Safe Room on board?

[laika]

Re: Fire Extinguisher, villains, for the discomfort of.

Re: "fire extinguishers", one of ours was actually a large cylinder of bear-spray, bought in Canada.

Is being boarded by bears a problem in some places? Assuming sensible precautions of not leaving pickernick baskets on deck...

 

[AndrewB]

Re: Fire Extinguisher, villains, for the discomfort of.

Is being boarded by bears a problem in some places? Assuming sensible precautions of not leaving pickernick baskets on deck...

Apparently it is. Some friends who did the Canada North West passage a couple of years ago said that there you do have to be wary of polar bears coming too close.

The closest encounter I've had was with a grizzly that suddenly appeared on a rock right by where I was anchored. However, it was far more interested in a deer it had cornered, than in me.

 

[Garry & June 'Friendship']

Re: Fire Extinguisher, villains, for the discomfort of.

In defence against an unarmed casual intruder then it was recommended to us to have a look at wasp spray...apparently it can shoot a devastating jet up to 25ft and is as powerful as pepper spray...handy to have just by the companionway.... however if firearms involved the passive approach seems wisest option ...unless you want to go down the firearm route. Then of course you run the risk of blowing holes in a friendly customs officer or fisherman by mistake !!

 

[boatmike]

Re: Fire Extinguisher, villains, for the discomfort of.

Excellent!! Made I larf!! Do you then chuck him overboard???

 

[Sybarite]

Hello liveaboards! We're setting off on our circumnavigation in April

I was thinking.... Our aft cabin as a 10 ply double door opening into the saloon. Easily kicked in if we so happened to get some unsavory people boarding us. However I thought that if I fabricated some simple angles and slotted in 4 solid stainless bars across the inside of the door then it would be almost impossible for someone kick the door in and we'd have, in effect, a kind of safe room.

Has anyone else done anything similar or am I just being paranoid?

What about deck hatches?

 

[geem]

We have burglar bars over our foredeck hatch and rear cabin escape hatch. They slide into the ceiling void in the front cabin as a set of three bars with a single padlock. Allows us to leave the front hatch open for ventilation at night. Also makes a great place to dry towels!
We have security bars but not really an issue here in Caribbean if you have two dogs sleeping in the cockpit as we do!!

 

[tcm]

I've circumnavigated and never heard of anything like the safe room idea. Fabulous problem-thinking .... but i think you might have over=thought this one.

The nearest in this regard is some Americans who have guns. But they know how to use the guns, and can shoot things without saying "er where did we put the gun darling?" and the answer to that wouldn't be "oh i locked it away several months ago to keep it safe in case an unarmed burglar found it so it's likely to be a bit rusty honey"... which would apply to non-NRA members, i think...

Then there are those who keep a few hundred dollars in the freezer. But mostly everyone is nice. I'm nice too, but i could definitely kick in your door defended with lightly-screwed-in bits of angle. Sorry. Note that burglars don't think "i want to get in to this boat but of course I can't possibly damage the door!" - they don't think that at all

Yet boaty types can't help thinking and planning for the worst - and the dreadful pirate types are likely to be am especially dire threat to women aren't they? SO ... despite what swmbo might say, it would be an excellent idea to take along some really fabulous looking women and they'll more likely leave you both alone! Much less of a mad idea than a safe room anyway. Or maybe you tried that already and she said No - hence the safe room? Or maybe swmbo is incredibly attractive so the safe room is the only option? Not sure...

Another still-not-quite-as-bonkers idea is to have a relatively ancient auld boat to make it look like you are total paupers and (quick look at website links...) i think you'l be fine with an obsolete 70's/80's Seastream wassername thing - if that's the plan? Hanging washing out all the time is another deterrent to almost everyone, bits of plywood on the deck, all that. Make it look really rubbish. No, I mean worse that that...

My favourite pirate story is of a guy in a manky old boat that he had built himself and set off without fitting out inside very much. Some pirates in the Malacca Straits boarded him to discover that his furniture/bed was a beanbag and his crockery was half a coconut shell. The pirates ended up giving him some bananas, haha...

I think that by the time you realise you need to be in the safe room it will be too late, or pointless, and it won't be safe for long anyway.

Mostly i think there are several thousand other things more likely to be used and useful that your active mind could focus upon between now and departure.

