Common Objects to Defend Your Boat at Sea

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by Franziska

I was involved in megayacht design myself, and yes there are proper gun lockers installed on some.
What goes onboard is usually controlled by the rules of the flag state. So if your flag allows them you can have them if you feel the need (I don't).
These guns are licensed as are the potential users.

Still, when you enter port and have a gun locker, these gun lockers tend to be sealed by officials if the country in question does not allow them.
Guess in a real emergency the captain could decide to break such a seal. So the guns are available for a real emergency.

Sometimes you may also have to hand the guns over to officials and get them back when leaving.

Yes, this is correct.

The lockers are sometimes locked by officials in port. At all times they are under control of the captain (or licked by the port).

I think there are different times boats need defense and bring in port (always at a marina) for these size boats is definitely not one of them.

Anchorages are a gray area to me. I’m not sure how that works. We went marina to marina for the most part. I don’t recall what we did in the few anchorages we ever stayed at.

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by Tetepare

Megayachts can have arsenals on board because they are owned by rich people who have political connections. If the customs or cops are told to keep their noses out, they will.


That said, one got busted coming into NYC a few years ago. Flagged in Marshall Islands, owned by an American. Guess he didn't have the right connections. But who cares? It was the crew that got arrested, not the owner.

Do you have more information on this NYC bust?

Right of Safe Passage should have applied to the boat. You can drive through any state that prohibits firearms as long as you’re traveling fine one state where you can legally possess the firearm to another where you can legally possess it.

It’s a federal law.

[Cheechako]

I think it's good to see how well or unwell these things work. We have all conjectured about it in the past.

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by Tetepare

Megayachts can have arsenals on board because they are owned by rich people who have political connections. If the customs or cops are told to keep their noses out, they will.


That said, one got busted coming into NYC a few years ago. Flagged in Marshall Islands, owned by an American. Guess he didn't have the right connections. But who cares? It was the crew that got arrested, not the owner.

Do you have more information on this NYC bust?

Right of Safe Passage should have applied to the boat. You can even drive through any state that prohibits firearms as long as you’re traveling from one state where you can legally possess the firearm to another where you can legally possess it.

It’s a federal law.

[Jdege]

I'm going to repeat something I wrote in one of the interminable gun threads.

I've had a permit to carry for over fifteen years, and I've carried pretty much every day since I obtained it. I've attended number of course on the issue of armed self defense. I've been certified to teach classes that would qualify my students to obtain permits to carry, and taught such classes.

And when I am asked for advice on getting a gun for home defense (which I am on a regular basis - everyone who knows me knows that I am a "gun guy") I tell them that a gun is the last thing they need - and I mean they in a very specific sense.

Buying a gun and taking no other precautions is downright stupid. It's far more likely to get you intro serious trouble than to actually help. If you don't know that the perp is there until he's standing at the foot of your bed, the gun isn't going to help.

What does help is lighting and landscaping, to deter burglars, solid doors and windows with good locks to show them down, alarms and cameras scare them away, and to alert you to their presence. And, more than anything else, a plan so that everyone knows what to do.

If you do all of that, you'll probably not need a gun. But in the rare case where it's not enough, where the alarms have alerted you, you have all the family in for designated safe room with the door locked and are talking to 911, and they start breaking the door down, you'll need an effective weapon, and by a wide margin a firearm would be the most effective.

So my advice would be to get a gun, and training in how to use it, store it safely, etc., but you do everything possible to ensure you'd not need to use it.

Now I've no real experience in security in a live-aboard boat, but I'd think that the general principles are the same. Lights, alarms, locks, matter. Site selection and making cordial arrangements with your neighbors probably matter more.

Weapons, whether you a choose a firearm, pepper spray, diving knives, heavy skillets, or whatever, should be your third level contingency, not what you start with.

[Tetepare]

Originally Posted by Chotu

Do you have more information on this NYC bust?

Right of Safe Passage should have applied to the boat. You can drive through any state that prohibits firearms as long as you’re traveling fine one state where you can legally possess the firearm to another where you can legally possess it.

It’s a federal law.

The yacht was arriving in US waters from a foreign port. It has previously been in US (NY) waters, I took a photo of it in Clayton NY. Then about a month later I read online about the arrest in NYC for having "assault rifles" on board when they arrived from overseas. So clearly between when I saw the vessel and read about it in the paper, they'd left USA and returned. IIRC they went to Bahamas, or Bermuda.



It is NYC, after all. The owner must not have donated to the correct political campaign. But I'll bet some discretely placed money smoothed things over.

[Franziska]

I'm not a gun person at all. But, this seems a very good statement from a gun guy.

Originally Posted by Jdege

I'm going to repeat something I wrote in one of the interminable gun threads.

[jdaltonpe]

Back to the subject at hand. I heard a very interesting suggestion to help deter pirates approaching at sea. Trail one or two long black or dark blue polyethylene floating lines that are difficult to see. When the pirate skiff approaches you may have to manoeuvre a little to make it work but wrapping their propeller in line sounds like a pretty good non lethal way to disable their vessel. Cut away the line and carry on while they are left to sort out their inconvenience.

[Siberian Sea]

Although produces like mace are considered chemical weapons in many places and therefore illegal, bear spray because it’s marked on the bottle for protection against animal attacks is allowed. Bear spray sold under brand names like Counter Assault has a 30+ foot range and 10 seconds of continuous spray time. It works on multiple assailants and none lethal. If it’s designed to stop charging Grizzly Bears you know it’s going to be unpleasant. I have one near my bed and another just inside the companionway. Can be purchased at most sporting good stores in bear country, here in Alaska everyone carries it while hiking in the backcountry including the Alaska Department of Fish and Game

[taxwizz]

In Canada, if you injure an intruder in your home, YOU go to jail.
The law is on the side of the criminals.

[ArmyDaveNY]

How about this? It's a homemade flamethrower made from a fire extinguisher!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26hpNa_zeaY

[Montanan]

Some boaters where swim suits, others wear suits of armor; personally I recommend that for nautical use that the suit be made of 316 stainless steel so as to mitigate against rusting.

A distinct advantage of this type of attire is that it does keep the sun off of you so no need to apply suntan lotion.

Albeit, I do find that wearing such makes taking in the spinnaker a bit challenging and the shoes tend to be a tad slippery on a wet deck.

[rosatte]

If your that damm afraid stay on land where your safe ,,bawaaaaaaaaa

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by Tetepare

The yacht was arriving in US waters from a foreign port. It has previously been in US (NY) waters, I took a photo of it in Clayton NY. Then about a month later I read online about the arrest in NYC for having "assault rifles" on board when they arrived from overseas. So clearly between when I saw the vessel and read about it in the paper, they'd left USA and returned. IIRC they went to Bahamas, or Bermuda.



It is NYC, after all. The owner must not have donated to the correct political campaign. But I'll bet some discretely placed money smoothed things over.

Ouch. Yep. That’ll do it.

[RickG]

I keep my pole spear in the fishing pole rack mounted on the salon ceiling. So far only fish have been harmed.

Cheers, RickG