Piracy :-/

[HappyMdRSailor]

Originally Posted by Blue Crab

Nah Yanmar.

A sea story, Cap



















n

Dang Blue Crab... I was kinda excited to hear that somebody else was hanging on to a Seagull.....

[Blue Crab]

Originally Posted by Tbrad

Four part protection plan:

1. Tacks on the deck.
2. Air horn that discharges the moment someone steps on deck.
3. Liberal dose of Grizzly Bear spray.
4. 12 gauge flare gun right between the eyes

I was relating a previous flare gun discussion to friends at the bar, (not the Bar), and the consensus was that a hit on a bony area, while painful, would/could bounce off. A hit in the tummy, in the center of mass, would likely stick and burn. The real problem with an aggressive defense is that when the intruder is injured or killed, we'll be in deep doo too.

My own #1 to be is an aluminum grate for the companionway covered with No-See-Um netting. Kinda like what MarkJ mentioned recently. That #2 for me would be the spreader lights coming on. Red ones. I like #3 a lot. I think it shoots 20+ feet. So does a can of wasp spray, come to think about it.

Personally, I'm more perplexed about pythons than pyrates.

Edit: Man, I hope I've already owned my last Seagull.

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by jared

(...) there seems to be two camps: people who are so pacifist that they will give up anything to live and those who are willing to go down fighting.(...)

1) stay in the pacifist camp, 99% of cruisers are unlikely to have the skills, the know-how nor the means required to protect themselves from anything but mosquitos,

2) you have the right to defend yourself, the problem is, in most countries, if you hurt the offending criminal, you become a criminal, you end up in jail (there is along thread elsewhere on CF on the guy who ended up in a West Indian jail, well worth a read).

To go down fighting may sound romantic. Google for Peter Blake.

When anybody asks my advice, I say stay well away from bad spots and you are likely to be very fine and enjoy your trip.

b.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

To go down fighting may sound romantic. Google for Peter Blake.

When anybody asks my advice, I say stay well away from bad spots and you are likely to be very fine and enjoy your trip.

b.

Peter Blake went down because his gun malfunctioned; the lesson there is to make sure it works well.

The problem with good and bad spots is that things change. Let's say one has been cruising in 1st world country X for 20 years, but bit by bit violence and robberies have been increasing to the point of a dozen incidents on boats a year... do you leave? If not, how about two dozen incidents? This is the difficult part, not skipping Somalia.

[zeehag]

jedi--are you growing that cutie with red boots for our meet up bbq and party???

research the laws of the lands you plan on visiting--you could well be surprised by the results of a lil research..and many locales are not as wicked as previously thought, as stuff changes.


as for weaponry--i will stick with my louisville slugger and eye poking fish counting gaff.....after bubba warns me someone is approaching......and i have the appearance of the boat they dont want to touch.....

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

Peter Blake went down because his gun malfunctioned (...)

I thought he went down because he got shot down.

You are right with the good/bad spots being a movable feast. Alas, the changes are hardly ever revolutionary and most of the time we get enough warning when places are becoming less safe than acceptable.

b.

[barnakiel]

Doh, red boots very sexy. Love it!

Cheers,
b.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

I thought he went down because he got shot down.

You are right with the good/bad spots being a movable feast. Alas, the changes are hardly ever revolutionary and most of the time we get enough warning when places are becoming less safe than acceptable.

b.

Blake appeared with his pistol shooting the nearest pirate in the leg disabling him and then he tried to fire at the 2nd nearest pirate but his pistol jammed at which point that pirate got his wits together and shot and killed him.

Besides the non-optimal choice of gun (revolver would not have malfunctioned like that), poor maintenance of his gun (well cared for pistol would not have malfunctioned like that), he also endangered his own crew members because many were held at gun point when he started shooting.

About good spots changing to bad spots: it is the slow, gradual change that is the trouble as I tried to explain. Local knowledge improves safety but when conditions change for the worse, people tend to stay too long instead of getting out of there, while others already avoid the area.

I also find that most trouble comes to those who interact with locals more and stay longer. Must have to do with exposure.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by zeehag

jedi--are you growing that cutie with red boots for our meet up bbq and party???

Hurry up or I'll close the canal and make you sail around the Horn!

Originally Posted by barnakiel

Doh, red boots very sexy. Love it!

I was about to change avatars but will keep the piggy a bit longer

cheers,
Nick.

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

he also endangered his own crew members because many were held at gun point when he started shooting

You make a good point. Personally I would not be greatly concerned about other crew members if I thought that me wielding a weapon (whatever, albeit unlikely to be a gun) would turn out well - at least for me .

Indeed, other crew members being held at gun point might well be a tactical advantage (for me!) - gun not pointed at me, and a chance that they will presume I care a great deal about the hostages.

Now, for that crew wanted ad......

I also find that most trouble comes to those who interact with locals more and stay longer. Must have to do with exposure.

I think that comes from the old trap: "don't worry, I know what I am doing" Well, seemed to work that way often enough in Thailand .

[goboatingnow]

Remind me not to crew with you David , when your armed

Dave

[Therapy]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

I also find that most trouble comes to those who interact with locals more and stay longer. Must have to do with exposure.

I read these threads for stuff like this. I have never heard this before. I though part of the "true" cruising life was to become friendly and involved with the locals to some great extent. Like helping build a church or some such thing.



I do get tired of the folks that think a flare gun will do anything at all except further anger someone. Wasp spray has also been proven to do nothing in the "helpful" area. I would even question most sailors ability to even swing a machete in the cockpit, much less the cabin. Poke a little maybe. Swing, not hardly. I had a Gemini with a lot more room but swinging a machete would be nearly impossible almost anywhere aboard.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by Therapy

I read these threads for stuff like this. I have never heard this before. I though part of the "true" cruising life was to become friendly and involved with the locals to some great extent. Like helping build a church or some such thing.

Yes, you are correct. But the more you interact with them, the more they interact with you and it only requires one bad guy to make that unpleasant.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

Yes, you are correct. But the more you interact with them, the more they interact with you and it only requires one bad guy to make that unpleasant.

That sounds faintly familiar...

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by Therapy

I read these threads for stuff like this. I have never heard this before. I though part of the "true" cruising life was to become friendly and involved with the locals to some great extent. Like helping build a church or some such thing. (...)

Re and re the original quote by another poster: there are more than one way to get involved. Every cruising spot has its smaller or larger community of 'cruisers' who 'get involved'. Mostly buying drugs from locals. I say do not get involved with THEM nor with their suppliers.

Otherwise, if you help to build a school, fix a rusting genset, etc., then there is nothing to worry about.

Do get involved, in the right way though.

b.