This advice was given to me by my old seafaring mate Brian Darcey in Cairns. It is intended for those yachtsmen who still want to do what he did in more innocent times than the present: sail away in a yacht and cruise the South Pacific.The good news is that you still can. The bad news is that there are people out there who will kill you for whatever they think you might have on board and no-one will stop them. Offshore, in countries like Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands, you are on your own and must be able to look after yourself and your ship without outside help. The Indian Ocean is worse and piracy is a growth industry.
You still want to go? Then hear this:
Piracy is not new. In the 18th Century, it was alive and well and any vessel that ventured offshore armed itself. The better armed you were, the less the risk that the villains would attack you. British and American ships were rarely attacked, as they all carried guns and people trained to use them who would open fire on any vessel which came too close and refused to stop and identify itself. The pirates were well aware of this and usually sought softer targets than well-armed British and Americans.
You need some defensive hardware, not all of it legal in civilised countries like Australia.
1. A loudhailer (and I mean really LOUD)
2. A spotlight with at least a 0.5km range
3. Two grenade launchers with 5 rounds for each (ask at a waterfront pub, or contact easily found unofficial gun dealers at your first port of entry in PNG or the Solomons.) Use a few rounds for practice on a floating log well offshore. You will be pleasantly surprised at the spectacular results.
On passage keep a good lookout and leave the radar turned on. If approached by any small vessel, day or night, warn them with the loud hailer to back off, ONCE!
If they keep coming, open fire with the grenade launcher, being careful to lead the target to allow for the speed of both vessels. The first shot should be aimed ahead of the suspect vessel and will almost always be enough to halt it in its tracks.
If it keeps coming, correct your aim and forget the survivors, as these killers hunt in packs and their friends will be close by and will pick up anyone still swimming. Do not, under any circumstances, report the incident to police, customs or military who may be in nominal control of the area.
Illegal? Of course it is: the law frowns on this sort of thing, but be aware, that the same law won't be there when you are boarded by people who are not afraid to die and to take you and your crew with them. Get rid of the artillery over the side in deep water before re-entering Australia.
Security in anchorages
Leaving a dinghy in the water overnight in an anchorage is a message that a live one has arrived. Hoist it on deck or in the davits before sunset. Overnight anchor watches are not practicable for short-handed cruising yachts, but the risk of finding armed intruders in the cabin after dark is a real one.
One safety device is available for legal purchase in Australia from any agricultural equipment dealer. It won't work on a steel hull, but the ship's company on a glass, timber or ferro boat can enjoy a good night's sleep free from unwelcome intruders if you connect a 12-volt cattle fence unit to the lifelines with appropriate insulation to isolate it where necessary. This will give a non-lethal, but powerful jolt to anyone who touches the lifelines if they try to climb aboard. Try it yourself standing barefoot in a wet canoe for a convincing demonstration.
Bon voyage.
