Poverty stirs turbulence in Asian waters
Pirate attacks and armed robbery on the high seas have tripled in the
past decade, particularly in Asian waters and the Pacific region, the
International Maritime Bureau of the International Chamber of Commerce
says.
http://www.washtimes.com/world/20031...0455-1357r.htm

"New article: High seas terrorism alert in piracy report" is located
at http://www.iccwbo.org/home/news_arch...eport_2002.asp
The 2002 Annual report can be ordered at
http://www.iccwbo.org/ccs/news_archi..._order2002.asp

Mike wrote:

Pirate attacks and armed robbery on the high seas have tripled ....

What puzzles me about yacht attacks is that most victims carry no means
of defense. They are hardly cowardly or they wouldn't be at sea and most
do as best they can when attacked. Nor are they stupid. Most have safety
gear aboard. Nor are the attacks unforseen. Many are on yachts who's
owners had the foresight to be sailing in a group for mutual protection.
Yet none have any means to protect themselves, let alone anybody else.
In one instance the man had time to crawl out the foreward hatch, lock
the main hatch, then jump back down and dog the fwd hatch; all while 4
(IIRC) pirates boarded. In another, a group of yachts was pursued for
hours as the range closed from 200 meters to almost nothing before a
merchantman scared the pirates away. Both offered plenty of opportunity
to engage the pirates had weapons been aboard, but they were not.

At the same time a friend returning from Iraq described being shot with
an AK-47 7 times at point blank range. It broke several ribs but his new
state-of-the-art flak vest stopped the bullets allowing him to kill his
attacker.

So, I really cannot understand why so many yachts are *knowingly* sailed
into harm's way without a rifle or shotgun plus a good vest aboard. Is
there some odd moral stigma attached to shooting pirates or some
unnatural fear of weapons involved here???

A cruising boat will visit many different countries with as many differing
laws regarding firearms onboard. Therefore, it has long been recommended
that the boat sail without any (declared) firearms.

If a boat sails with firearms and declares them at each port of entry, they
will most likely be required to surrender them until they are clears to
depart. In that part of the world (I lived there for 8 yrs), there is little
likelyhood that the officials will actually return you firearms. There is
also the risk of being charge with importation of firearms even if you do
delare them.

Then there is the high probability that you will be attacked by pirates
while while sailing in that countries waters and your protection is
impounded.

I'm myself, might carry a concealed weapon, rather than risk declaring it to
entry officals. Just take my chances and have a couple hundred bucks ready
to bribe the one who catches you with it.


--
My opinion and experience. FWIW

Steve
s/v Good Intentions

Vito ) wrote:

: So, I really cannot understand why so many yachts are *knowingly* sailed
: into harm's way without a rifle or shotgun plus a good vest aboard. Is
: there some odd moral stigma attached to shooting pirates or some
: unnatural fear of weapons involved here???

Probably because most customs agents in many foriegn countries take a very
dim view of weapons aboard private yachts.

--
Jim Hollenback

my opinion.

On 10 Oct 2003 13:37:01 -0600,
Jim Hollenback wrote:
Vito ) wrote:

: So, I really cannot understand why so many yachts are *knowingly* sailed
: into harm's way without a rifle or shotgun plus a good vest aboard. Is
: there some odd moral stigma attached to shooting pirates or some
: unnatural fear of weapons involved here???

Probably because most customs agents in many foriegn countries take a very
dim view of weapons aboard private yachts.


The state doesn't like others, stepping around it's mandated monopoly on
force.

When the sheep grow teeth and claws, then the sheepdog becomes
unemployed.

--
Jim Richardson http://www.eskimo.com/~warlock
"The dinosaurs became extinct because they didn't have a space program"
-- Larry Niven