If someone can come up with a single incident this century on Canadian, US, or Bahamian waters wherein a cruising couple was in a situation where a handgun might have helped, I am all ears. I've searched, and I have put this challenge out on other forums and no one has come up with an answer. I like guns, grew up with them, know how to use them, but have never felt any need whatsoever to have one on board, nor in our thousands of miles of cruising have ever met someone who ever been in a situation that merited one. They introduce more danger than they mitigate by a very large multiple. I always ask guys that carry on their boat if they wear their pfd 24/7 and a helmet; after all the chances that those will save you and yours from injury or death are more than a millionfold vs a gun. I also like to cite Woody Hayes (or was it Darryl Royal?) when he was asked why he didn't pass the football very much: "there's three things that can happen, and two of them are bad" , which I certainly feel is the case when one draws a loaded weapon on a boat. Situation is only made infinitely worse when the wielder lacks up to date LEO-level "combat" training, not to mention has been sleeping and/or drinking alcohol. George Hatteras 56MY

Can't give you examples of incidents recently but I can for 70's, 80's, and 90's. In the mid 70's my girl friends neighbors set sail for Cancun, Mexico. Their boat was found about 20 miles offshore. The radios had been striped and they were no where to be found. To this day they have not been found. Around 1985 friends of mine were making an overnight passage from Key West back to Tampa when they were approached by a small speed boat with three men on board and no running lights displayed. Not wanting to take any chances, the captain stood on deck with a shotgun in hand. As the boat pulled along side they saw the shotgun and immediately speed off. Were they about to be boarded? Can't say for sure. No words were ever exchanged. In the spring of 1992 I was docked in Nassau with three other boats we were cruising with. Around 1:30am the boat next to us was boarded by a Bahamian that was stripping the radios from the bridge deck when approached by the captain with a handgun in hand. The man immediately took a dive off the bridge, without the radios. This marina has locked gates and overnight security. That same spring about a month earlier an older couple took their dingy for a ride just east of Nassau harbor. There was a young Bahamian thrashing around in the water claiming he was drowning. They proceeded to pull him into the dingy at which time he attached them. While the husband was fighting him off the wife picked up the dingy anchor and clobbered him from behind, knocking him back overboard at which point he did drown. No charges were ever filed against the couple. There are many other situations out there but these were incidents I have personal knowledge of. To me leaving the dock without a gun on board is the same as going offshore without a life preserver. Jim 48 Hatteras LRC On Fri, Mar 15, 2013 at 7:34 AM, George Hechtman <ghechtman@aol.com> wrote: > If someone can come up with a single incident this century on Canadian, > US, or Bahamian waters wherein a cruising couple was in a situation where a > handgun might have helped, I am all ears. I've searched, and I have put > this challenge out on other forums and no one has come up with an answer. I > like guns, grew up with them, know how to use them, but have never felt any > need whatsoever to have one on board, nor in our thousands of miles of > cruising have ever met someone who ever been in a situation that merited > one. They introduce more danger than they mitigate by a very large > multiple. I always ask guys that carry on their boat if they wear their pfd > 24/7 and a helmet; after all the chances that those will save you and yours > from injury or death are more than a millionfold vs a gun. I also like to > cite Woody Hayes (or was it Darryl Royal?) when he was asked why he didn't > pass the football very much: "there's three things that can happen, and two > of them are bad" , which I certainly feel is the case when one draws a > loaded weapon on a boat. Situation is only made infinitely worse when the > wielder lacks up to date LEO-level "combat" training, not to mention has > been sleeping and/or drinking alcohol. > > George > Hatteras 56MY > _______________________________________________ > > http://lists.trawlering.com/mailman/listinfo/great-loop_lists.trawlering.com > > To modify your Great-Loop subscription options (change email address, > unsubscribe, etc.) go to: > http://lists.trawlering.com/mailman/options/great-loop_lists.trawlering.com >

