Sad day in St Lucia

[Anonymous 121765]

ELMAX,

Luck has nothing to do with it man. Life is nothing more than RANDOM CHAOS.
there's NO DESIGN, no FATE, THERE IS NO LUCK. It's only random interactions with the good, the bad & the ugly. Sadly, you never know when the monster will rear it's ugly head.
That's why you NEED to be PREPARED ALWAYS.

My 3 occurrences I believe would have turned out bad for me. And, I kind of like myself.
So, if your keeping score, who would you want to be, the good, the bad, or the ugly???

CR

 

[JonnyQuest]

I'm going to chime in on this one too. Be careful thinking you can talk your way out of any situation or even see it coming in advance. Too many times the victim will not perceive in time that the situation is about to go from merely an uncomfortable situation to too late to react.

--Point is bad guys have the jump on you. They have experience doing what they do, they have practised it (literally), they have rehearsed it mentally just before the event you find yourself in, and they are prepared to end any resistance from you as quickly as possible--frequently whith speedy, overwhelming violence. This is NOT the way good guys think, and don't be mistaken in thinking that they think even remotely think the way we good guys do.

However you decide to be better prepared for such situations, please rememebr that bad guys do not think the same way we good guys do.

Sad discussion to be sure. On to more pleasant thoughts.

 

[kito]

I have a concealed permit and pretty much carry most of the time. I find it insane for anyone sailing, camping etc. to put their loved ones in danger thinking they can "talk" their way out of a bad situation. I have been in a couple situations were bad things didn't happen just by letting the bad guys know I was armed. That's better than handing over your possessions and maybe getting beaten, raped or murdered.

 

[justsomeguy]

I have a concealed permit and pretty much carry most of the time. I find it insane for anyone sailing, camping etc. to put their loved ones in danger thinking they can "talk" their way out of a bad situation. I have been in a couple situations were bad things didn't happen just by letting the bad guys know I was armed. That's better than handing over your possessions and maybe getting beaten, raped or murdered.

Do you CC in St. Lucia?

 

[kito]

Do you CC in St. Lucia?

Never been there.

 

[justsomeguy]

Here in AZ, open or concealed, you're good to go. One of its few redeeming qualities.

I prefer concealed, as it keeps the timid at ease.

 

[kito]

Same here in NC. Open carry can make some people feel uneasy though

 

[bugaloo]

Kito, I fully agree with you ......... I still can see the point of others though------I have seen some in my past travels around this world that would be a danger to themselves and their loved one's if they had a fire arm of any kind. They seem to have missed training in their youth and are really scared of a firearm so they tend to be against them, My father was a Federal game warden and he taught me and my two older brothers and I in turn passed it on down to my son. Lessons 1 thru 10 was always gun safety.

 

[justsomeguy]

Same here in NC. Open carry can make some people feel uneasy though

Except N.C. requires that you have a permit to CC.

Ergo, you're on a database.*



*Not that there's anything wrong with that.

 

[ifmdalvey]

Dead is usually serious

 

[kito]

Kito, I fully agree with you ......... I still can see the point of others though------I have seen some in my past travels around this world that would be a danger to themselves and their loved one's if they had a fire arm of any kind. They seem to have missed training in their youth and are really scared of a firearm so they tend to be against them, My father was a Federal game warden and he taught me and my two older brothers and I in turn passed it on down to my son. Lessons 1 thru 10 was always gun safety.

Most anti-gun people are affraid of them and fear if they had one would be used against them. Or maybe they know they don't have the stones to actually use it even when their lifes in danger. Some have just led a blessed life where everything is just farts and giggles and bad things happen to "other people". Me being a victim of a home invasion was an eye opener.

 

[Anonymous 121765]

Guys,

Folks like Kito & myself that survived bad situations, will never again be unprepared from thugs. Your life can turn around in seconds.

Remember, if you need a gun & don't have one, you may never need one again.

CR

 

[nolasafari]

All sailors should have a nice every day carry knife in the corner of their pocket. It should open with one hand and with authority, the knife should always be in the corner of your pocket. It is a safety device used to cut you free if you become entangled in the lines on your boat. It is best if the knife makes a sharp clicking sound when it opens, it helps to get the attention of the crew in case you need assistance. You do not have to buy an expensive knife but it is best to buy good quality.

