Posted on 12/14/2008 8:40:14 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
I was scanning your site, like I do often, and I noticed on the issue of piracy some short comments about using firearms to ward off pirates.
One good source of info on modern piracy that many who own yachts may not have ever read is an American magazine called, "Soldier of Fortune".
"Soldier of Fortune" magazine, founded and edited by a retired US Army special forces colonel, is known as the only publication to have had a reporter on the ground the entire time during the Russian war in Afghanistan.
This magazine is of extreme interest to the yachting community because it has also run several excellent, unique, in-depth articles on modern piracy, even from some journalists that have actually traveled with the pirates on their forays. One article showed a real yacht being hit and looted. I know of no other publication that has acquired the hands-on, personal look into modern piracy that "Soldier of Fortune" has done.
One thing that the invaluable data gathered by "Soldier of Fortune" has shown is that most pirates tend to break off encounters as soon as they start to receive gunfire, or feel that they may do so. They are not in the business to get killed. If a yacht has teeth, they usually break off and find another, "softer" target - Blackbeard they are not.
Another thing that their data shows is the tactic of being defenseless and leaving yourself at their mercy is foolish. Aa time goes on, this is becoming a riskier and riskier thing to do, yet this is the main plan many on yachts have. Putting yourself at the mercy and whim of thugs, killers, and bandits and hoping they just take some cash and leave you alone is foolish and can easily be far deadlier to yourself and your crew than fighting them off. These men follow no rules except what they make up as they go.
This is the reason why in almost every pirate attack that you hear about where a yacht gets boarded, the crews were virtually defenseless, except for maybe a flare gun. Yachts that return fire with real firearms generally don't get boarded. The train of thought of, "Don't shoot at them, you might make them angry," is not the wisest of paths to follow. Submission to murderous criminals is seldom a smart and productive move.
A good example is that Italian catamaran, near Venezuela if I recall, some time ago that was chased for quite a while by eight men in an open skiff brandishing rusty shotguns. The yacht had only a flare gun.
(this refers to the 2004 incident when Italian Bruno Bianchella on "Joe's Dog" was shot and killed off Isla de Margarita)
A common hunting rifle, or even an aging, old, $100 WWII surplus bolt action rifle could have stopped that pursuit in its tracks. The pirates' boat, like most boats used in piracy, was small and offered virtually no protection against defensive rifle fire, especially from pretty much any common hunting rifle. Even a single, ordinary hunting rifle (bolt action or pump action) plus maybe a shotgun (pump action) on board - both recognized around the world as civilian weapons - could have prevented such a tragedy.
A rifle is more dangerous to pirates than a shotgun as it has range and penetration. It can hole and/or disable a small boat while also hitting the pirates. A rifle gives you a defensive cordon that can be measured in hundreds of meters, depending upon visibility and sea conditions. Pirates in their typical small boats have virtually no defense against accurate rifle fire except to take evasive action and leave.
A shotgun is better for closer ranges as they try and board, and for defense in case a boarding is in process or has already occured. A shotgun is extremely effective at close ranges and it has a low level of penetration power - meaning that you probably won't sink yourself if you fire it inside your boat.
In retrospect, that murdered Italian skipper might have found the extra paperwork and bureaucratic hassle, while in port, that is normally associated with having a rifle on board, to have been worthwhile after all.
The world is going through one its periods in history where it is getting to be a more dangerous place. People are going to have to understand that and be better prepared to deal with the risks and dangers of traveling the seas during such a period.
Law enforcement agencies all too often consider piracy out of their capabilities and concerns. Piracy won't stop until it becomes too risky to be a pirate. The only way for that to happen is for people to start defending themselves, because no one else will do it for them.
An item of note: A good introductory "how-to" book that some may find interesting is "High Seas Security" by Frank Camper. It is an easy read and it is written to be understood by regular people who are not security professionals, but it is still very informative. It is generally available used on Amazon for less than $7.
Mike Rostov
mrostov@hotmail.com
Here is a link to the Soldier of Fortune Magazine site:
http://www.sofmag.com/wp/soldier-of-fortune-magazine/
Hey...
You don’t get rich writing a lot of checks! ;)
* Also tightens nuts, bolts, cuts bait
Awesome! ;-)
Want one of those.
I was extremely disappointed that the phrase "Letter of Marque" was not even mentioned in the latest Supreme Court ruling on the 2nd Amendment.
Crusing World is an interesting magazine, the cooking articles/food storage tips are fab as well.
THey have posted a number of articles over the years about carrying AK47s as a self-defense measure.
I dropped my subscription a number of years ago due to the nature of some of their adverts.
SOF is a must buy each month, the old edition goes to son #2 (as a Grunt, he enjoys the writing) for our recycle efforts...
We shot every round on board first. Took most of an afternoon. Got to torture test a mini-14, rapid firing several mags, then quenching the barrel in sea water, then rapid firing more. No lube, no nothing. Lots of fun. Until we deep-sixed them. That was sad.
Nowadays, I'd recommend something heavy and scoped in the rifle department. Since the ubiquitous RPG's have the capability of making mincemeat out of a yacht within range, one might want to counter them at long distance.
As far as the paperwork goes, it varies from place to place ... but "Don't ask ... Don't Tell" seemed to work in many places, and wasn't onerous in others.
It’s extremely unusual on the ocean for it to be calm enough to use a scope, unless it’s maybe under 3 power. You cannot get a steady rest, such a thing does not exist on a boat on the ocean, so you must fire off-hand, from a sitting position usually. With a scope of 4X or more, you will not be able to hold a target.
Actually, the best way (in daytime) to aim is to spot your splashes. Even500+ yards out, you see your splashes easily unless it’s really rough out, and then you don’t need to worry about pirates in speedboats.
A semi-auto with lots of bullets is the ticket, in either 5.56 or 7.62. The idea is to just put a ton of splashes in the water around the pirates to help them remember an urgent appointment elsewhere. They are not Marines storming Tarawa, and have no interest in testing your accuracy with their chests.
If you hit them great, but the idea is to deter them at long range. If you are taken by surprise and you find them upon you at close distance, typically right up your stern, then again a semi is useful. Or a shotgun.
BTW, a S.S. Ruger Mini 14 was one of the guns now on the sea bottom off of Hualtuco Mexico.
Publication pingo-rama!!~
The one-humper would be properly called a "sloop-camel." The double-humper is either a "ketch," or if the mizzen-hump is stepped abaft the camel's rudder post, a "yawl."
Just FYI, in Arabic, "Barack Obamba" means "Hard-a-Port!"
Saw a chromed Moss500 at Dick’s yesterday. $249 IIRC.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.