On 23 Jun 2005 08:20:51 -0700, "twoguns"
wrote:
Since we don't want to have an
international incident what procedures are best in a situation like
this?

To obey the laws regarding firearms in the waters of the countries in
which you sail.


I have suggested we build a couple of watertight capsules for the
weapons and ammunition. With GPS and the appropriate eqipment we could
drop them overboard when entering restricted areas and then retrieve
them later.

How this is different from a drug smuggler off-loading bales of drugs
into the sea for "later retrieval" is beyond me. Your hobbies of
sailing and shooting may be incompatible in certain parts of the
world. You'll have to ask country by country. Most places require you
surrender all firearms and all ammo upon first contacting the
authorities/practique/zarpe/what have you. Other places require the
firearms to be locked the entire time aboard. Americans, in
particular, some of whom don't "get it" on how most of the world views
guns on boats, can and will have their vessels seized for violations
of these sort of laws in many places.

Are there any better but legal options that could be
followed?

Almost anything is better than your idea, which may seem clever to
you, but is the equivalent of filling a tank on board with undeclared
rum, or bringing drugs into a country.

Speaking of which, you must carry a "drugs manifest" in many
countries. Some over-the-counter drugs in North America are illegal to
possess without a prescription in some countries, and others are
illegal to possess in the kind of quantities a long-term cruiser might
have on board.

Like bringing foreign fruit in some places, or rabbits to Australia or
uncertified pets to New Zealand, many officials will confiscate or
destroy such items on the spot with no debate.

It's no different from the U.S. banning Canadian beef on suspicion of
BSE, or jailing people with legal medical marijuana outside of their
home jurisdiction. Your country reserves the right to seize my vessel
if Cuban rum is found aboard (perfectly legal to me) or if it is even
suspected I will be travelling to Cuba, without touching a U.S. port.

This is similar.

R.