Have you ever...

[mudnut]

I have seen ,on other sites,sailors that swear buy carrying guns,some have been gung Ho about it.The thing I'm getting too is,get all the guntoating hard-head sailors out there to cruise to the "Pirate known areas and confront them,gun to gun,At least on the upside of it all is,we'll be ridd of a few of each problem.And it would make the insucured people who want to sail-off not to feel the need to ask the question in the first place.No dissrespect to you frogman27,I actually ponder the thought that you may be trying to gather statistics or stories in regards to your question and poll,I am sure that a lot of sailors carry guns and stuff and A wont admit it or B haven't used one "In a forereal situation".So far there hasn't been any "Yes's".So I guess it's a shame because I sure would like to hear a ,true by the person story,other then the one I just peeled off.Last of all,Happy HoHo to all.Mudnut.

[Zach]

Mudnut: The thing I'm getting too is,get all the guntoating hard-head sailors out there to cruise to the "Pirate known areas and confront them,gun to gun,At least on the upside of it all is,we'll be ridd of a few of each problem.

By your definition, are all gun toting cruisers hard headed? For us to be rid of a few of each problem, this seems a bit extreme. Some of the people on this site and others, while hard headed... are still cruising sailors and members of the same brotherhood of the sea as you and I.

What is it that makes an armed sailor guilty of hard headedness? If the lump rusts away in the bilge, it is no more than extra ballast.

Cheers

[mudnut]

Zach,you dont honestly think that the first part of my post was seriose did you.Anyway I dont think it's the guntoating sailors that people are so worried about,whether they are hard headed ones or not.Point of the post was to say"There hasn't been any yes's so far to frogman27's Question."SMILE.Mudnut.

[Zach]

I did think you were serious... sarcasm gets lost in text.

Cheers

[Lodesman]

Mudnut,

Read the thread again and pause at kydivemaster's response.

[mudnut]

Originally Posted by Zach

I did think you were serious... sarcasm gets lost in text.

Cheers

Wow,someone that spells serious correctly,but,on a serious side.Frogman27 posted something I often thought to ask.To get firsthand accounts of the real thing is allways intriguing,to see that nobody has actually replyed with firsthand knowledge is assuring to say the least.Mudnut.

[mudnut]

Originally Posted by Lodesman

Mudnut,

Read the thread again and pause at kydivemaster's response.

Ok, they didn't sound like fishermen to me,but then again,didn't sound like pirates neither,just theives.But it deffinately fits the thread,my apologies,"Peglegs & Parrots"thats what I crave Mudnut.

[Ole]

The people we bought our boat from cruised for 16 years and over 50,000 miles. They were armed to the teeth--shotgun, pistols, pepper spray, etc., etc.

They also ran the cruiser's safety net in the southern Caribbean for a while. They offered me the shotgun when I bought the boat. I passed. But I asked them if they ever had to use their guns for protection. Nope. Did you ever get boarded? Twice.

Once was a drunk Mexican who swam out to their boat at anchor from a Cinco de Mayo celebration on the beach and tried to climb up the anchor chain. "What did you do?" "We just kept letting out more anchor chain dunking him back into the water until he gave up."

The other time they were boarded was off the Dominican Republic. He was sleeping in the saloon, she was in the pullman berth forward. Her purse was next to her on the bed. Thief came down below, took the purse, left it, the wallet and the credit cards that were inside, in the cockpit, taking only the cash. NEITHER OF THEM WOKE UP.

His theory, even after years of not needing the guns was that it was better to have a gun and not need it, than to need one and not have it. I can see this point, but most of what I've heard from other cruisers is that they are more hassle than they are worth. One guy told me he had guns on board for the first year, then gave them away. Too much hassle checking in and out of ports.

The most recent Latitudes and Attitudes magazine has an article written by an American guy who spent time in jail, was fined to the tune of five figures, and had to pay lawyers fees for having legal guns on board in the US Virgin Islands.

Be vigilant and smart, not paranoid. Avoid areas where guns are needed. Enjoy everywhere else.

[Lancerbye]

Originally Posted by frogman27

Have you ever had to pull a gun to defend your self or boat?

Please note I'm not asking if you've heard of someone having to do it, I'm asking have YOU ever had to pull a gun to protect your boat.

