An Attempt to board a Yacht off Portugal

[geem]

We have an electric cattle fence energiser. It will do up to 6 miles of fencing. We used to use it to keep red deer off our land.

We took it cruising with us but never used it. We met Aussies that had cruised in New Guinea. They were in a know pirate area so set up the energiser on the guardwires before going to bed. Next morning there was a large machete on deck but no intruder. Presumably the intruder swam out, put the machete on deck before grabbing the guardwires but got no further?

 

[Kelpie]

Electric fences that run off a car battery are very much standard kit you'll find in every field around the country.
The biggest problem is likely to be earthing- maybe earth to the sea?
It's only a mild shock but it's enough to prevent anybody from gripping (maybe not through thick gloves though).
The other problem could be deciding where to put the insulators. Easiest method would be to electrify the wires only, but then people can climb over the pushpit. Insulating the pulpit feet would be a bit trickier.

 

[Achosenman]

Reading this thread is a revelation. The ignorance regarding firearms is not unsurprising, but it does make for uninformed choices.

In England the maximum power for a non FAC air rifle is 12ftlbs. A pistol is 6ftlbs. Any more than those limits, requires an FAC. An FAC air rifle is lethal...period full stop. I use one instead of my .22lr for vermin control around farm buildings. The lighter pellet does less damage than a 40gr .22 bullet and loses energy far quicker making it safer in confined area's. It will still kill vermin at 150yds no problem. The .30 Cal will dispatch significant sized game, without issue. If you load them with ammunition other than diablo pellets, the effective range significantly increases and so does the power you can usefully generate.

In the US they are not limited like we are in the UK. They have really large calibres that generate power levels that exceed some centre fire rifles and they regularly shoot deer size game and feral hogs etc.

A yachtsman response to pirates is I think, down to the individual. I'm ex Army. I know exactly what I am capable of when legally authorised, I know what I'm comfortable doing if I believe the threat to me and mine is deadly. If it's contents theft that's one thing, if it's boat theft, or hostage taking rape etc, then that's another.

If it was easy to carry a firearm for self defence I would. There is nothing in the rules that says you have to use it. However since that is not the case, it's not an option. What I wouldn't do is carry something that looked like a firearm (sub 12ftlbs air rifle) and wave it about because if the pirates respond in kind, they will be using the real thing.

 

[shan]

not " ruthless " enough i would say and perfectly understandable ,, i know the accepted procedure is not to introduce fire arms into a situation but from this one an air gun ( if legal ) or a spear gun seems perfectly applicable

Remember to untie the cord from the spear.

 

[reefknot]

Just goes to show no where is safe any more from these gangs .
If we carried flares which we don't any more , I would at fire one in the rib , the problem would had been if they had guns .

Why don't you carry fl;ares?

 

[sailaboutvic]

Why don't you carry fl;ares?

We not done for some years now , we have a Epirb , VHF, telephones and one laser flares ,
The one reason we don't carry them is they expire date isn't long and if we are stop with expired flares in most EU country there some big fines , the other reason which is more important is I dislike carrying a bomb on boats which could go off any time .
Some years back flares where needed for safety but my view ithere other safety device about now .
Bit like burning a barrow of tar on deck , no one would even thing of that now days , or hanging Sails up side down . Imagine trying to do that in 50 kts of wind .

We had dinner with friends the other night who had a couple staying on board who lost their boat the other week in the Medcan storm , we chatted how they when about getting help , there first call was made on vhf which was picked up by Malta Radio some 60 miles away the condition must had been out standing to reach that far , at the same time they set off their Epird , Australia where the Epird was registered contract Greece CG almost the same time Malta CG did the same this was relayed to a tanker who contacted them by VHF there was ask if they had flares and to fire one so the tanker could get an idea where there was in very high seas
He a Very experience sailor but like many never use a flare before , he ended up firing it into the wind , the thing shot back at them just missing his wife , he refuse to fire the only other one he had on board, the tanker located them 10 mins later .
That flare could had badly injured them .
Sadly they lost their boat and most of their belongings,
lucky for them they are safe and well .