 

[justsomeguy]

All sailors should have a nice every day carry knife in the corner of their pocket. It should open with one hand and with authority, the knife should always be in the corner of your pocket. It is a safety device used to cut you free if you become entangled in the lines on your boat. It is best if the knife makes a sharp clicking sound when it opens, it helps to get the attention of the crew in case you need assistance. You do not have to buy an expensive knife but it is best to buy good quality.

Check.

 

[MrBill_FLL]

All sailors should have a nice every day carry knife in the corner of their pocket. It should open with one hand and with authority, the knife should always be in the corner of your pocket. It is a safety device used to cut you free if you become entangled in the lines on your boat. It is best if the knife makes a sharp clicking sound when it opens, it helps to get the attention of the crew in case you need assistance. You do not have to buy an expensive knife but it is best to buy good quality.

I read of a case where sailors in NYC were arrested having a sailing knife that opened with 1 hand....

and many countries want to hold for safe keeping your weapon, until you check out. -(cap't fatty of cruising world wrote about his 1911, and the problems with it).

12 ga pump's are normally considered defensive, and less likely to get 'lost' or be the target of theft.... (also cheap so less desirable.)

-I read somewhere that a chrome 1911 was 'lost' or misplaced, by the authorities, as they were trying to leave port. cost the cruisers a few days wait for them to 'locate' it.

-no doubt one of the constables liked that weapon for himself..

-ymmv.

 

[kito]

I just read more about this murder. There were 5 and all are in custody. None had weapons but Mrs Platt was beaten severely and Mr Platt beaten to death. Apparently he went out to the cockpit unarmed after hearing noises (big mistake). Even though they were unarmed they had the advantage. If Mr Platt would have had gun in hand while investigating the noises, his wife would have not been beaten and him still alive. Even if he had a knife or a pipe, he would have been overtaken by the 5 thugs imo.

 

[wufibugs]

Not to hijack this thread which was to bring this awful event to our attention, I am still concerned about how one could/should safely carry a defensive weapon aboard a medium sized boat. Zeehag and others who ply Mexican waters regularly might jump in, but not only are weapons illegal there and other Central and South American countries, but I can visualize authorities in some of these countries being quick to assume that a boat with a weapon is presumptively involved in the drug trade. If one felt the need to sail armed, you have to decide whether to declare or hide the weapon in an effort to dodge the potential hassle. But where and how to do this effectively, even if boarded and searched?

 

[justsomeguy]

Cheap throwaway could work.

 

[Salty]

Salty,

Having to have a gun on your boat at all says a lot about the world in which we live.
Way back when taking my captain's course there was a an in-depth discussion about guns in the signals & sounds section. One test question was about the a gun onboard & what category did it fall into. The answer was, "also as a signaling device."

I did mention, I was not aware of countries & their policies so check up on this first.
When all is said-n-done, there are far too many victims. Aside from a trip to Cuba some years back, I don't plan a Caribbean cruise anytime soon. Thankfully, it's legal here to carry a firearm onboard. Note, I've had to brandish it 3 times in approx. 25 years. It was a convincing deterrent with no injuries. All 3 times I was isolated and/or 25 miles offshore when these happened.

The first time I pulled a gun was 3:00 am in Venice. I don't sleep well on a boat (my girlfriend does). I heard a slight bump & looking out my portal could see two guys in a john boat. One was crawling under my lifeline into the cockpit. If, I didn't have a gun with me, how do you think this would've turned out? I'm not a member of the NRA, but I would much rather explain to the cops why I killed him, then him explaining why he killed me.

CR

Captnron,
Like the saying goes we are formed by our experiences. I understand your need to carry a gun because it saved you on 3 occasions. Hell I would want to do the same if I had that experience but I still think it’s a bad idea to carry a gun while cruising internationally. It will quicker get you in trouble than saving your life. Until someone can tell me how you carry a gun legally while cruising internationally I am not convince. I think the focus should be on other ways to defend yourself and family. There are other things you can carry that can be used as a weapon i.e flare gun etc.

 

[danm1]

Two words: Flare gun