Joe Bleau wrote:
On Fri, 18 Feb 2005 00:49:26 GMT, Dan Best
wrote:


You know, it's funny. This question comes up all the time on the net,
but rarely, if ever, out here where people are actually doing it (we are
about to leave La Paz for points south). I can't remember the last time
the guns topic came up while talking with other cruisers. The sense I
get is that very few are actually carrying guns.
- Dan




YOu know, Dan, if they are smart enough to be prepared to defend
themselves they are probably smart enough to not be broadcasting the
fact. And since you are noncommittal on your stance I can only
conclude that you would not be lending a sympathetic ear. People are
not as dumb as the nanny-state thinks they are.

Joe

As a matter of fact Joe, as a former Army Ranger (B-2/75) , I have
absolutely no moral objection to the possession of firearms or the use
of deadly force in defending onesself or ones family. The obvious
caveat here is that mistakes and accidents happen. And if you make a
mistake with deadly force, the consequences are well, deadly. In the
service, they call this by the wonderful name, "friendly fire" (a good
friend of mine killed some people in a friendly fire incident - it
wasn't pretty). As long as the gun owner recognizes it, accepts it and
is capable of dealing with it responsibly, I have no problem with guns
in the home, on the boat or concealed carry.

I have chosen not to have firearms on my boat, but this is a personal
decision I made after considering all of the factors.

I was intentionally noncommittal earlier and there may indeed be guns
aboard a fair percentage of the boats out here as some have suggested,
but my comment stands. While this is a hot topic of conversation here
and elsewhere on the net, the subject just never seems to come up out
here among cruisers.

Fair winds - Dan Best

p.s.
It's probably a good thing I don't have a gun on board. We finally got
out of La Paz 2 days ago heading for the mainland and points south, but
returned this afternoon with a leaking fresh water pump on my
semi-trusty Perkins. There is an old Bill Maudlin cartoon from WW2 that
kept running through my mind today as I refilled my fresh water
reservoir every 10 minutes on our run back here, It has one of the guys
putting a broken down jeep out of it's misery with his .45 (my personal
all time favorite close in weapon) grin.

On Thu, 17 Feb 2005 11:38:03 -0500, Spam Fighter
wrote:

Hi,

We are working on a Power Squadron study of the "cruising lifestyle". We
need estimates of the absolute number and percentages of cruising boats
carrying weapons. That is firearms, not flare pistols, starter pistols,
sling shots or spear guns.

We are not interested in the debate of whether or not to carry weapons,
or why cruisers carry.

We wish to estimate the numbers that have chosen to and actually possess
and carry while cruising, what they carry and where they go.

We would like to break it down by:

A - TYPE
1. hand gun
2. shot gun
3. rifle
4. line-throwing gun (safety equipment)
5. assault
6. cruiser grip, short barrel, large bore, home security weapons
7. other

B - MARINIZED (special finish, stainless steel)
1. yes
2. no

B - QUANTITY + CALIBER OF EACH WEAPON

C - TYPE AND AMOUNT OF AMMUNITION CARRIED (mushroom, hollow point, slug,
buck shot)

D - HOW STORED

E - CRUISING GROUNDS
1. America
2. Bahamas
3. Mexico
4. Canada
5. Central America
6. South America
7. Pacific Countries
8. Australia
9. Indian Ocean
10. Africa
11. Northern Europe
12. Mediterranean

Is anyone aware of any similar studies?

Any thoughts on how to collect this data?

We suspect the numbers are very low but have been asked to find some data
to support this conclusion.

Thanks.

Bob


You ARE joking? Right?

Spam Fighter wrote:

Hi,

We are working on a Power Squadron study of the "cruising lifestyle". We
need estimates of the absolute number and percentages of cruising boats
carrying weapons. That is firearms, not flare pistols, starter pistols,
sling shots or spear guns.

Dunno about you, but if someone points a flare pistol at me, they have
my _undivided_ attention.

regards,
CrazyCam

What about 12 ga flare pistols fitted with a metal insert for .410 ga
shotgun shells?


"manson" wrote in message
...
Spam Fighter wrote:

Hi,

We are working on a Power Squadron study of the "cruising lifestyle".
We
need estimates of the absolute number and percentages of cruising boats
carrying weapons. That is firearms, not flare pistols, starter pistols,
sling shots or spear guns.

Dunno about you, but if someone points a flare pistol at me, they have
my _undivided_ attention.

regards,
CrazyCam




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On Fri, 18 Feb 2005 21:03:54 -0500, "Rich Schultz"
wrote:

What about 12 ga flare pistols fitted with a metal insert for .410 ga
shotgun shells?

Why bother with .410? 12ga. minishells are much better. they are
available in buckshot and slugs
Weebles Wobble
(but they don't fall down)

I was following the controversy about carrying guns in airline
cockpits for a while and some interesting things came up.

My own personal experience working in a hospital emergency room
confirmed some stuff that came from law enforcement sources that guns
are not actually a very good way to stop someone quickly. If you are
an expert shot, maybe, but the average nervous scared person probably
won't so much good if they actually pull the trigger. The law
enforcement source said the rule of thumb is that, once someone is
inside (I think) a 30 foot radius, the holes you are likely to make
will not slow the attacker down enough to prevent them from hurting or
killing you.