In regards to the original question about guns on board, my answer is I carry a gun aboard, always have and always will. I understand guns and gun safety, I shoot often, have since my teenage years. I have a permit and am comfortably within the law and understand the consequences of gun usage . I have completed the loop without going to Canada, if I were to go to Canada, I would not carry a gun aboard- that is the law. We have gone to the Bahamas several times, we comply with the law and declare the gun and the ammunition- no problem. If I were to go the Mexico, I would not carry a gun aboard, however, I have no intention of ever taking the boat to Mexico. I have been stopped and boarded several times by the Coast Guard, the TSA and local law enforcement. I always tell them I have a gun and where it is. They have a procedure they follow and I comply. I asked the TSA crew member that last stopped me "how many boats do you board have guns"? "A fair number" was the reply. "Would you carry a gun if you were long distance cruising on a boat with your family?" I asked, "unofficially?" he asked, "you bet" he replied. We were stopped on the Hudson River by a joint Coast Guard and New York State boat, same process, same results. The original question was asked, my answer and experience is above. Asked and answered. This is an emotional issue to some and I understand and respect that position, however, I will not respond to a cross examination. You will not change my mind and I will not change yours. Robert -----Original Message----- From: Jim Roberts <jimroberts747@gmail.com> To: George Hechtman <ghechtman@aol.com> Cc: great-loop <great-loop@lists.trawlering.com> Sent: Fri, Mar 15, 2013 11:50 am Subject: Re: GL: Opinions on safety Can't give you examples of incidents recently but I can for 70's, 80's, and 90's. In the mid 70's my girl friends neighbors set sail for Cancun, Mexico. Their boat was found about 20 miles offshore. The radios had been striped and they were no where to be found. To this day they have not been found. Around 1985 friends of mine were making an overnight passage from Key West back to Tampa when they were approached by a small speed boat with three men on board and no running lights displayed. Not wanting to take any chances, the captain stood on deck with a shotgun in hand. As the boat pulled along side they saw the shotgun and immediately speed off. Were they about to be boarded? Can't say for sure. No words were ever exchanged. In the spring of 1992 I was docked in Nassau with three other boats we were cruising with. Around 1:30am the boat next to us was boarded by a Bahamian that was stripping the radios from the bridge deck when approached by the captain with a handgun in hand. The man immediately took a dive off the bridge, without the radios. This marina has locked gates and overnight security. That same spring about a month earlier an older couple took their dingy for a ride just east of Nassau harbor. There was a young Bahamian thrashing around in the water claiming he was drowning. They proceeded to pull him into the dingy at which time he attached them. While the husband was fighting him off the wife picked up the dingy anchor and clobbered him from behind, knocking him back overboard at which point he did drown. No charges were ever filed against the couple. There are many other situations out there but these were incidents I have personal knowledge of. To me leaving the dock without a gun on board is the same as going offshore without a life preserver. Jim 48 Hatteras LRC On Fri, Mar 15, 2013 at 7:34 AM, George Hechtman <ghechtman@aol.com> wrote: > If someone can come up with a single incident this century on Canadian, > US, or Bahamian waters wherein a cruising couple was in a situation where a > handgun might have helped, I am all ears. I've searched, and I have put > this challenge out on other forums and no one has come up with an answer. I > like guns, grew up with them, know how to use them, but have never felt any > need whatsoever to have one on board, nor in our thousands of miles of > cruising have ever met someone who ever been in a situation that merited > one. They introduce more danger than they mitigate by a very large > multiple. I always ask guys that carry on their boat if they wear their pfd > 24/7 and a helmet; after all the chances that those will save you and yours > from injury or death are more than a millionfold vs a gun. I also like to > cite Woody Hayes (or was it Darryl Royal?) when he was asked why he didn't > pass the football very much: "there's three things that can happen, and two > of them are bad" , which I certainly feel is the case when one draws a > loaded weapon on a boat. Situation is only made infinitely worse when the > wielder lacks up to date LEO-level "combat" training, not to mention has > been sleeping and/or drinking alcohol. > > George > Hatteras 56MY > _______________________________________________ > > http://lists.trawlering.com/mailman/listinfo/great-loop_lists.trawlering.com > > To modify your Great-Loop subscription options (change email address, > unsubscribe, etc.) go to: > http://lists.trawlering.com/mailman/options/great-loop_lists.trawlering.com > _______________________________________________ http://lists.trawlering.com/mailman/listinfo/great-loop_lists.trawlering.com To modify your Great-Loop subscription options (change email address, unsubscribe, etc.) go to: http://lists.trawlering.com/mailman/options/great-loop_lists.trawlering.com