Sorry about all this - but you started the train of thought. Posts like these make popping in worthwhile!

 

[AndrewB]

Another still-not-quite-as-bonkers idea is to have a relatively ancient auld boat to make it look like you are total paupers and (quick look at website links...) i think you'l be fine with an obsolete 70's/80's Seastream wassername thing - if that's the plan? Hanging washing out all the time is another deterrent to almost everyone, bits of plywood on the deck, all that. Make it look really rubbish. No, I mean worse that that...

My favourite pirate story is of a guy in a manky old boat that he had built himself and set off without fitting out inside very much. Some pirates in the Malacca Straits boarded him to discover that his furniture/bed was a beanbag and his crockery was half a coconut shell. The pirates ended up giving him some bananas, haha...

Modern day Robin Hoods, eh? Here's a curiousity though. The UN Human Settlements Programme report in 2003 concluded that:

"Poor people suffer more from violence and petty theft, where this is common, than do rich people. In these circumstances, violence and security issues can be regarded by poor people as more important than housing or income."

Being poor is not the answer: it actually raises security related fears.

(P.S. Nice posting, tcm, pleased to see you back).

 

[noelex]

We are planning something similar in a aluminium yacht that is about to be built.

The "safe room" will be in the main bed area which is sealed off with an aluminium watertight bulkhead and watertight door.

The hatches are protected with removable security bars.

I have no illusions that structures like this could not be penetrated, but it would take some time. Hopefully long enough to convince the bad guys to try elsewhere especially if an alarm is raised via VHF or telephone.

The door and bulkhead are primarily to retain byouancy in the even of a hull breach, but it is relatively easy to add the security feature so it seems sensible to do so. The companionway will also be far more secure than is normal.

 

[NornaBiron]

We are planning something similar in a aluminium yacht that is about to be built.

The "safe room" will be in the main bed area which is sealed off with an aluminium watertight bulkhead and watertight door.

The hatches are protected with removable security bars.

I have no illusions that structures like this could not be penetrated, but it would take some time. Hopefully long enough to convince the bad guys to try elsewhere especially if an alarm is raised via VHF or telephone.

The door and bulkhead are primarily to retain byouancy in the even of a hull breach, but it is relatively easy to add the security feature so it seems sensible to do so. The companionway will also be far more secure than is normal.

Noone can come below without cutting gear on NornaBiron. We also have our radios, EPIRB and engine starting control inside the companionway. This means that whoever is on deck stays on deck, until they get bored.....or until we get help. Better still, stay in Greece no pirates here.

 

[oldvarnish]

Attack seems to be rare. Pilfering is more of a problem.

I was once told that theft was more likely by fellow cruisers than by outsiders. Can't comment as got through crime-ridden Brazil with nothing more than a knife-point mugging. Pretty routine for coastal Brazil. No point arguing. Give 'em what they want.

 

[noelex]

Noone can come below without cutting gear on NornaBiron.

Damn, I was planning a raid.

I intended to hold the crew to ransom until a NornaBiron roast dinner was produced .

 

[laika]

I intended to hold the crew to ransom until a NornaBiron roast dinner was produced .

Isn't it a truism that when holding a boat's crew hostage the person you need to worry about most is the one claiming to be "just a cook"?

 

[NornaBiron]

Isn't it a truism that when holding a boat's crew hostage the person you need to worry about most is the one claiming to be "just a cook"?

You're safe with me then, I'm not JUST a cook!

 

[NornaBiron]

Damn, I was planning a raid.

I intended to hold the crew to ransom until a NornaBiron roast dinner was produced .

We'll do a swap for pizza!

 

[pmagowan]

You could try the old Slocum trick of a few tacks on the deck for the bare footed theives! I would think the main hatches and companionway are the best defences. They are relatively small and strong and could easily be reinforced such that significant time and effort would be needed to breech them. Wood can be laminated over wire mesh so that even if you crack it, a bit like safety glass, it still holds together. Obviously your plan would be to make it difficult until help arrived or they give up.

A few other ideas, the bear/pepper spray/Co2 canisters to make the cockpit an unpleasant place. Loud noises or alarm systems that also make it unpleasant and attract attention. Stink bombs, slippery oil, tacks, electric tazer on hatch, flares etc. A small drone with a molotov cocktail to guide onto their boat. Take it as far as you like. Be careful you don't get arrested though!