part 2 Flares--One of the last things I want is a burning flare in my boat. I might be tempted to fire a 25 mm flare at a Panga which appeared to be attacking us--more on that later. A 12 mm flare has very low energy, since it is only primer fired--no gunpowder like a shotgun shell. The hot part is at the back of the flare. The flare energy will basically bounce off clothing or 1/4" plywood. Yes, the burn can be a problem--and that is why I see no reason for 12 mm flare to be weapon. Incidents we have been involved with: 1962, San Diego, my boat was boarded at 2 AM. I racked a shell into the chamber of my 12 gauge Mossberg shotgun, and held a flashlight offset from my position in the V Berth--yelling, "get the he.. off my boat"--the intruders departed very rapidly. 1974, a dinghy was stolen which was tied off my stern at Catalina Island. From then on I used a 3/16 SS cable, with vinyl cover, at least 16 feet long, secured to an eye bolt, thru the transom, with its head peened over. That cable went thru the dinghy motor handle, the bow tow ring on the inflatable and padlocked to the solid cleat of the larger boat. 1979. Santa Cruise Island--watched thru port holes, the transfer of a large shipment of Heroin from an offshore vessel to two small trailerable sailboats, which promptly left. The crew of the offshore boat was loaded on some drugs, but we didn't let our guard down. We stayed below decks--guns at the ready and took turns sleeping at night. Did not notify CG because of danger of the larger vessel hearing us. The next AM we left, the harbor, and once safely away, called the CG with a description. 1982, our 62 foot sailboat was ready to leave on a 4 year voyage. Two guys came by and asked me a number of questions--range, speed etc--I played dumb and told them I was just the painter. I notified my live-aboard neighbor. At 2 AM that night I got a call from the neighbor that he had just chased off with a shotgun the two guys I had seen earlier attempting to break into my boat. About an hour later they stole a 55 footer one gangway down. The boat was found in Mexico, trashed, a month later. Dec 1982 about 50 miles south of Calif. Mexican boarder, A steel Mexican fishing boat attempted to ram us. I used an old racing tactic, and got on the fishing boat's stern--had enough power that I could go as fast as he could following his each move. The name of our boat was Locura--I am sure that the Mexicans decided that they didn't want to deal with a crazy American, and they peeled off--shadowed us for a few hours and then left the areas. (A friend subsiquently was ramed, and the Mexicans had the boat seized, and extorted about $10,000 to get the boat back. This was a trick I had heard of and was prepared to deal with) When we were sailing off the coast of Central America and Mexico, a number of times we were approached by "suspicious" pangas. We treated each one with caution. Some had large tarps over the center of the boat and were as far as 50 miles at sea. In each time, the fisherman only wanted water, coffee or sugar etc. Again--offensive weapons were ready, but never needed. Just North of the Columbian border in the San Blas Islands, There was a Columbian flagged sailboat, with an American crew. They were suspicious, and their dinghy (a 13 foot Boston Whaler) came along side--they wanted to use our SSB radio to contact "their attorney in Miami". I said the radio was broken. Then they offered us a bag of Cocaine exchange for 10 lbs of ice. Again, I said we didn't have enough ice but for our own use. Later in the day they were so loaded on drugs that they didn't seem a threat--but we still stood watch with firearms at the ready thru the night. We could not leave because we needed the light to be right to see the coral heads. The next AM I notified friends of mine who were in law enforcement in Panama with the boat's name and description. These were some very bad actors, who were wanted for murder and piracy. We left as soon as we could--and by the time the Panama patrol boat arrived, the bad guys had slipped away.