Safety at sea (from other humans)

[myketch42]

To many that mishandled a pirate situation and was killed.....hmmm , wonder why some of those many incidents weren't reported . Urban legend does no one any good in planning their cruising preparations .

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by myketch42

To many that mishandled a pirate situation and was killed.....hmmm , wonder why some of those many incidents weren't reported . Urban legend does no one any good in planning their cruising preparations .

Exactly. The book I linked to before lists all the cases over a long period. The security protocol as described was 100% effective and at the same time nobody got hurt.

[boat driver]

one must use situational awareness and just avoid the bad stuff if possible.
i have been boarded in the red sea- that was cash taken, no one was interested in any more.
The worse/most surprising was twice being boarded in the USA intercoastal- once by belligerent drunks-
the other was by a crazy that was not interested in honoring the shotgun- Thankfully in both situations I was able to get assistance from neighbor boats to mitigate the issues and get the authorities involved.
I understand the various countries gun addressing- but a shot gun with practice should be loaded in every bunk. The world is a generally nice place, but the individuals may not have that message.

[GrowleyMonster]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

I will start with the only correct answer for CF, but will add my opinion as well

Educate yourself. A good place to start is reading about actual cases and how professionals teach how to deal with this: https://www.amazon.com/Pirates-Aboar.../dp/1574092308

The book says that there is only one proven method that is 100% effective: delay entrance to cabin (bars at a locked companionway) and let them know kicking it in will be a fatal mistake (fire warning shot through deck hatch).

Our single encounter with pirates was handled by eye contact while showing the shotgun.

My opinion is to avoid the areas… we did a 1,000nm detour to avoid trouble spots a couple years ago, but do the reading and make the plan just like you must make the abandon ship plan etc.

About Sir Blake: the only reason the pirates shot and killed him after he shot a pirate was that his gun jammed. The lesson is to make sure you have a good gun that doesn’t jam and maintain it 100%.

There is a good video on YouTube about a convoy of yachts attacked off the Yemen coast and the pirates, even though armed with AK47’s were repelled by a single yachtsman with a pump shotgun.

As long as there are plenty of unarmed yachts, armed ones are going to be regarded as undesireable targets. Being better armed than your victim is not enough. The pirate doesn't care that he will probably win a fight. He wants there to BE NO FIGHT. He could get hurt. The pirates want an easy, safe payoff, not a glorious battle and test of courage under fire.

Still, for the yachtie, that did take some guts. And maybe smarts.

If pickings are slim, and there are no unarmed yachts, then the armed one might be in a tough situation.

[svmatilda]

The East coast (Malaysia) is good to go, just pick the right season or you will get hammered. I have been up and down the Malaka Strait a lot and have only had a problem once. It wasnt from pirates but a fisherman who let a drift net go way away and it ended up around our boat while at anchor. They came over and I asked them nicely to get the net off our boat and anchor chain. They did so by cutting it in half, no complaints, others we have heard about went about it the wrong way and the fishermen were seeking compensation for the net. Get on the offensive from the get go however dont be offensive yelling and screaming will certainly cause problems...

The top end of Borneo isnt a very good place to go on your own, there is problems with the bordering Philippines, there is a go east rally that you can be part of and go over the top to the east. They have a navy guard for safety, there have been several yachts boarded and taken hostage for a ransom. But if you do play around in the bordering area is asking for trouble. The rest of the Philippines doest appear to be a problem, Friends of ours have been siling there for years, just stay out of the hot spots....

No idea about Somalia

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by GrowleyMonster

Still, for the yachtie, that did take some guts. And maybe smarts.

It sure is and the big thing is that is wasn’t his boat being attacked but another yacht in their convoy. They decided to run towards the trouble and repel the pirates, putting themselves in danger to save someone they hardly know. Definition of heroic action.

Of course they would probably have been next if done nothing.

[n5ama]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

Sorry to bust your plans, but…

A flare gun is not legal in large parts of the world incl. all of the EU. Also, there’s a video on YouTube of a guy shooting himself in the head with one… he was just fine, it is ineffective.

