Posted on 08/29/2004 2:17:56 PM PDT by Stew Padasso
The chances of coasties impounding a man's floating home because he kept weapons for home protection is very close to zero.
I based my opinion based on likelyhoods of the facts presented in the article. I don't see the need for an exercise in conjecture.
I once stood watch over a fisherman with an M-16 while he and his crew were cuffed to the deck. The cox'n harrassed them and went over the boat with a fine-toothed comb while the townfolk shouted obscenities at us.
The vessel's owner had reported it stolen, but his crew had only taken it out into the bay to escape swarms of mosquitos. A misunderstanding that could easily have been cleared up over a PA or VHF.
The cox'n wanted them to dock so he could give them his psychojackass routine, absolutely disgraceful. I did other LE incidents with this same goon, but this one was his shining moment.
Sure the CG saves lots of lives, but sometimes they ARE goons.
I always had a 12 gauge and a 45 auto on board, and I was only a bayman in the Great South Bay I docked in East Islip
Anyone who is travelling by yacht outside the US (Caribbean, Central/South America, South Pacific, anywhere along Africa and the southern Mediterranean and the Greek Isles) would be well advised to carry arms. Pirates wanting to steal your boat and/or your valuables are numerous and deadly, and there is no 911 response within a few minutes - only day(s) if you are lucky.
I rather have a gun and not need it than need a gun and not have one
I guess that's one way to draw attention to yourself.
I didn't think about that!....but you've got a good point. BAD time to be in the area, with malfunctioning lights, and guns on board.
I already stated that I've brought firearms when cruising out of the country. Why are you trying to twist my posts?
Later
Heck, I don't know. I guess it's just my nature.
No New York tax collectors there?
This story is crap. The fact is, the open ocean is a great "open range." If you live in NY, you may have to travel for hours to get to an open range where you can plink away in a non-restrictive environment.
"Ready on the right, ready on the left" ranges are okay, but can't compare to blasting away.
The beauty of shooting on the ocean is that if you have a clear horizon all around, your bullets and sounds can't cause any harm or alarm. You can see much farther than your bullets or sounds can travel.
Plus, you can clearly see your white splashes, so you get a wonderful sense of the time it takes for your shots to get out to extreme ranges. For example, you really can grasp how much faster a .223 (5.56mm) is than a .22LR rimrire!
I would take out small party balloons, and use them for targets. They stick to the water, and don't blow away. So as you drive along at slow speed, your targets get smaller and farther away. You fire away, until they are popped,or are out of range and have "escaped." If you miss, you see exactly where your shot fell by the splash. Great fun!
The problem with boats on board when traveling in dangerous areas is the response they get when you clear customs in most countries.
Outside of the USA, guns are often treated in an hysterical manner. You might as well put on your form "2 punds of heroin" or "2 pounds of C-4" as put down "2 semi-auto rifles."
This leads to endless hassles, such as having to pay for armed bonded guards to transport your "arsenal" to a govt. facility for safe lockup. Then after you're finished in that country, you have to pay to get them transported back by armed guards. $$$$$$$$$$$
Or, you can hide them and not declare them, and risk getting caught and charged with arms smuggling, lose your boat, and spend 20 or 30 years in a Mexican or Indonesian prison.
It's a lot more complicated than just the American philosophical arguement over whether to defend yourself with guns or not. It's a huge legal hassle overseas.
This wasn't the Soprano's boat, was it?
Here's an example:
21.08.2004 at 0400 L/T in posn 02:53N - 108:00E, about 15 nm se of Midai island, Indonesia / South China Sea.
Seven pirates armed with guns, long knives and steel bars boarded a container ship underway. They took duty crew on bridge as hostages and ordered ship's speed to be reduced. They destroyed communication equipment and took an A/B to master's cabin, broke open the door and stole ship's cash and master's personal effects. Finally they took master to poop deck and fled at 0420 in a waiting boat. Master sustained injuries.
It might interest you to know that the MCClure-Volkmer bill, which had the 11th hour ban on new machine guns added to it, FAILED to have the ban added by majority vote! It was a simple, unrecorded voice vote in the House of Reps, and CLEARLY lost. However, then-Speaker Tip O'Neal proclaimed that it passed, and because of the rules of Parlimentary procedure (and Republican timidity!) no one could challenge that BLATANT lie. If you can find an audio recording of that vote on the web, LISTEN to it - the amendment was never actually passed!
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