 

[cherod]

We not done for some years now , we have a Epirb , VHF, telephones and one laser flares ,
The one reason we don't carry them is they expire date isn't long and if we are stop with expired flares in most EU country there some big fines , the other reason which is more important is I dislike carrying a bomb on boats which could go off any time .
Some years back flares where needed for safety but my view ithere other safety device about now .
Bit like burning a barrow of tar on deck , no one would even thing of that now days , or hanging Sails up side down . Imagine trying to do that in 50 kts of wind .

We had dinner with friends the other night who had a couple staying on board who lost their boat the other week in the Medcan storm , we chatted how they when about getting help , there first call was made on vhf which was picked up by Malta Radio some 60 miles away the condition must had been out standing to reach that far , at the same time they set off their Epird , Australia where the Epird was registered contract Greece CG almost the same time Malta CG did the same this was relayed to a tanker who contacted them by VHF there was ask if they had flares and to fire one so the tanker could get an idea where there was in very high seas
He a Very experience sailor but like many never use a flare before , he ended up firing it into the wind , the thing shot back at them just missing his wife , he refuse to fire the only other one he had on board, the tanker located them 10 mins later .
That flare could had badly injured them .
Sadly they lost their boat and most of their belongings,
lucky for them they are safe and well .

Interesting ,,,, could the tanker not locate them throo AIS , or did they not have that ?

 

[sailaboutvic]

Interesting ,,,, could the tanker not locate them throo AIS , or did they not have that ?

They didn't have AIS .
It a very long and sad story from late 60s couples who watch everything they own lost and left only with the clothes they was wearing and a bag of document .
I say this with all honesty, watching them both holding back the tears and the fear on both of their faces as they told what had unfolded was heart felt by me and everyone sitting at the table .

 

[cherod]

They didn't have AIS .
It a very long and sad story from late 60s couples who watch everything they own lost and left only with the clothes they was wearing and a bag of document .
I say this with all honesty, watching them both holding back the tears and the fear on both of their faces as they told what had unfolded was heart felt by me and everyone sitting at the table .

Dreadful

 

[Greemble]

I know ...... but it won't be because the pirates will have about 10 seconds to decide what to do. They're not the sharpest knives in the drawer.

Richard

You might like to think so.
However, getting back to reality.

Firstly, an air rifle will make only a small hole in a rib - IF you managed to hit it.
Considering the power and accuracy of an air rifle, those pirates would probably be within a few feet before you had any chance.

Secondly, IF you hit the rib, that small hole would deflate the rib chamber fairly slowly, it wouldn't pop in the manner of a balloon.
These pirates will have a lot longer than 10 seconds to figure out what they are going to do about the slowly deflating section of their boat

Thirdly, the inflatable part of a rib isn't a single chamber, even the smaller ribs have at least four separate sections.
Chances are, they'd not even notice they'd been holed until they'd finished robbing you (if that's all they want) and were preparing to leave.

Finally, once they had noticed, even the least sharp tool would very quickly figure out where they'd be better off, between the option of a ten-mile trip back to base or on board the nearest safely floating object.

 

[Seven Spades]

Would a laser pointer be a legal way to fend off attackers? A powder fire extinguisher would also be very unpleasant.

 

[25931]

We not done for some years now , we have a Epirb , VHF, telephones and one laser flares ,
The one reason we don't carry them is they expire date isn't long and if we are stop with expired flares in most EU country there some big fines , the other reason which is more important is I dislike carrying a bomb on boats which could go off any time .
Some years back flares where needed for safety but my view ithere other safety device about now .
Bit like burning a barrow of tar on deck , no one would even thing of that now days , or hanging Sails up side down . Imagine trying to do that in 50 kts of wind .

