I wanted to respond to Milt's story about Mass Gun Laws, as I lurk here as we approach a change from sail to power crusing. I work in Law Enforcement in Mass and have for the last 26 years.
Massachusetts does not register guns, now or ever. When you buy a gun THE PERSON must have a valid permit to possess a pistol. The person gets registered. That's why the Captain would get in trouble, it's that HE isn't registered to possess a pistol in Mass. If the owner has a pistol and is properly permitted, but not aboard, the gun can't be aboard either. This includes ammo, mace and other items YOU must be permitted to buy and possess. The law makes the person accountable since the gun in and of itself can't jurt anyone, the state wants the possessor to be known, have passed criminal background checks, and passed a shooting proficiency course. That's not to say that the law doesn't still have problems, but I just wanted to clear up the factual case of why the Captain would get in trouble, he not being permitted to carry is the problem. If he's not permitted the gun can't be present. Law requires a 1 year minimum manditory prison sentence to attack gang violence, but it's rarely if ever enforced especially in circumstances as Milt explained in his story.
Hope that helps.
Bob Knott

The thread reminds me of a megayacht captain who told me the story of
having his yacht boarded and searched off Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts
one summer a few years ago. The inspecting officers said it was simply a
"compliance check", and the very professional captain told me that he had
been doing nothing wrong at the time the yacht was stopped; he suspected
the marine patrol officer just wanted to see the boat. A weapon, which
belonged to the yacht's owner (who was not onboard) was found in the
ensuing search, and the captain was issued a citation for having an
unlicensed weapon in Massachusetts. The weapon was licensed in Florida,
the boat's home port, and the paperwork for that was onboard, but the
marine patrol pointed out that the boat and the weapon were not in Florida
at the time; the officer pointed out that they were in Massachusetts, and
Massachusetts law requires a weapon anywhere in the state to be
licensed. The captain had to engage an attorney and make several
inconvenient trips to Massachusetts before the matter was settled. If I
remember correctly, he went to court and received a small fine. The entire
incident was disruptive and cost the yacht's owner several thousand dollars
for the attorney, travel, and the inevitable fine. All this taught me that
if one is going to carry weapons, licensed or not, it makes good sense to
have a good and secure hiding place as Bob Austin suggests.

Full disclosure: I have nothing to do with the firearms world or Taser
International.

--Milt Baker