Intruder in the Middle of the Night

[coastalexplorer]

That story sounds a lot like an American style over reaction to a friendly Canadian.

albeit acting somewhat strange. So much effort over the years has been put into trying to establish the absence of a gun culture in Canada, That the very act of using the word 'Gun' in a threatening conversation could be enough to get you in a lot of trouble.


An America sailor had her bear spray gun confiscated at the border. better stick to and interest in base ball. and wait until actually on board before discussing anything let alone taking action

[Gafferfan]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

Once again folks, we're talking about an incident that happened in Canada, one of the safest countries, in the Thousand Islands, one of the safest regions. This is not some third-world area of desperate poverty, or an area ripe with violence. This IS an area ripe with immature boaters though.

All you 'shoot first and ask questions later' people will most likely have killed a kid involved in some stupid youthful prank. Congrats.

... Seriously, some of you need to get out and experience the real world. It's not nearly as scary as the TV makes it out to be.

Mike, I am dual citizen Canadian and U.S.. Having just returned to the states from Canada after 12 years (Toronto then Kingsville) I can only say that Canada is not in the current state that the U.S. is. I don’t care what this years homicide rate is. Toronto is the safest city I have ever lived in. Canadians keep their gun business to themselves along with their religious stance. I found that to be the most refreshing glorious experience as here in Northern Florida they don’t and will shoot ya if you even mention such a thing.

I get what you are saying about that area as I also know it a bit as my boat was built on Stella Island.

I will be flamed for my opinion for sure but also understand I am a retired Marine that loves his country and is shocked by the state she is in. Trust me folks, you can say whatever you want about Canada. The United States will never have it as right as Canada does. Is Canada perfect? Oh no way, but neither are the States and things here are nuts.

American’s.... sorry to tell you this but we aren’t the center of the World any longer...my life in Canada made painfully clear just how wrong most of the things we know to be true really aren’t. Open your eyes and look around and accept the World as what you see it to be and then deal with it. The sooner the better for all of us!

(Try and resist typing something genius like...if you don’t like it get out! Not so easy eh?)

[Jason Flare]

Originally Posted by Gafferfan

Mike, I am dual citizen Canadian and U.S.. Having just returned to the states from Canada after 12 years (Toronto then Kingsville) I can only say that Canada is not in the current state that the U.S. is. I don’t care what this years homicide rate is. Toronto is the safest city I have ever lived in. Canadians keep their gun business to themselves along with their religious stance. I found that to be the most refreshing glorious experience as here in Northern Florida they don’t and will shoot ya if you even mention such a thing.

I get what you are saying about that area as I also know it a bit as my boat was built on Stella Island.

I will be flamed for my opinion for sure but also understand I am a retired Marine that loves his country and is shocked by the state she is in. Trust me folks, you can say whatever you want about Canada. The United States will never have it as right as Canada does. Is Canada perfect? Oh no way, but neither are the States and things here are nuts.

American’s.... sorry to tell you this but we aren’t the center of the World any longer...my life in Canada made painfully clear just how wrong most of the things we know to be true really aren’t. Open your eyes and look around and accept the World as what you see it to be and then deal with it. The sooner the better for all of us!


(Try and resist typing something genius like...if you don’t like it get out! Not so easy eh?)

From your perspective you are 100% correct and I agree with you.

From the perspective of some people who were out dining in the Greektown section of Toronto recently they may feel otherwise.

I get it that the world is generally a very safe place; billions of people survive it daily. But not everyone survives it.

Be thankful should the facts be that you have lived unscathed.

[refuge]

Just Get a chihuahua. Best anchorage security you can get.

[Caliber40]

Good speech to give the guy trying to climb into the boat! Who needs a gun!

[GrowleyMonster]

Nobody got hurt. (referring to the OP) Rod's actions ensured that nobody WOULD get hurt. His actions endangered NOBODY. The perpetrator or harmless prankster or wouldbe criminal or whatever you want to call him, was offered a very simple choice and he chose the obvious course of action. Makes no difference what the crime rate in Canada is, or whether or not you believe only cops and criminals should have guns. Rod's actions were perfectly logical and reasonable and correct. Why do all the gun grabbers and leftists have to make a big battle out of firearms anytime someone uses the "G" word?