We had dinner with friends the other night who had a couple staying on board who lost their boat the other week in the Medcan storm , we chatted how they when about getting help , there first call was made on vhf which was picked up by Malta Radio some 60 miles away the condition must had been out standing to reach that far , at the same time they set off their Epird , Australia where the Epird was registered contract Greece CG almost the same time Malta CG did the same this was relayed to a tanker who contacted them by VHF there was ask if they had flares and to fire one so the tanker could get an idea where there was in very high seas
He a Very experience sailor but like many never use a flare before , he ended up firing it into the wind , the thing shot back at them just missing his wife , he refuse to fire the only other one he had on board, the tanker located them 10 mins later .
That flare could had badly injured them .
Sadly they lost their boat and most of their belongings,
lucky for them they are safe and well .

You don't carry flares but if you were in Portuguese water you could be breaking the law.

 

[sailaboutvic]

Would a laser pointer be a legal way to fend off attackers? A powder fire extinguisher would also be very unpleasant.

I doubt if the laser would do any thing if one was being attacked , we don't carry the laser flare for they reason , I was asked why we didn't carry flare and my reply was to say what we did carry

 

[sailaboutvic]

You don't carry flares but if you were in Portuguese water you could be breaking the law.

I would only be breaking the law in Portugal as I understand the law correctly,
IF I was in Portugal more then six months and didn't have flares on board or had out of date flares same as a life raft .
This all goes back some years when it was agreed that boat passing through Portugal and not staying longer then 180 days only need to apply to their country rules when it come to safety equipment.
If that change in the last year , I couldn't say .

 

[Wansworth]

On sighting pirates go below and wrap a scarf round your head put a t shirt that says ac/dc or I mad as Hell, then sling a roll of bullets over one shoulder and stick a glock in your Bermuda shorts then grab your Kalashnicov as you mount the companion way put some black paint under your eyes...............

 

[gus]

Never been in that sort of situation but have often wondered of the effectiveness of a molotov cocktail against an armed attack.

 

[laika]

Would a laser pointer be a legal way to fend off attackers?

Would the intention be to throw the ship’s cat into the rib and then direct the ensuing chaos?

 

[Stemar]

Never been in that sort of situation but have often wondered of the effectiveness of a molotov cocktail against an armed attack.

Unless you're well trained in its preparation and use, I reckon it'd be more dangerous to you than to the attackers. Even then, with the boat bouncing around, the likelihood of a hit is pretty low, and the most likely outcome is pissed off pirates with Kalashnikovs. About the only thing on a GRP yacht that will stop a Kalashnikov bullet is the engine. I wouldn't even trust the plating on a steel boat to do it at short range.

 

[dom]

As others say, messing around with air rifles, flare guns, etc. is dangerous and foolish; fine for Jason Bourne, not for real life.

Here is a vid purporting to show a stopped pirate attack. Try and count the number of rounds used bearing in mind that those weapons (if this is real) are a tad more powerful. User discretion required:

 

[RichardS]

You might like to think so.
However, getting back to reality.

Firstly, an air rifle will make only a small hole in a rib - IF you managed to hit it.
Considering the power and accuracy of an air rifle, those pirates would probably be within a few feet before you had any chance.

Secondly, IF you hit the rib, that small hole would deflate the rib chamber fairly slowly, it wouldn't pop in the manner of a balloon.
These pirates will have a lot longer than 10 seconds to figure out what they are going to do about the slowly deflating section of their boat

Thirdly, the inflatable part of a rib isn't a single chamber, even the smaller ribs have at least four separate sections.
Chances are, they'd not even notice they'd been holed until they'd finished robbing you (if that's all they want) and were preparing to leave.

Finally, once they had noticed, even the least sharp tool would very quickly figure out where they'd be better off, between the option of a ten-mile trip back to base or on board the nearest safely floating object.

The pirates were fended off with a boat hook. Missing the target is not an option. However, missing the levity of my posts clearly is.

Richard