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Old 19-09-2020, 17:47   #1
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Common Objects to Defend Your Boat at Sea

Taking firearms from country to country is not a good idea due to the multitude of laws. One mistake and you are in jail. The best thing is to not sail off the coast of Somalia or the Nicaraguan/Honduras border. That said, common object on a boat might be helpful if you are in a situation where you might end up like the humans in the robot revolt in the new West World TV show.

You want to be in a situation where the government inspector says "Do you have weapons on board" and you respond "No Sir!" Then they find none.

Pirates are almost always corrupt fishermen looking for an easy target. Sometimes boats are attacked by pirates without firearms. If they get bombarded by flares and spears there is a good chance they will disappear.

One common item is a fishing tackle hat with a wide brim. Put on on tackle and a lead fishing sinker on the back. At the right moment grab the front brim and bop the pirate on the head.

Others include spear guns, flares, fishing bows, pipes, etc. Kitchen knives and baseball bats are obvious. Heck, the Coast Guard even requires flares! "Yes officer, got my flare right here!"

A repeating flare gun is easily made because it could be plastic and would not need to have precision. There are repeating spear guns on the web. Stock up on spears and flare ammo.

Watch out for local laws. There are some odd legal restriction on some normally legal items, be careful. There is a "Spear Guns Control Act 1971" in Australia for example.

Then there is body armor. I never heard of pirates wearing body armor. It might give you an edge.

The point is, if you have it you can make a decision to use it or not in a dangerous situation.



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Old 19-09-2020, 18:41   #2
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Re: Common Objects to Defend Your Boat at Sea

Bop the pirate on the head!!!

This is gonna be good.
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Old 19-09-2020, 18:46   #3
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Re: Common Objects to Defend Your Boat at Sea

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Originally Posted by Dogscout View Post
Bop the pirate on the head!!!

This is gonna be good.



Nah, it will just bring out the entitled rambo types and will eventually be shut down!
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Old 19-09-2020, 18:46   #4
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Re: Common Objects to Defend Your Boat at Sea

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Bop the pirate on the head!!!

This is gonna be good.
Yep, diligently following with deep interest.
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Old 19-09-2020, 20:13   #5
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Re: Common Objects to Defend Your Boat at Sea

Seriously?
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Old 19-09-2020, 20:36   #6
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Re: Common Objects to Defend Your Boat at Sea

Quote:
Then there is body armor. I never heard of pirates wearing body armor. It might give you an edge.
Wearing a flak jacket or "bullet proof" vest always made me worry about all the important parts it didn't cover.
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Old 20-09-2020, 00:17   #7
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Re: Common Objects to Defend Your Boat at Sea

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Originally Posted by Calif.Ted View Post
Wearing a flak jacket or "bullet proof" vest always made me worry about all the important parts it didn't cover.
Right??

To me, it seems they are best at lowering your chances of dying from a direct hit to an organ that isn’t your brain. Not much help otherwise.
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Old 20-09-2020, 00:39   #8
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Re: Common Objects to Defend Your Boat at Sea

Note that bulletproof vests are illegal in many places without a permit.
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Old 20-09-2020, 01:34   #9
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Re: Common Objects to Defend Your Boat at Sea

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Note that bulletproof vests are illegal in many places without a permit.
Indeed.
In certain places, like some Australian States, it’s illegal to wear a bulletproof vest without a permit.
United States law restricts possession of body armor for convicted (violent) felons, and you cannot take, ship, send, or bring body armor outside the US without Federal permission.
In Ontario (Canada), anyone can legally purchase and use a bulletproof vest; but in Alberta, British Columbia and Manitoba it is illegal to possess body armour without a license .
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Old 20-09-2020, 01:35   #10
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Re: Common Objects to Defend Your Boat at Sea

When we were in Caribbean a number of American boats carried rifles, they handed them over customs with no problems and picked them up when they left. I remember an American yacht off the Venezuelan coast was approached by a pirate boat he fired warning shots with an M16 and they turned away.
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Old 20-09-2020, 01:54   #11
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Re: Common Objects to Defend Your Boat at Sea

[QUOTE=Michael Cobbe;3237013...an American yacht off the Venezuelan coast was approached by a pirate boat he fired warning shots with an M16 and they turned away.[/QUOTE]

So how did he/you know it was pirates? Did their boat fly the jolly roger or perhaps display a sign saying 'pirate boat' in 2' high letters?
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Old 20-09-2020, 02:47   #12
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Re: Common Objects to Defend Your Boat at Sea

Double posting.
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Old 20-09-2020, 02:50   #13
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Re: Common Objects to Defend Your Boat at Sea

Uhh, you betcha, this will end up as another gun yes or gun no thread eventually :-)

Slowly sneaking on towards the beloved subject, are we?
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Old 20-09-2020, 03:40   #14
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Re: Common Objects to Defend Your Boat at Sea

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Originally Posted by bobnlesley View Post
So how did he/you know it was pirates? Did their boat fly the jolly roger or perhaps display a sign saying 'pirate boat' in 2' high letters?
This is really the issue for me. How to judge intent? I was approached by a fast-moving Mexican panga near Banco Chinchorro. No one else for miles. Were they pirates? I wondered. I got some flares ready, wished I had prepared a molotov cocktail or two.
As they shot alongside, they held up a big hogfish. Turns out they were out of matches and wanted to trade. What a fool I'd have looked if I'd acted unfriendly--and what a jerk I would have been as well.
I've also been boarded at night by burglars stealing stuff, so I can see both sides of the picture. I just wonder how many friendly and innocent fishermen have been chased away by fearful cruisers, and how our collective image has been tarnished in their eyes.
And if we have a bad and unfriendly reputation, how much more willing does that make an honest fisherman to take up the machete and become dishonest? Not that it's an excuse, but it's something I think about.
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Old 20-09-2020, 04:02   #15
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Re: Common Objects to Defend Your Boat at Sea

While I personally favor the friendly non violent approach, I still wonder what would have been if those Mexican would have suddenly pulled up a gun from underneath their fish.

But I also think that sometimes a friendly gesture from a modest looking sailboat might make some pirates reconsider and rather pick a more valuable target (unless they are in the hostage business).

Guess the usual approach, hide all very expensive stuff well and have some less valuable things visible which you are not terribly sorry to loose might be the best approach.

If you have a gun pointed at you or your crew it's to late to escalate at your end. Otherwise someone might actually be killed.
Especially if your outnumbered by the perpetrators.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Benz View Post
This is really the issue for me. How to judge intent? I was approached by a fast-moving Mexican panga near Banco Chinchorro. No one else for miles. Were they pirates? I wondered. I got some flares ready, wished I had prepared a molotov cocktail or two.
As they shot alongside, they held up a big hogfish. Turns out they were out of matches and wanted to trade. What a fool I'd have looked if I'd acted unfriendly--and what a jerk I would have been as well.
I've also been boarded at night by burglars stealing stuff, so I can see both sides of the picture. I just wonder how many friendly and innocent fishermen have been chased away by fearful cruisers, and how our collective image has been tarnished in their eyes.
And if we have a bad and unfriendly reputation, how much more willing does that make an honest fisherman to take up the machete and become dishonest? Not that it's an excuse, but it's something I think about.
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