On Mon, 11 Oct 2004 19:50:03 -0400, JohnH
wrote:

Is the storing of a pistol on a boat legal or not. Does it depend on the state
law?

When boarded by the Coast Guard, I was immediately asked if I had any weapons on
board. This was their first question. After I responded that I had some healthy
knives, used for cleaning fish, cutting up bait, etc., they narrowed the
question to firearms. I had none, and didn't think to ask them what the
ramifications were if I had one on board.

I am licensed to carry in the State of Connecticut and I usually have
a small caliber revolver with me most of the time. I don't believe,
as long as you are properly licensed, that having a weapon on board a
boat is a problem.

In my case, however, that can be problematic. Because of the odd ball
Connecticut's borders, almost anywhere along the Connecticut shore
line you are either in NY or RI about a 1/2 mile out, and the
overzealous nature of DEM/DEP officers of NY and RI, I don't carry it
with me.

I have been stopped by the CG going past the Sub base on the Thames
river and been asked the same question. I show them my license, show
them the weapon and they have never asked any more questions.

All the best,

Tom
--------------

"What the hell's the deal with this newsgroup...
is there a computer terminal in the day room of
some looney bin somewhere?"

Bilgeman - circa 2004

Other than NFA firearms (machine guns and sawed off shotguns etc) there are no
federal laws that I know of that would apply. If you have a BATF form 4 with
stamp affixed you can even have a machine gun. I assume the CG just wants to
"secure" the weapons during their illegal search so they know where they are.
State and local laws will run the gamut from "you can't have one" to no rule at
all.
Md is not one of the more gun friendly states. You better ask the state and
locals ... and get the answer in writing.

http://www.packing.org/

might give you some insight.

going past the Sub base

I had a tour there many moons ago...awesome facility.

--Mike

"Short Wave Sportfishing" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 11 Oct 2004 19:50:03 -0400, JohnH
wrote:

Is the storing of a pistol on a boat legal or not. Does it depend on the
state
law?

When boarded by the Coast Guard, I was immediately asked if I had any
weapons on
board. This was their first question. After I responded that I had some
healthy
knives, used for cleaning fish, cutting up bait, etc., they narrowed the
question to firearms. I had none, and didn't think to ask them what the
ramifications were if I had one on board.

I am licensed to carry in the State of Connecticut and I usually have
a small caliber revolver with me most of the time. I don't believe,
as long as you are properly licensed, that having a weapon on board a
boat is a problem.

In my case, however, that can be problematic. Because of the odd ball
Connecticut's borders, almost anywhere along the Connecticut shore
line you are either in NY or RI about a 1/2 mile out, and the
overzealous nature of DEM/DEP officers of NY and RI, I don't carry it
with me.

I have been stopped by the CG going past the Sub base on the Thames
river and been asked the same question. I show them my license, show
them the weapon and they have never asked any more questions.

All the best,

Tom
--------------

"What the hell's the deal with this newsgroup...
is there a computer terminal in the day room of
some looney bin somewhere?"

Bilgeman - circa 2004

Short Wave Sportfishing wrote in message . ..
On Mon, 11 Oct 2004 19:50:03 -0400, JohnH
wrote:

Is the storing of a pistol on a boat legal or not. Does it depend on the state
law?

In a very real sense, when truly at sea you ARE the law, and the right
question is not "is it legal", but rather: "Is it prudent, useful and
protective?"

As an avid shootist, hunter & gun owner who believes in concealed
carry ashore and who believes that every gun should be kept accessible
& loaded at all times for real safety, and who owns & is proficient
with several stainless steel firearms, I believe that wise answer to
this question aboard any vessel smaller than a commercial ship where
mutiny or heisting of the ship's safe are potential concerns, is "no."

In a real-life situation of violent piracy toward a yatch, in most any
tactical sense a firearm is useless if not suicidal. Your assailants
have the superior elements of surprise, grim determination, possibly
superior size or speed or power or maneuverability, usually home-turf
advantage, and already-drawn weapons. Ed Teach proved this 300 years
ago.

This situation is analagous to the dumb idea of drawing a gun on
someone who is already robbing or mugging you with a drawn weapon.
The best you can do is to try minimize your injuries and hope they
don't find your gun & shove it up your ass or kill you with it.

