would rather go by rum than a ball bat too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Little Otter]

Originally Posted by CaptainJeff

Ruling out men and other weapons severely limits you options. I'd go with the dog, but it'd have to be a real barker of @ least 30lbs.

In the end, no matter what you do, you will have to accept that you are facing an increased risk. I don't think there's a way to completely compensate for being all-female pacifists. Don't want to sound inordinately negative, but the world can be a dangerous place.

a german shepard or a treeing walker treeing walkers are very protective of their owners and will attack unwanted intruders without warning but to it's owner it is the sweetest most loving and smart dog only second to a golden retriever,( I know this because I used to have one but he died of old age.)

[Little Otter]

BUT WHY IS THE RUM GONE?!?!?!?! It's always the rum why not lighter fluid or something else that burns.

[Cats Eye]

My husband travels for work and we live aboard.
The best thing is the buddy system. But what helps me sleep at night is my 2 dogs. They bark at night and we/I get up and check. The other boaters around me will also get up and check if they hear them barking.

[ssullivan]

Originally Posted by Cats Eye

My husband travels for work and we live aboard.
The best thing is the buddy system. But what helps me sleep at night is my 2 dogs. They bark at night and we/I get up and check. The other boaters around me will also get up and check if they hear them barking.

While that's a great system (and you need it in the BVI's), those very dogs might cause some friction with neighbors if they are barking and getting people up.

I know I don't mix well with people who let their dogs bark and wake me up (or disturb a nice day). I would be a lot less likely to run over and help someone who has ruined my day (or caused me to lose sleep).

[Cats Eye]

My dogs dont bark all day or night. Thats why the neighbors will get up if they here them bark. If they are making noise it usually means something is off or someone is around that is is off. My dogs have live aboard with us for 6 years. One of the dogs have never lived on land. Just like ppl that live in a house, we try to make sure that our dogs dont bother the neighbors. And they make me feel safer.

[Cats Eye]

Originally Posted by ssullivan

While that's a great system (and you need it in the BVI's), those very dogs might cause some friction with neighbors if they are barking and getting people up.

I don't mix well with people who let their dogs bark and wake me up (or disturb a nice day). I would be a lot less likely to run over and help someone who has ruined my day (or caused me to lose sleep).

I dont mix well with ppl that keep me up at night either...generator running or loud parting but if I thought a boatie needed help I would help if I could. Reguardless if I disliked them.

[Sandero]

Sully,

You bum... with that noisy generator. I hope you are not serious with that noisy dog remark. You're joking of course.

[Alondra]

Traveling through the red sea and indian ocean we have come accross a few (arabic and indian) people that where, to say the least curious. It could have become a problem if there would have been only my wife and female crew on board. The best thing, non violent, we found out is to should loud and clearly and thus impressing them by overstating that their attention is not desired. 'Stay away!', 'Don't come close!', 'Don't touch the boat!' often does wonderfull tricks as in any man, the early approach in verbal direct communication to make clear what you want, often seems to be the one with the most effect. And as a man you probably have a slight advantage there. For attacks, guns, knives there is no good answer. Try to stay focussed on the aggressor and know that he is nervous too. be carefull and be sure that if you are going for something, you have to deal with it, all the way to the end meaning the fact that you have to disable or maybe even kill. Not an easy choice huh...???

[anniecarole]

I was mugged in my driveway in Miami 25 years ago, and my husband and I were boarded by thieves in Venezuela 3 1/2 years ago. Stuff happens every where! Many cruisers I've talked with say "I never lock myself in." Well, they should give it some serious thought--whether they are female or male! Yes, perhaps Venezuela has more of a reputation for "pirates", but most people lock their doors at home when they go to bed. So figure a way to at least lock the companion way when you are in for the night. My husband installed a thin stainless steel wire across the middle of our other hatches. These allow room for us to get out in case of fire, etc., but they are obscured from outsiders' view by the center line of set in screens. Anyone trying to jump in would be very uncomfortable! When we were boarded, we were locked in, and the dinghy pulled out of the water and well locked. My husband fired a flare gun over the head of one of the boarders and turned on our siren. They left as quickly as they could. Additionally, we keep a large canister of pepper spray handy, but it wasn't needed. For a while after that, we put rocks in beer cans and tied them with monofilament line so they would be tripped by someone coming aboard. Now we mount a motion detector in the cockpit. I have read that oven cleaner spray is also very effective--especially when the nozzle has been adjusted so it sprays longer and farther. Now that I am a woman alone, I am cautious and careful, but refuse to allow fear to control my life.