I figure my boat is my palace. Come aboard by invitation only. Sure, I can understand that in many third-world countries survival at any cost is the maxim....but not from the assets out of my little palace.
Obviously the above mentioned electric fence is a simple, low-cost method of deterring the less committed boarder, but what does one do when a more serious bunch of hard-triers hove alongside.
Obviously, a cut-down and easy to secrete, shotgun loaded with double aught, or duck-shot if you feel a bit queasy about getting very serious. But then, of course you have to get to such a weapon during a time of high-stress if it happens you awake to find some thug screaming in his own tongue, while waving a machete or other weapon.
So I guess the first issue is
security while you're on board, at
anchor or in a marina. Lightweight grills over all entry points, lockable from the inside is certainly a good starter kit. At least Herbert the Horrible is going to be still on the outside while you're within making ready to repel boarders.
Then there are weapons which don't look like weapons. There's a whole host of useful weapons which would never raise an eyebrow of any
customs officer. The best of which is good old flyspray.
Try this. It's quite safe...for you at least. Hold a cigarette lighter just under the nozzle of any flyspray, hairspray, cannister. Flick on lighter then press the spray button. Instant flame-thrower which is extremely effective at three feet/one metre. And it will go straight through even a fine mesh
grill. With one can you could almost roast a hog.:--))
BTW: The contents of the can will not explode in your hand.
Another option is a trigger-spray filled with meths, set to squirt, not mist. Give the most horrible infidel a couple squirts in the face/chest, then smile as you lean forward clutching your gas-stove lighter.
If setting fire to scoundrels is beyond you, then remove their ability to see. A burst of flyspray in the eyes will keep the most arrogant busy for a few seconds while you get a shot at his nuts. But commercial-grade Mag-cleaner acid (mag as in mag wheels) kept in a sprayer ready for instant use is a great deterrent, which will keep the assailant busy and, in fact will have him hop
overboard to drown his agony in the sea.
Then there's the 'at-sea' boarders who may well be armed with
guns. Unless they turn up in a really flash, large vessel...so you're knackered anyway...they will probably turn up in the local variety of a clapped out junk...a wooden vessel.
But then there's the assailants at sea.
Your first task is to let them know that you are in no way scared of them. That will require the use of a lot of gesticulating and the production of a child's cowboy rifle, (if you don't want to have the real thing) which you wave around to let them know you're prepared to go to war.
Most accounts of 'at-sea' boarding attempts suggest the boarders are reasonably easily dissuaded if they see the potential victim can and will fight back. But the accent is on the word 'most'. What do you do when you haven't got a gun, the cowboy lookalike doesn't work, and the desperadoes are coming closer?
All you need is about a 1/4 of a litre of meth contained in a fine glass bottle. A bottle which will smash almost by looking at it.
To this bottle you attach a long wick. Any old rag will do. Open bottle. Dip wick in contents. Close bottle. Light wick and hurl bottle at the pirate's boat.
Fire at sea 'is' the big fear, no matter how small. Your minor incendiary device with have the aggressors way busy while you do a runner.
Warn them three times. Then act.
Remember, such folk have little time for the
rule of law, and most are opportunists, easily dissuaded if you give then the right hints.
At Anchor/In Mariner.
The whole trick here is to a) be forewarned and b) to have time to mount a defense.
The electric fence attached to a simple bit of circuitry which, when the fence is activated, will switch on any device you wish to imagine, is always a goody.
But if you don't want an electric fence you can resort to simple, 12VDC powered, point-to-point beams. Even the simple 'shop-entry' variety can be set up invisibly around your
cockpit.
Remember. Be in a secure
environment and get a warning device.
Point-to-point beams have simple circuits which will switch on whatever you want. Sirens. Lights. Strobes. You name it.
Herbert the Horrible thinks his stealth will get him through. Wrong! He touches the electric fence and suffers the consequences, or he triggers the P-to-Ps, whereupon on come lights. You're up and at'm clutching your personal flame-thrower, or acid eyewash.
Problem
solved.
As regards at-sea
piracy, I've been playing with model
battery powered helicopters. I've found I can load about 100CC's of meth into one of these. The Piezzo trigger ignites the meth, on impact, and using the
remote controls I can send one of these well over 500M and slam it into a target of less than two metres diameter.
Imagine Herbert The Horrible and his crew finding one of these little toys doing a quick circuit then slamming into their boat while I, the potential victim, is still a long way off.
But then I have a bit of thing about my palace. :--))
The
rule of thumb being, no other vessel should approach another without an appropriate hail, normally on
VHF, Chan 16. Any vessel which hoves into view, and is clearly heading for you, and fails to communicate, is either skippered by a complete dick who deserves to be removed from the gene pool, or has dark intentions in mind.
Mind you. You can always try negotiating . Yeah right.
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