The only effective way to avoid or survive violent attacks at sea or
even in port, is to avoid them in the first place by staying well
clear of potential trouble by using wisdom, goodwill & self-control.
In an unarmed confrontation, one side may win, but in an armed one, no
one will likely come in second, and there is little likelihood that
you will come in first in such a scenario. A far better way includes:

- know your ports

- know the opposite culture & its habits (whether domestic of foreign)

- know your vessel & its maneuvering capabilites very well

- stand real watches, versus "dreaming in the cockpit for a trick"

- don't make an easy or tempting target of yourself or your vessel

- keep your mouth shut in port & don't have stupid people for crew

- if you do carry a deadly weapon aboard don't let *anybody* know it,
DON'T post that you do on the internet to sound like a hot ****, and
DON'T rely on it to bail you out of your own foolish mistakes or poor
judgements

- if you do carry a deadly weapon and do not have the training,
self-control, skill and determination to immediately & decisively
execute another(s) with it, AND to deal with all of the consequences
thereof (including being booked for murder & fighting a complex,
expensive criminal trial to prove your case, possibly in a foreign
country where you are unpopular & may be presumed guilty), get rid of
it because it is a serious threat to your own well-being.

There IS one left-handed big advantage to carrying a gun: if you have
an IQ over 80, it will make you expert at avoiding any possible
confrontations or anyplace where there is any hint of potential
trouble, will sharpen your powers of observation to detect these
things, and will turn you into a very peaceful diplomat - because you
will know the very ugly consequences of doing or being otherwise.
After these become ingrained habits, you'll realize you don't need the
hassle of carrying the gun anymore to remind you of their necessity.

There IS one left-handed big advantage to carrying a gun: if you have
an IQ over 80, it will make you expert at avoiding any possible
confrontations

That is exactly true.
The Florida CCW course is basically just telling you that if you shoot someone
you will probably go to jail, even if you do eventually get released, thousands
of lawyer dollars later. I will certainly have eaten a lot of **** before I
finally decide this is a life threatening situation worthy of deadly force.
I found out years ago, carrying a gun makes me a very meek and mild individual.
That is why I usually leave it home ;-)

wrote in message
om...

As an avid shootist, hunter & gun owner who believes in concealed
carry ashore and who believes that every gun should be kept accessible
& loaded at all times for real safety,



[snip]



So...you would keep your gun accessible and loaded at home? What if you
weren't there? What if there are kids or other folks around?




In a real-life situation of violent piracy toward a yatch, in most any
tactical sense a firearm is useless if not suicidal. Your assailants
have the superior elements of surprise, grim determination, possibly
superior size or speed or power or maneuverability, usually home-turf
advantage, and already-drawn weapons. Ed Teach proved this 300 years
ago.



I'm not sure I agree. Armed "Pirating" was growing immensely on Lake
Cumberland in KY, until people started arming themselves. There were a
couple of very publicized incidents, were the houseboat owners retreated
into the vessel, and drew their own arms against the assailants. Tactically,
the house boaters were superior, as they had good cover, while the
assailants where typically in the open. Quite a few boarding attempts were
thwarted because of the boat owners had armed themselves.

This situation is analagous to the dumb idea of drawing a gun on
someone who is already robbing or mugging you with a drawn weapon.
The best you can do is to try minimize your injuries and hope they
don't find your gun & shove it up your ass or kill you with it.



Not the same situation at all.


The only effective way to avoid or survive violent attacks at sea or
even in port, is to avoid them in the first place by staying well
clear of potential trouble by using wisdom, goodwill & self-control.
In an unarmed confrontation, one side may win, but in an armed one, no
one will likely come in second, and there is little likelihood that
you will come in first in such a scenario. A far better way includes:

- know your ports

- know the opposite culture & its habits (whether domestic of foreign)

- know your vessel & its maneuvering capabilites very well

- stand real watches, versus "dreaming in the cockpit for a trick"

- don't make an easy or tempting target of yourself or your vessel

- keep your mouth shut in port & don't have stupid people for crew



Good advice


- if you do carry a deadly weapon aboard don't let *anybody* know it,
DON'T post that you do on the internet to sound like a hot ****, and
DON'T rely on it to bail you out of your own foolish mistakes or poor
judgements

- if you do carry a deadly weapon and do not have the training,
self-control, skill and determination to immediately & decisively
execute another(s) with it, AND to deal with all of the consequences
thereof (including being booked for murder & fighting a complex,
expensive criminal trial to prove your case, possibly in a foreign
country where you are unpopular & may be presumed guilty), get rid of
it because it is a serious threat to your own well-being.

There IS one left-handed big advantage to carrying a gun: if you have
an IQ over 80, it will make you expert at avoiding any possible
confrontations or anyplace where there is any hint of potential
trouble, will sharpen your powers of observation to detect these
things, and will turn you into a very peaceful diplomat - because you
will know the very ugly consequences of doing or being otherwise.
After these become ingrained habits, you'll realize you don't need the
hassle of carrying the gun anymore to remind you of their necessity.



Agreed...except if it were up to me, nobody with double digit IQs would be
allowed to touch a gun...but that's a different thread.




--
-Netsock

"It's just about going fast...that's all..."
http://home.columbus.rr.com/ckg/

A flare gun works just about as good at close range, and is more than legal
on a boat!
Dixon

--
"JohnH" wrote in message
...
Is the storing of a pistol on a boat legal or not. Does it depend on the
state
law?

