Yachtsmen Carrying Knives (UK)

[capnsensible]

Best knife for cutting ropes and stuff is a serrated read knife, carried in the cutlery draw.

Spot on. On all the yachts I've ever sailed, the very rare time I need a knife, that's where I would go. Obviously the cutlery draw needs populating so you have to buy them and get them there. Same as a house. But routinely carrying? What for.....was gonna say what's the point

It seems odd to me that anyone would travel with a knife. We are all aware of the restrictions these days and somewhat futile arguing about it.....

 

[Chiara’s slave]

You can pack a knife in your hold bag, just not your carry on.

 

[doug748]

Spot on. On all the yachts I've ever sailed, the very rare time I need a knife, that's where I would go. Obviously the cutlery draw needs populating so you have to buy them and get them there. Same as a house. But routinely carrying? What for.....was gonna say what's the point

It seems odd to me that anyone would travel with a knife. We are all aware of the restrictions these days and somewhat futile arguing about it.....

Just about what I was thinking. I have a good strong carving knife in the galley and that is it really. I do carry a Leatherman quite a lot for the pliers really, the blade is pretty useless, under 3in and not locking.

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[fisherman]

Don't know what all the fuss is about....

 

[Trident]

I don't think that would stand up in court as a reasonable excuse to be carrying a knife.

The fact that you've got away with it isn't because the police approve of you carrying it, it's because they're not aware that you are.

And why do you think it's safer not to wear a seatbelt? The seatbelt law was brought in for a very good reason.

I know the police won't approve but I tend not to care - I appreciate that I am taking a small risk with the law

Most evidence in the last few years coming out of US crashes shows that seat belts are more dangerous due to the detachment of organs from the spine with sudden deceleration which causes instant death rather than say a crush injury without a seat belt. I also disable all the airbags on my vehicle as those are very dangerous too. Do some googling - I don't suggest we expand the seatbelt topic and why the laws exist on this forum as they have little tolerance for political discussion

 

[Trident]

As an aside I have once been reprimanded by the police for having a knife (in this case a butterfly knife which at the time was before that style was banned though still have two which cannot leave the house)

I was in the interview room at the police station in the days when they had tapes and they were struggling with the plastic cellophane covers on the tapes to get them in the machine. I reached down and took the knife from it's small holster in my boot and offered it to them to cut it open. There was a moment of panic and confusion followed quickly by - please put that away and don't mention it again otherwise I'll probably lose my job for missing that when I searched you!

 

[ylop]

My sailing knife has a locking blade. It never leaves the boat. Is the sea a public place?

The sea is a public place

Is the boat private?

I think a boat would be accepted not to be a public place - certainly if it’s used as a place of residence (even temporarily) it would fall on the same camp as camper van/caravan etc and you’d almost be expected to have knives in the galley. Not actually convinced that inside a bag locked in the boot of your car is a public place either but don’t intend on spending thousands on legal fees to prove the point at the appeal court!

Clearly it’s not an offence to have a knife on a boat, to rational people.

A reasonable assumption, although if you have taken to dressing up as a pirate with a sword for swashbuckling you might get some issues as you come into the marina!

Hopefully the nut cases don’t go to sea.

Based on this place that may be wishful thinking - but even the craziest characters here have never seemed like they carry a knife “for protection”.

Had an interesting recent moment. My allegedly grown up son has recently acquired a kilt etc and for Christmas suggested we might buy him a Sgian Dubh. It’s part of his national dress so can, at least in theory, be worn quite legally. When I bought my Sgian Dubh back in the dark ages they virtually all were real knives, I had expected this to still be the case. Actually much harder to find one that has a real blade now. My son is the least aggressive person I’ve even met and I have zero concerns about him carrying a knife in his sock, but after some thought about this we decided that the fake knife was actually a better plan. He will never attack anyone, and if he was attacked probably wouldn’t have the presence of mind to pull the Sgian Dubh in a vague attempt at defence - but those who might be aggressive enough to try it on with him might well be stupid enough to end up with it in their hands and who knows after that. I suspect that the sort of venues he goes to are probably more sensitive to knives than those I occasionally frequent!

 

[ylop]

Don't know what all the fuss is about....

Gosh you’ve got tiny hands!

 

[Chiara’s slave]

Dressing up as a pirate, not quite. But we do have plastic swords in the hand locker. This is to brandish at the kids tourist boat in Lymington, which flies the Black Flag, and shouts at you in pirate dialect.

 

[dunedin]

I know the police won't approve but I tend not to care - I appreciate that I am taking a small risk with the law

Most evidence in the last few years coming out of US crashes shows that seat belts are more dangerous due to the detachment of organs from the spine with sudden deceleration which causes instant death rather than say a crush injury without a seat belt. I also disable all the airbags on my vehicle as those are very dangerous too. Do some googling - I don't suggest we expand the seatbelt topic and why the laws exist on this forum as they have little tolerance for political discussion

Wow. These fairy tales about seat belts and airbags being unsafe are completely untrue, and probably from the same US conspiracy sites as claimed Covid was due to 5G or Bill Gates brain implants. It would be a waste of Avocet’s breath to try and put the enormous weight of actual crash data evidence to demonstrate the degree of nonsense.
But if you chose to carry an illegal knife, just be prepared for the consequences if you get a criminal record. Don’t do the crime if you won’t do the time (or more likely the legal, employment and social restrictions a criminal record might entail).

