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**Piracy Incident: April 5, 2004**

(Thom Stewart) wrote in message ...
"A for what's it worth" story.

I worked with a fellow who kept his shrimp boat in Hondurous.

While shrimping he was approched by a fishing vessel without nets or
doors, him and his deck hand both shot in front of the vessel as it
approched. The boat did not change course so he blew out the
wheelhouse windows and his deckhand took aim at the guy squatting
behind the bullworks. He thinks he took out the helmsman and the
vessel retreated. He knew pirates were in the area, and required his
deckhands to be able to shot cork net floats at a hundred + yards as
the shrimped. They practiced all the time. He carried a several
surplus garrands and a einfield. He also kept his empty rum bottle to
make maltaulf coctails incase a vessel got to close.

he knew that they would take his boat and use it as a raider, thats
were they get most of the boats they used. And if they take your boat
they will kill you to keep anyone from knowing. He was a tough ol
coonass and had no hesitation at all. He was always at sea, he would
come to La and run a supply boats 30 day then back south 30 day on his
off time and run his shrimp boat.

If you carry guns on your boat you better be willing to use them and
know how to use them properly. As the person you meet found out.

Joe

I was talking to a blue water sailor, years ago, When I still lived back
East. I was talking about sailing my own vessel thru the "Canal"

He said, " When you leave US Territorial Water make sure you are sailing
in a group if possible. He was sailing across the Gulf Of Mexico, with
his family, sailing alone, when he was overtaken by Pirates. They too,
were in a fishing boat. They had weapons aboard but he elected to not
use them. He told his wife to go below and hide the guns below and
behind the fresh water tank.

She went below but instead of hiding the weapons, she popped up the
forward hatch with her Beretta and took aim on the Pirate ship.

She never got a shot off. She was killed with a single shot. They said
they were zeroed in on the cockpit and hatches.

They striped his vessel pretty much as describe in the article, offering
apologies about his wife. Along with the Electronic and selection from
the freezer were his guns.

It was after that story I made the decision not to have guns or a
freezer on my boat. I've keep to it thru four boats.

By the way, I've never made it thru the "Canal"

Ole Thom