When boarded by the Coast Guard, I was immediately asked if I had any
weapons on
board. This was their first question. After I responded that I had some
healthy
knives, used for cleaning fish, cutting up bait, etc., they narrowed the
question to firearms. I had none, and didn't think to ask them what the
ramifications were if I had one on board.

John H

On the 'PocoLoco' out of Deale, MD,
on the beautiful Chesapeake Bay!

There are 10 kinds of people in the world,
those who do binary and those who don't!

"Netsock" wrote in message ...

So...you would keep your gun accessible and loaded at home? What if you
weren't there? What if there are kids or other folks around?

Absolutely, and did with so my very young children, with apology to no
one - who were thoroughly taught at very tender ages how to deal
safely with loaded guns, and who were outshooting me by age 10 with
big-bore handguns (better eyesg). A pox on political & social
correctness, if everyone of any age *knows & assumes* that any gun is
loaded & ready for use like any other respected tool, everyone is far
safer. I am not a city dweller & my ways are appropriate for rural
homestead living where frequent firearm use is a fact of life.
Presently I'd rethink and change this policy since my area has slowly
become suburbanized & with citified newcomers dropping in, etc. My
point is that any true gun safety should be situational & well
thought-out, not rightfully dictated by others in some blanket
fashion.

IMO&E the best thing one can do with very young children, is to teach
them how to quickly & safely unload or disable any firearm produced in
their presence by an unsupervised child "if it is exactly like one of
ours", and how to immediately run like hell to an adult first if it
isn't. Learning to shoot & properly maintain guns when very young
also removes unhealthy curiousity or fascination. IMHO the best way
to foster trouble with kids (one's own that is) & guns, is to lock
them away where they are "forbidden" and "inaccessible." There is
almost no such thing as "inaccessible" to a child of average
intelligence.

In a real-life situation of violent piracy toward a yatch, in most any
tactical sense a firearm is useless if not suicidal. Your assailants
have the superior elements of surprise, grim determination, possibly
superior size or speed or power or maneuverability, usually home-turf
advantage, and already-drawn weapons. Ed Teach proved this 300 years
ago.

I'm not sure I agree. Armed "Pirating" was growing immensely on Lake
Cumberland in KY, until people started arming themselves. There were a
couple of very publicized incidents, were the houseboat owners retreated
into the vessel, and drew their own arms against the assailants. Tactically,
the house boaters were superior, as they had good cover, while the
assailants where typically in the open. Quite a few boarding attempts were
thwarted because of the boat owners had armed themselves.

And I'd have to agree with this in the case of houseboats, which might
be victimized by any kind of punk as might any other dwelling,
campsite, etc. My comments were directed at seagoing voyaging people.
I feel that characterizing this sort of instance as "piracy" is a bit
of poetic license - it's essentially a household B&E, yes? One might
view marina liveaboards the same way, or others who do their sailing
on MSC's (Main Saloon Cushions).

wrote in message
om...
Absolutely, and did with so my very young children, with apology to no
one - who were thoroughly taught at very tender ages how to deal
safely with loaded guns, and who were outshooting me by age 10 with
big-bore handguns (better eyesg).

So what happens when a neighbor kid comes over to visit, and finds your
loaded gun in the house?

Facts show 9 out of 10 loaded handguns keep in homes, are more likely to
kill a friend or family member than an intruder.

I am a multiple gun owner of 30 years...and I know keeping an unsecured
loaded gun in the house is utterly ridiculous and stupid...period.

The gun I take with me to Lake Cumberland, stays in one of those Simplex
lock boxes...quick access, but secure from anybody else.

Think you could do me a favor, and email me your address? I want to make
sure my family and myself stays away from your home.


--
-Netsock

"It's just about going fast...that's all..."
http://home.columbus.rr.com/ckg/

Facts show 9 out of 10 loaded handguns keep in homes, are more likely to
kill a friend or family member than an intruder.

Ah the Kellermann "study".
It is so full of holes that most people discount it entirely.
To start with it includes suicide.
"Kill an intruder" really meant people who were charged and were later aquitted
on self defense.
It was only looking at one small area of Washington State.
It ignored intentional murders (we always kill the ones we love)
It ignored wounded intruders.
It ignored all of the cases where the presense of the gun was all it took to
run off the intruder.
It is the perfect case of a "study" being someone who started with the answer
they wanted and sought out the "facts" to prove it.

The fact is child/gun accidents are a very small number, typically a couple
hundred a year for age 0-14 but the hype would have you believing they are
dropping like flies

I am a supporter of "lock up your gun" but I am not going to use bogus
"studies" to support it.
I don't even like trigger locks. As far as I am concerned they are useless. It
does nothing to keep the gun from being stolen and it only gives the kid a
puzzle to solve.
Lock up the whole thing!
The real answer is still education.