[Adagio01]

The greatest concern I have when anchoring at night are Kayaks. The silent nature of the vessels make them impossible to hear at night while providing intruders far more distance and mobility. As a minimum precaution using solar
led night lights bow and stern help, but beyond that I don't see much else helping. Welcome any suggestions.

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by Adagio01

The greatest concern I have when anchoring at night are Kayaks. The silent nature of the vessels make them impossible to hear at night while providing intruders far more distance and mobility. As a minimum precaution using solar
led night lights bow and stern help, but beyond that I don't see much else helping. Welcome any suggestions.

A good loyal dog, they have better hearing, better night vision, way better sense of smell than any other crewmate. Even asleep, they seem awake for any unusual occurrences.

And mostly they doesn't give unasked for advice

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by Adagio01

The greatest concern I have when anchoring at night are Kayaks. The silent nature of the vessels make them impossible to hear at night while providing intruders far more distance and mobility. As a minimum precaution using solar

led night lights bow and stern help, but beyond that I don't see much else helping. Welcome any suggestions.

Buy a 12V motion detector flood light from Amazon or elsewhere for about $15.
Yes a seagull or similar could set it off, but how often have you had one of those at night in your cockpit, and if you did, wouldn’t you want the light to run it off anyway?
Then it’s just a light, it’s not going to harm anyone, but if someone were sneaking up on your boat and got a bright light shined on them, I’d bet they would think they were spotted and would start acting innocent and going elsewhere, which is what you want, right?

Mine looks like this one, and a 10W LED is brighter than you would think, it’s real bright
https://www.amazon.com/ZHMA-Security...on+flood+light

[Jason Flare]

Here’s a link a64pilot provided in another thread. He can comment, if he likes, on this particular light. (I think it’s the one he has.):

https://www.amazon.com/GLW-Security-...9EXN174GBQCTQ4

[Buzzman]

This is when a noise suppressor comes in handy - followed by a cuppla bricks and a bit of rope....

If the body ain't found, it *never happened*....


[Very firmly tongue in cheek]

[Vep]

I hear a lot of people wax smugly about how high they fancy the crime in the USA to be. This is fueled by the fakery industry in Hollywood and by the US news media, more and more simply an offshoot of Hollywood.

This leads many, especially Europeans I have noticed, to assume they are vastly safer than the USA and it's all because of our nasty gun freedoms and their lack of it.

The truth is that most of the USA has a very low crime rate. The overall violent crime rate is lower than the UK. Most of the violent crime in the USA occurs in only 5% of the counties, and even then in a small number of concentrated hot spots, like Detroit and Chicago. A few places like that throw the stats off.

People need to keep in mind that the USA is very large (9.83 million square km), heavily populated (326 million people) country. For example, California alone has a larger population than Canada. Texas alone is the size of France. I've seen more than once Europeans who intellectually have studied how big the USA is, but it just doesn't sink into them the sheer scale of the place till they get here.

As for crime, yes, some over-react. However, to not have the means or the will to defend yourself is stupid and cowardly, and it only makes the matter worse. Having governments strip the lawabiding from their ability to defend themselves is also counter-productive and actually a combination of stupid and malicious. The attitude of many governments seems to be, "Let's pretend we are actually disarming everyone, even the criminals, and then we will pretend there is no crime that needs defending from."

Crime in Europe is on the rise and even the Italians are now debating changing their laws so people can use a gun to defend their home. It's a growing problem that can no longer be ignored.

As for crime on the water, in the Americas it's on the rise, but out on the open water it's still akin to getting hit by lightning. It's more prevailant when you are stopped someplace such as in a harbor.

However, some of the reports coming in are showing an increasingly no-mercy, homicidal approach by the perpetrators to their victims. The northern coast of South America can be dicey in some places and the crime rate on land in the Caribbean is higher than most realize.

So, due to laws, if you are outside of your home country motion sensor lights and melee weapons are some of your better bets.