Maybe so, but it sure beats a frying pan and you can apply it at more than an arms length.

I would also prefer dealing with the officials than trying to “talk” my way our of a bad situation especially if my family is with me.

I totally agree with the advice to stay away from those areas but if a problem occurs, you may have to resort to more than words to deal with it. IMHO

[paul2884]

Originally Posted by CaptainMarkS

We rely on the size and teeth of our pit bull. It’s amazing how viscerally folks react to a dog’s willingness to protect their owner, especially in confined spaces like a yacht. We’ve had pangas approach us and turn around once they saw Lapa. Their intentions might have been completely innocent (e.g. selling fish). Nevertheless, we feel safer with her than without.

Sounds a sensible precaution.
It seems to me that the person who wins a gun fight is generally the one who shoots first, can be difficult to argue self defence and reasonable force If you shoot first and I certainly don't want to be in a 3rd world prison even if its just awaiting trial. I would prefer to claim on the insurance for new electronics and whatever cash was taken. Being held for ransom is different but as said before it's a big world why go cruising in pirate affected areas?


[ portion of post redacted by moderators, please see mod posts upthread for reasons ]

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by paul2884

It seems to me that the person who wins a gun fight is generally the one who shoots first, can be difficult to argue self defence and reasonable force If you shoot first and I certainly don't want to be in a 3rd world prison even if its just awaiting trial. I would prefer to claim on the insurance for new electronics and whatever cash was taken.

If events take place on the high seas then any prosecution would take place in the flag state of the vessel where the alleged crime was committed. I believe it is primarily high seas safety that we are discussing in this thread---the tradeoffs while in port, at anchor, or cruising coastally are different in this and other important ways.

While the available data is poor and controversial, advocates of armed self-defense like to cite statistics that show that around 40%-60% of robbery victims are seriously injured or killed even though they comply with the robbers' demands to the extent of their ability. Anecdotally, there are multiple reports of yacht owners or crew being raped or murdered even though they did not fight back. At the risk of speaking for the OP, I suspect it is these sorts of outcomes, not a mere monetary loss, that lead to the question being asked.

Being held for ransom is different but as said before it's a big world why go cruising in pirate affected areas?

As others have posted upthread (with specific examples in some cases), there are circumstances where there are no good alternatives but to transit a risky area.

[shrspeedblade]

I've often thought it might be a good strategy to photograph and upload picture(s) of any boat that approaches you, so they know there will be no guesswork as to who boarded your boat.

Barricade yourself down below and start transmitting mayday as well as letting them know if possible their photos have been uploaded. No one is going to look very hard for them if it's only petty theft.

$182 bucks and a full bottle of rum left in the cockpit so they don't leave emptyhanded. If after all this they still try to break in you're probably in a fight to the death, unless you'd rather put yourself at the mercy of the (most likely) merciless.

Yet another argument for good watchkeeping, too.

[Gianfranco]

somehow I have 3 x 12 gauge flare guns. Wonder if they will fire a 12-gauge shotgun shell. Never tried. A good buck size would do enough damage.
One shot out of the hatch should discourage anyone to show their face at the companionway.
Simple and legal.
Well, the shots may not be hihi...

[Cynara]

Even flare guns are illegal in some countries.

[Gianfranco]

I have a large capacitor bank. hucked up to a metal gate will stop anyone from touching it again. discharge by grounding it before removing it. Hope I don't forget it hahaha !!!

[jeanathon]

Originally Posted by Ifitsworthdoing

Price point about £35 and best carried along with a Cuban cigar.

Of all those the Cuban cigar will get you in trouble stateside....

[jeanathon]

Originally Posted by Gianfranco

I have a large capacitor bank. hucked up to a metal gate will stop anyone from touching it again. discharge by grounding it before removing it. Hope I don't forget it hahaha !!!

Be sure to have them stand on a metal pad wired to the negative side. Otherwise no worky.