When I worked in the emergency room, we had someone come in saying
that he wasn't feeling quite right. The checked him out and could
find nothing wrong. He went out to call a cab and dropped dead. Then
they found the hole.

Guns may be good for keeping people off your boat and that probably
requires something big and intimidating like a shotgun. Once they are
aboard they may be too close.

Stun guns OTH, according to what I was reading about aircraft, stop
attackers instantly. They might be a better choice for a boat.

A female friend of mine used to drive alone through very bad areas of
New York years ago. Her boyfriend gave her a small gun and what I
think was good advice. Don't let an attacker see it or threaten him
with it. If you need to use it, keep it concealed in your hand and
make sure the muzzle is touching his skull when you pull the trigger.

Me, I think I would just keep a very large box of flares and say I was
worried about sinking.

--

Roger Long

I am dubious of your reasons for your so-called Power Squadron survey
so I'm not going to tell you anything about the type of guns I have
aboard and where aboard I keep them.

I took my boat to the Med a few years ago and I took my guns with me.
In each port I declared them and showed the customs officers (when
they bothered to come aboard) where I keep them under lock and key.

I got nothing but a positive response from the French and Spanish. I
only visited those two countries. This was before 9/11 but even then
I had no desire to expose my boat and family to the uncertainties of
Muslim justice.

I suppose that I you are paranoid or you feel that you are doing
something wrong in protecting your family by arming yourself for self
defense then the authorities will sense this. I was straightforward,
not apologetic nor obsequious and I had no problems and everyone slept
a lot better knowing that we were prepared to defend ourselves.

Flame away whimpy gun grabbers!

Joe

Does anyone remember Joshua Slocum's solution. Savages (pardon, I
meant "indiginous people"} were out to do him harm while he was trying
to get through the Straits of Magellan.

He spread tacks around his deck. When, in the middle of the night the
"indiginous people" boarded they began to jump up and down screaming
as the tacks sank into their bare feet.

Slocum then calmly arose from his slumber, grabbed his trusty shotgun
and thrust it through the companionway. He let go a couple of blasts
into the air. The "indiginous people" did not venture back and ole
Josh completed his round-the-world voyage, the first to do so.

Of course there were a lot fewer pansy whimps around in those days to
concern themselves about the "dangers" of guns, viz Jeff Morris.

Joe

Spam Fighter wrote:
Hi,

We are working on a Power Squadron study of the "cruising lifestyle".
We
need estimates of the absolute number and percentages of cruising
boats
carrying weapons. That is firearms, not flare pistols, starter
pistols,
sling shots or spear guns.

We are not interested in the debate of whether or not to carry
weapons,
or why cruisers carry.

We wish to estimate the numbers that have chosen to and actually
possess
and carry while cruising, what they carry and where they go.

We would like to break it down by:

A - TYPE
1. hand gun
2. shot gun
3. rifle
4. line-throwing gun (safety equipment)
5. assault
6. cruiser grip, short barrel, large bore, home security weapons
7. other

B - MARINIZED (special finish, stainless steel)
1. yes
2. no

B - QUANTITY + CALIBER OF EACH WEAPON

C - TYPE AND AMOUNT OF AMMUNITION CARRIED (mushroom, hollow point,
slug,
buck shot)

D - HOW STORED

E - CRUISING GROUNDS
1. America
2. Bahamas
3. Mexico
4. Canada
5. Central America
6. South America
7. Pacific Countries
8. Australia
9. Indian Ocean
10. Africa
11. Northern Europe
12. Mediterranean

Is anyone aware of any similar studies?

Any thoughts on how to collect this data?

We suspect the numbers are very low but have been asked to find some
data
to support this conclusion.

Thanks.

Bob

Spam Fighter wrote:
Hi,

We are working on a Power Squadron study of the "cruising lifestyle".
We
need estimates of the absolute number and percentages of cruising
boats
carrying weapons. That is firearms, not flare pistols, starter
pistols,
sling shots or spear guns.

We are not interested in the debate of whether or not to carry
weapons,
or why cruisers carry.

We wish to estimate the numbers that have chosen to and actually
possess
and carry while cruising, what they carry and where they go.

We would like to break it down by:

A - TYPE
1. hand gun
2. shot gun
3. rifle
4. line-throwing gun (safety equipment)
5. assault
6. cruiser grip, short barrel, large bore, home security weapons
7. other

B - MARINIZED (special finish, stainless steel)
1. yes
2. no

B - QUANTITY + CALIBER OF EACH WEAPON

C - TYPE AND AMOUNT OF AMMUNITION CARRIED (mushroom, hollow point,
slug,
buck shot)

D - HOW STORED

E - CRUISING GROUNDS
1. America
2. Bahamas
3. Mexico
4. Canada
5. Central America
6. South America
7. Pacific Countries
8. Australia
9. Indian Ocean
10. Africa
11. Northern Europe
12. Mediterranean

Is anyone aware of any similar studies?

Any thoughts on how to collect this data?

We suspect the numbers are very low but have been asked to find some
data
to support this conclusion.

Thanks.

Bob


Dear Bob, We have no guns on board. We sailed our 42 foot ketch to
France last June and my breath was my only weapon. While on this side
of the Atlantic we keep the boat in Tortola BVIs. Hope this was
helpful.
Vincent LoRusso