[coastalexplorer]

How did we get from a story about a kid swimming around the thousand isles of Canada at 2 AM in the morning? to all this writing about world wide incidents...and all the imagined blood thirsty aggression that many members advocate doing to anything that comes near their vessel? Are they looking for an Adrenalin rush? spoiling for a fight? or even considering the likelihood to loose and end up dead?



Didn't we have a very similar thread to this about a year ago? About the dangers of guns on boats? Isn't that where I first read the story of Sir Peter Blake, famous New Zealand yachtsman, is shot and killed by masked robbers on his boat anchored in harbor near mouth of Amazon.


I thought that I received an email to the effect that the Moderators were closing this one out? Do I get a vote? If so I say close it!

[Olddan1943]

Juveniles know, because of age, the probability of getting jail time is very low.
They firmly believe the "I'm just out for a late night/early morning swim." will get them forgiven. You dont know their 'crime history'. Maybe they do this frequently. You have to make a judgement call and be prepared to live with your decision forever.

Per closing this thread, I would have no objection.

Yes, I have had 2 dock boxes broken into.
Yes, I had an electic scooter stolen.
Yes, I had intruders break into my boat while I slept and took my wallet.
I did not have a gun onboard until after they took my wallet.
Would I use the shotgun? I am prepared to live with my decision, at the time.
EVERYONE will make a decision, gun or no gun.

Always, this type of thread deteriorate to "guns on board."

I guess it is best it is time we close it again.

Boating is supposed to be fun. When it is no longer fun, quit boating.

[Copacabana]

Originally Posted by Vep

I hear a lot of people wax smugly about how high they fancy the crime in the USA to be. This is fueled by the fakery industry in Hollywood and by the US news media, more and more simply an offshoot of Hollywood.

This leads many, especially Europeans I have noticed, to assume they are vastly safer than the USA and it's all because of our nasty gun freedoms and their lack of it.

The truth is that most of the USA has a very low crime rate. The overall violent crime rate is lower than the UK. Most of the violent crime in the USA occurs in only 5% of the counties, and even then in a small number of concentrated hot spots, like Detroit and Chicago. A few places like that throw the stats off.

People need to keep in mind that the USA is very large (9.83 million square km), heavily populated (326 million people) country. For example, California alone has a larger population than Canada. Texas alone is the size of France. I've seen more than once Europeans who intellectually have studied how big the USA is, but it just doesn't sink into them the sheer scale of the place till they get here.

As for crime, yes, some over-react. However, to not have the means or the will to defend yourself is stupid and cowardly, and it only makes the matter worse. Having governments strip the lawabiding from their ability to defend themselves is also counter-productive and actually a combination of stupid and malicious. The attitude of many governments seems to be, "Let's pretend we are actually disarming everyone, even the criminals, and then we will pretend there is no crime that needs defending from."

Crime in Europe is on the rise and even the Italians are now debating changing their laws so people can use a gun to defend their home. It's a growing problem that can no longer be ignored.

As for crime on the water, in the Americas it's on the rise, but out on the open water it's still akin to getting hit by lightning. It's more prevailant when you are stopped someplace such as in a harbor.

However, some of the reports coming in are showing an increasingly no-mercy, homicidal approach by the perpetrators to their victims. The northern coast of South America can be dicey in some places and the crime rate on land in the Caribbean is higher than most realize.

So, due to laws, if you are outside of your home country motion sensor lights and melee weapons are some of your better bets.

Vep, homicide rates are calculated per capita, so the size of the population (or area of the country) has no bearing. I don't know where you got the idea that the UK has a higher homicide rate than the US. The UK rate is 1.2 per 100,000. The US is 5.35 per 100,000 (4 times higher). I'm not bashing the US, but you've got to admit that the murder rate in the US is much higher than that of any other western industrialized country.

Have a look at the UN ranking by country:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o..._homicide_rate

The violent crime rate is an overall picture of a country. Obviously, it doesn't tell the whole story. I live in what would be described as a "violent" country, and yet I live in a town with a crime rate that is almost zero.

I agree with you that if you deduct the gang/drug related violence (especially between criminals) from the statistics the picture gets much rosier, but this applies to all countries, not just the US. The fact is that if you stay out of bad areas and don't associate with criminals you have very little to worry about.