If so please tell us where and when, and what the circumstances were.

No but, hiking and fishing in Northern Canada some years back I used to carry a firearm as a bear deterent. Pulled it once when a bear started acting a little agressive but I resorted to throwing rocks at him to get him to move along. I was only brave enough to do that because I would have been able defend myself if things had gone sour. Boats and borders and guns are too much of a hassle.

[libellula]

The notion that the number of cruisers that carry weapons is inversely proportional to experience is not so. I have a Masters Ocean so that means I have been on the water for a number of years. I did have the occasion to sit watch with a weapon in the early 70's ( I must admit that it was the skippper of that vessel fault for insulting our host). Though I would no longer carry a weapon (except several very good flare guns), it is now because I am able to defend myself in other ways. To have no means of protection is fool hardy based on my experience unless you cruise only to areas where there are a lot of other people. I prefer to place the protection aspect in the same catagory that I do other necessities of cruising- self reliance.

[rebel heart]

Never needed one. I live in San Diego and go into Mexican waters a lot.

Even if you carry a gun, like the example of the person with the .40 pistol, you might as well throw it at them if it's 6 guys with assault rifles.

In real-world-combat, you arm yourself to overpower the bad guy. Since you have absolutely no way of knowing what the bad guys will have in this case (ranges from nothing to assault weapons), short of a floating arsenal there's not much you can honestly do.

To me, "having a gun onboard" stems from the idea that people feel safer, even if they're not, with a gun. It's just part of American heritage, and it's hard to shake that out of your head.

I have a gun sitting in my v berth; 9mm pistol. I had it when I lived in a crappy apartment in downtown, where our building did get broken in a few times. Now I keep it because it's a pain in the ass to sell it, but when we leave for the big trip, it's gone.

[dcstrng]

I’m with Muskoka – I’m former career military, have fired a weapon or two in anger and have hunted, but never hunted anything that wasn’t hunting me… I’m not anti/pro gun, but don’t own any personal weaponry other than (perhaps) a jack-knife and a flare gun -- have found that out thinkin’ em is at least as effective as out-shootin’ `em, or at least that’s my operative theory… that said, I’ve never been aboard my own vessel in a foreign port so how I might handle that situation is at best speculative…

[Tspringer]

I am "pro-gun" in that I like guns (enjoy shooting them, its fun), believe in the 2nd amendment and I believe that an armed man is a citizen while an unarmed man is a subject. I own rifles, shotguns and pistols and I am proficient.

When my family and I leave to go cruising there will be no gun on the boat. Its just too much hassle. Having to check it in and out, having customs and immigration people hassled over it, risking fines and worse if you hide it and then the low risk of ever actually needing it makes the whole thing just not worth it.

I do believe in protection but there are other ways. One would have to be crazy to use a gun unless they were absolutely sure they were being boarded and were at risk. That would tend to indicate use in very close quarters. I think something like this would be equally effective:

Slingshots USA

Go with a 5oz ball bearing for shot. At a range of under 10 feet accuracy is excellent and anyone you hit is out of any fight. Its quiet. You also have options of non-lethal ammo. If your assailant is armed with firearms your better off submitting and placating.

Pepper spray, very loud alarms.... there are plenty of other effective means of self defense and deterrent available that do not bring the huge hassles of a firearm.



Terry

[S/V Antares]

We are all armed...or should be. A flare gun is a fomidable weapon. It will effectively keep a boarder at bay in a pinch assuming he doesent have assault weapons. All the rip offs I have heard of are crimes of oportunity and never involve guns.

I drove a cab and was held up twice. I prefer boats now. Much safer.

[Therapy]

Originally Posted by Tspringer

Slingshots USA

Go with a 5oz ball bearing for shot.

In many countries a sling shot is the same as a gun.

Those will never throw a 5oz ball.

I can pitch one faster.

Slingshots USA 150 Yard Blaster Water Balloon Slingshot

Now this puppy would work with a few of those 5/16in balls. Could put a hurtin' on a small boat crew.

I wonder what the set-up time is??

Pepper spray I don't know about.

Nor do I know about blowguns. I have a couple of blow guns I have made (and the ammo) and I can poke you in the ear at a boat length! Man would that hurt - enough to get you "fightin' mad".