Dennis,
Be very careful accepting advise from those that do not experience
international sailing. Their advise is not worth the bit space it arrived
on. Piracy today is actually a bigger problem than it has been at any time
in history. There have been numerous articles written in the press about
this problem for more than 20 years. In fact, there are very few safe
cruising areas worldwide. The causes of the problem are numerous, but drug
running is probably the most common with abject poverty being a close
second. There are some undisputable facts like, if you encounter a problem,
there will be no assistance. You cannot just dial 911. There is nobody home.
You are on your own. You should carry multple levels of defence, like common
sense, water cannons, mace and lastly firearms. All of those have zero value
without adequate training and ongoing practise. That said, guns are like
trucks and umbrellas, when you need one, you never need a little one. If you
have something and do not need it, you can throw it away. If however, one is
required and you don't have one, use your imagination. Please remember your
enemy for firearms is not the person, it is his engine. Never allow
strangers on board. Practise do diligence. Always maintain a deck watch. On
a practical note, when carrying firearms and you are entering a foreign
country always follow maritime rules. Do not initially find dock space. Drop
your hook, go ashore in your dingy and inprocess. Fly the correct flags.
Always declare your weapons and follow the advise of the authorities. Crimes
are punishable. Following the law is not a crime. You might lose your guns,
but not your freedom.
Steve

"twoguns" wrote in message
oups.com...
I have never been out of the U.S. coastal waters on a boat yet. Several
of my friends and I are planning an extensive world cruise in two
years. All of us have had extensive training in the use of firearms of
all types and we all enjoy shooting sports as a hobby. We all like
trapshooting so we will have at least 6 shotguns plus a few thousand
rounds. Add in personal weapons and there will be an extensive arsenal
on board. I know some countries absolutely prohibit personal firearms
so we will have to take precautions in certain waters. Mexico is one of
the most prohibitive I understand. Since we don't want to have an
international incident what procedures are best in a situation like
this? 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. Are there any better but legal options that could be
followed?
TIA,
Dennis