British flagged vessels can now be armed according to PM

[Ric]

Just seen a news flash on the BBC site that Cameron has announced that British flagged boats can now carry armed guards to protect themselves against piracy.

I want an AK47. Cheap, easy to maintain, spare parts readily available. Will be very handy for keeping anchorages silent.

 

[CodStewart]

I'd opt for an AK, too.
No doubt about it.
No qualms, no nothing.

 

[Chris_Robb]

Just seen a news flash on the BBC site that Cameron has announced that British flagged boats can now carry armed guards to protect themselves against piracy.

I want an AK47. Cheap, easy to maintain, spare parts readily available. Will be very handy for keeping anchorages silent.

20 mm canon mounted on the stern deck is my preference, may be able to get one off the back of one of those Toyota pickups in Libya!

 

[[27631]]

arms aboard...

+1 for the ak47...plenty of spares and ammo available worldwide....sad world we live in though when it comes to carrying one aboard...

 

[mandlmaunder]

The down side to having an AK or other fire arm on board is that your personal privacy and space will be invaded by the professional that must be there to use it.

Bit of a down side to some of us who don't have the space for another full timer on board, and the reduction in spare spending money as the guy with the gun is a 'professional' and will insist on being paid.

Other than that it all seems like a good job creation scheme for unemployed ex military types who couldn't find work as regular mercenaries.

So I'll be setting up the spare cabin then!?.

Mark

 

[curlysue]

On a serious note though............about bleeding time !!! Spray them with lead and feed the pirates to the sharks !!! Only I pity the poor b--gg-r that does it, he'll be up before some EU court before you can say "pirates at 10 o clock ".
I wish I didn't always sit on the fence with my views.

 

[PlanB]

Having watched the PM announcing this, it seems that at present there is some law that forbids British ships carrying armed guards, and that to do so they will have to apply for a licence. So it doesn't look like carte blanche.

 

[CharlesSwallow]

The down side to having an AK or other fire arm on board is that your personal privacy and space will be invaded by the professional that must be there to use it.

Bit of a down side to some of us who don't have the space for another full timer on board, and the reduction in spare spending money as the guy with the gun is a 'professional' and will insist on being paid.

Other than that it all seems like a good job creation scheme for unemployed ex military types who couldn't find work as regular mercenaries.

So I'll be setting up the spare cabin then!?.

Mark

How is "Professional" defined then? I would have thought that anyone with the necessary and appropriate "Firearms Certificate" was qualified. Please enlighten me.

Chas

 

[nathanlee]

One soft westerner with an AK on a plastic boat, vs a boat full of pirates with AK's and RPG's, and more than au fait with guns and violence.

Good luck.

 

[lilianroyle]

not so much good luck as good bye nm

nm

 

[BrendanS]

You are all going to have to do some serious paperwork to get your yachts classified as Merchant Ships!

 

[Niall1975]

I would imagine professional means ex military and it will PMC's who get liscenced. It has been proven already that when they come up against someone who can shoot straight the pirates prefer to turn and run. Theyre after the soft targets who won't resist and their idea of shooting is to point and spray in the general direction. Wonder if i set up my own company i could get myself liscenced???? Not sure it would be safe in the marina once id had a few drams ha ha

Niall

 

[affinite]

I would imagine professional means ex military and it will PMC's who get liscenced. It has been proven already that when they come up against someone who can shoot straight the pirates prefer to turn and run. Theyre after the soft targets who won't resist and their idea of shooting is to point and spray in the general direction. Wonder if i set up my own company i could get myself liscenced???? Not sure it would be safe in the marina once id had a few drams ha ha

Niall

I wont have a gun on my boat and I wont go where one might be needed

oh and I suspect that part 1 of the exam would be how to spell licence properly

 

[alant]

You are all going to have to do some serious paperwork to get your yachts classified as Merchant Ships!

Don't they qualify as Merchant Ships, if they are coded as charter yachts?

 

[Relax]

Can't for the life of me work out how this will work - firearms licensing for civilians in the UK is a police matter for the discretion of each Chief Constable and his Firearms Licensing Officer who will grant a Certificate depending on demonstated need and the suitability of the applicant.

Having myself jumped through all the hoops (including a need for two 'sane' supporters and a background check by your doctor) its a bit difficult to see how this will work with a merchant ship? Further, as most of the above mentioned 'pieces' are Section 5 (prohibeted) Firearms there is a very strong presumption against any grant for such a thing.

I think, as someone said above, that what we need is a navy which is not held back by people in safety glasses from perforating a few of the people in the black hats, rather than ordinary people packing all sorts of munitions in thier yachts.

 

[Zanziba]

 

[mainshiptom]

UZI

would be best since it is nice and small and also 9mm is very efficent, also semi automatic and easy loading, who said sailing is realxing and boring?


Tom