 

[Whaup367]

They should have a system where valuable items impounded in this way can be reclaimed upon return. They could charge a smell fee for this.

We've been offered the opportunity to go back to the retail bit of an airport and post the offending article home in the past. You need to have a bit of time in hand before your flight for this to be practical, though! As above, it's not a problem if you are checking luggage in.

I found carrying knife both on and off the boat a nuisance. I might rue the decision one day . I don't seem to remember an " If only I had a knife " story from a yachtsman. I remember a case from a trekker in N America who got his hand stuck in rocks and actually severed some fingers to escape.

More than some fingers: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aron_Ralston; he had to cut his own arm off at the fore-arm (after deliberately breaking the bones because he didn't have a saw). There's a film ("127 hours") that tells the story. He was stuck for five days.

I must confess I have a vague mistrust of any grown man (sexist, I know) that doesn’t carry a Swiss Army knife, or at least some sort of folding knife or multitool, just such a profoundly useful thing to have on your person.

Exactly.

I carry a medium sized SAK all the time and usually have a bigger, locking one if I'm sailing, camping etc (or travelling to/from said activities), hence the "at least one..." in my earlier post. I avoid carrying the bigger tools if I'm in an urban area, unless I have a toolbox with me for some reason, in which case they'll go into that. Blades that don't lock make me a bit uncomfortable but I understand the rationale for the law, even if I think it's a bit heavy handed.

How Scotland reduced knife deaths among young people

There are some anomalies that come up- I got a call from the headmaster from my son's school a few years back, who was concerned that he was "carrying a blade" on a school trip. I think he was reassured when I pointed out that it was on the packing list(!)...

 

[dunedin]

I carry a locking leatherman on my belt.UK and elsewhere. No problems so far, but no challenges either.

So you are openly admitting knowingly breaking UK criminal law by carrying a locking knife blade?
Why should the law not apply to you?
Have you considered what restrictions would apply to your life if you had to declare a criminal record?

I have never found a need to carry a knife or multi tool with blade in normal life, away from house or boat.
If a job needs doing, I will get a proper tool from the toolbox, but doesn’t happen when going out for a meal or walking down a street.

 

[ylop]

I know the police won't approve but I tend not to care - I appreciate that I am taking a small risk with the law

Most evidence in the last few years coming out of US crashes shows that seat belts are more dangerous due to the detachment of organs from the spine with sudden deceleration which causes instant death rather than say a crush injury without a seat belt. I also disable all the airbags on my vehicle as those are very dangerous too. Do some googling - I don't suggest we expand the seatbelt topic and why the laws exist on this forum as they have little tolerance for political discussion

Seems like a dumb way to die! All the evidence suggests seatbelts reduced road traffic fatalities, as have airbags. Anyone arguing otherwise is likely twisting the facts to bolster an argument.

 

[dunedin]

I went to the small claims court and lost my Opinel to the security search. I complained that after fifty years as a fisherman it was a habit, they said I could write and appeal but it wouldn't make any difference, and I was lucky not to be arrested.

Ha ha. Wasn’t your smartest move taking a knife to court
However, I appreciate that as a fisherman you have a work need to have a sharp knife to hand - eg if got caught in a rope on the boat.

However, it is a salutary reminder to those who routinely carry an illegal multitool or locking blade.
Probably unlikely to be caught in a normal day. But when something unexpected happens you might suddenly be the one in court - eg if some others have a fight and you act as citizen and stop the fighting (with knife never used), it is quite possible when the police arrive they get a telling off and you get the arrest. Ditto a car pulls out in front of you and causes an accident - their offence is civil, but if you blade is noted yours is criminal. Etc etc

 

[mjcoon]

They should have a system where valuable items impounded in this way can be reclaimed upon return. They could charge a smell fee for this.

Then carrying home from re-claim would have to be another justification... And so it goes!

 

[Whaup367]

However, it is a salutary reminder to those who routinely carry an illegal multitool or locking blade....

The tool isn't illegal, carrying it without good reason is illegal.

 

[DownWest]

I got lectured about a corkscrew by airport security, but they said I could have it posted to me. Only catch, the fee + p&p was rather more than a new one cost.

 

[dunedin]

The tool isn't illegal, carrying it without good reason is illegal.

As posted earlier, carrying the proscribed type of blade puts the onus on the carrier to prove to court that there is a good reason - with work, religious and national costume the only specific examples. Habit or hobby probably not.

 

[Davy_S]

I go beach fishing, in my tackle box i carry a filleting knife, i have often wondered what would happen if the law searched me, its not something i worry about, i feel sure my valid reason would stand up in court.

 

[flaming]

Many years ago, when I made my living driving boats for Sunsail I was living in London. Brixton to be exact. When working I was in the habit of having my leatherman in a pouch on my belt. Of note is that the knife laws had just come in.

One warm evening I arrived back late from working a multi day stint and having no food in the house immediately walked into town to get some takeaway. On the way there I was approached by 2 policemen who politely asked me why I had an offensive weapon on my belt, my leatherman which I had completely forgotten about. I think I was pretty lucky that evening that I was still wearing my sunsail T-shirt... Otherwise I'm not sure that "I work for a yacht charter company, and I just forgot" would have rang all that true at about 11pm in Brixton town centre...