Should boaters be armed?

[tinkicker0]

Strikes me that if you have to pull a gun, you must be prepared to pull the trigger. At that point, 2 lives have changed irrevocably.

Perhaps the people who possess such wealth could afford to hire some "security specialists" for the trip?

 

[Major Catastrophe]

Having cast the question and read the answers here is my two penn'orth worth.

The thought of your average boater 'going equipped' is a nightmare thought, but the post was made in light of the attack on Sunday in the Med.

I would expect that any super yacht would have some sort of contingency plan to deal with an attack and in some cases that may include a weapons cabinet, along with all the bureaucracy that goes with it...if they are of a mind to declare them.

But, in this case, with the sense of security they must have felt, to suddenly go from a nice relaxed situation looking after the needs of their pampered guest to a conflict situation would make any weapons they may have had, useless.

I doubt they even realised there was a threat until the very last moment.

One minute there is a speed boat messing around out there, the next it is at your ladder and the bad guys are in your midst. Not only that, but once they were on board, to break out a rifle and start shooting would be nothing short of madness.

Then take the long distance cruiser, who knows he will at some time or other may close on Indonesia, Africa or Central America, where piracy is not exactly rife, but is a possibility. The risks to the novice to take a weapon and be prepared to use it are alarming. Is the boat approaching really a police or customs vessel? Do you open fire or wait until they are close enough to attract a fire storm in return?

Gun toting pirates may be familiar with the standard AK47, but most are unable to fire it with any degree of accuracy and it is not a particularly accurate weapon in the first place, but does have a rapid rate of fire, which will drill some neat holes in your hull and cause considerable destruction inside. Ricocheting bullets are indiscriminate and I imagine they particularly attracted to nav gear, electronics and fuel. (I should point out that fuel, even petrol, does not explode when tanks are hit by ordinary bullets)

So, unless you are able to identify the threat early and at some distance, you are very much in the lap of the Gods.

If I were to carry a weapon it would be an M16 style assault rifle. It is light, reliable, accurate in the right hands and has a rapid rate of fire on automatic. Failing that, an AK47 can be picked up in most third world ports for a few dollars.

I believe that the only chance a small craft skipper has is to open fire early and discourage an attack before it can develop. Hopefully they will ask themselves why take on a boat that can defend itself when there other easy picking to be had? Even pirates know that a firefight at sea is not good.

I have friends who went cruising across the India Ocean to Indonesia a few years ago. As they went into an iffy area they bought an AK47 for $40 and before making the next major landfall, tossed it over board, so they could enter port 'clean' and then bought another one one departure. They never used it, but it was ready and waiting, especially when in dangerous areas at night.

So no, carrying a weapon is probably not going to help, as by time you realise you need to use it, it is too late.

 

[Coupe]

jeez I'd better be careful the next time I saunter over to an anchored boat to bum a glass of cranberry juice /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Major Catastrophe]

[ QUOTE ]
jeez I'd better be careful the next time I saunter over to an anchored boat to bum a glass of cranberry juice

[/ QUOTE ]

Most of us just hide below if we spot you coming. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[LittleShip]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
jeez I'd better be careful the next time I saunter over to an anchored boat to bum a glass of cranberry juice

[/ QUOTE ]

Most of us just hide below if we spot you coming. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Not me Mick...........

I know SV cant get across the Irish Sea.......... /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Tom /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

 

[SeadogUSA]

Weapons are a two edged sword. In trained hands, they can save your life, but if used at the wrong time, they can create more hazards. If I had the money for a crew served yacht, I would find it just as important to make sure that I had a crew that was well familar with combat and terrorists.

In many cases, a good water cannon would be a great deterent to boarding, if it is used at the right time.