Legality of a Paintball Marker (Gun)

[gdanza]

Well, in California, you can be charged with Assault with Force Likely to Produce Great Bodily Injury, as the ability to produce the injury from the action is the element of the offense, rather than the result of the assault. California also has laws against booby-traps, which I believe would include dragging a line to fowl someone's vessel. The nature of calling "the authorities" usually implies the person who calls the cops is the victim; meaning, the person who nearly rams your boat and causes you to take a shot at his broad sides is the victim if he calls the cops, and you go to the Iron Curtain Hotel for the night, plus put your self at risk of major fiscal liability when the jerk calls (or is) an attorney.... As stated, a picture is worth a bilzillon words, and no one can out run a radio...
BTW, if a person uses a vehicle (in California) as a weapon, they lose their driver license for life. Don't know if this applies for vessels, but it might.

 

[Rxman47]

Brandishing a paint ball gun

Things to consider.
The rules of engagement for deadly force include the following.
This is not an exact quote but close enough.
"If one believes his life or those in his immediate vicinity are in imminent danger, he may use deadly force to neutralize that threat".
In the situation where 2 boats are meeting or passing, one may only have seconds to determine if a weapon is real or not. Add to that, you are trying to maintain control of the boat, keep all on board save, etc., this can be a recipe for tragedy. IMHO
Never, ever point even a paint ball gun at someone or something you don't intend to shoot because you have no way of knowing how they are going to respond!!!!!

I sail like the rest of you, and put up with these inconsiderate people, but be safe only shoot with a camera.

 

[Bill Roosa]

variation on Ross's idea

The jerk passes you at 30 knots
you call him on the radio by name and complement him on how great his boat is and how well he handles it when it is going so fast.
Strike up a conversation and get his home port and slip.
Then dive under the boat and hang some anchor chain off his prop.

Course my luck is it will be the boat owner's brother-in-law at the helm when they passed me and I messed up a nice guys boat.

 

[Sanjuan26]

In Virginia there is a law against "firing a projectile at a moving vehicle". This may include boats but it carries jail time and has been applied to people throwing things from one car to another in an act of road rage. What may start out as harmless "fun" could end up in the courts. We have a legal system in this country not a justice system.