Can ships carry guns to fight pirates?

Cargo ships don't carry weapons because it is feared this would increase the likelihood of crew members getting killed or injured. Anti-piracy tactics tend to focus on preventing pirates boarding in the first place. In the Alabama's case it fought off the pirates for up to five hours.
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Are ships armed against pirates?

Merchant ships now plying in high piracy affected areas such as Gulf of Aden (GOA) carry Armed Guards along with a series of non-lethal weaponry to thwart any kind of piracy attempt.
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Can civilian ships be armed?

Under international law, merchant vessels and their crews have the right to carry arms for self defense if that is required for the vessel to exercise its freedom of navigation. Self-defense measures include providing weapons and training to the crew and/or hiring armed guards to allow the vessel to navigate.
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How do cruise ships protect against pirates?

Cruise ships have various defenses against piracy. First, they are faster than the small boats used by pirates and can easily outrun even determined attackers. Furthermore, the tremendous size of a passenger vessel makes it a more difficult target because it is not easily boarded or ransacked.
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Do merchant marine ships have weapons?

“As merchant vessels, we do not carry arms. We have ways to push back, but we do not carry arms.” Some shipping companies, though, are moving beyond basic security training to include weapons instruction and other active defensive measures.
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Do SuperYachts Carry Firearms? - Gun Talk!



Can you sail with firearms?

Thus a vessel flying the American flag (legally) in international waters may carry any firearm allowed by U.S. federal law as well as legal ammunition to go with it. This, however, is only true in international waters. Obviously, a ship must go to port sometime.
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Can you have guns on cargo ships?

Cargo ships don't carry weapons because it is feared this would increase the likelihood of crew members getting killed or injured.
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Has a pirate ever attacked a cruise ship?

There were only six reports of pirates attempting to attack cruise ships over the last 10 years. – in fact there has never been a successful pirate attack on a cruise ship. However, this doesn't mean cruise ships aren't prepared for the worst.
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Do cruise ships have jails?

There's a special place, however, for those who commit serious crimes at sea — the ship's jail, or “brig” in nautical terms. These steel rooms are located on one of the bottom decks of the vessel, usually near the security office. And if you end up down there, you won't be staying there for the duration of the cruise.
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Do cruise ships dump human waste in the ocean?

Do Cruise Ships Dump Sewage? Yes. To get into a few more specifics than above, the U.S. allows cruise ships to dump treated waste into the ocean if they are within three and a half miles from shore. Beyond that point, there are no restrictions for dumping untreated, raw sewage in U.S. ocean waters.
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Why did Captain Phillips not have a gun?

They didn't have a safe room on the ship – the crew claimed Captain Phillips repeatedly told them they didn't need one. The crew weren't allowed to have weapons on board (a common safety regulation among merchant vessels worldwide), and the ship lacked any defensive technology or hardware to protect them from pirates.
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Do pirates still exist?

Today, the pirates can be seen very often in the South and Southeast Asia, the South America and South of Red Sea. They are still masked, dressed differently than the usual people and often very aggressive. There are two types of modern pirates' existence: small-time pirates and organizations of pirates.
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Do the merchant Marines fight?

Merchant Marines do not participate in combat operations though they may work in places where combat is actually occurring. The fleet is divided into several categories: Commercial fleet. Federal fleet: Military Sealift Command.
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Do yachts get attacked by pirates?

Yachts are intrinsically more vulnerable to pirate attacks, so it's important to know the most susceptible areas on board and how to protect them. "A yacht has always been inherently more vulnerable than a commercial ship due to its relatively low freeboard and perceived high value," Phil Cable of MAST says.
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Can you shoot pirates?

First, warning shots will be fired across their bow; if this will not do, shoot to kill. True, this means that merchant ships will need some armed marshals, as do many flights. However, given that the ships are tall and the pirates need to mount them from their small boats, a few armed guards can do the job.
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How do I protect my yacht from pirates?

7 Ways To Protect Your Motor Yacht or Ship Against Pirate Attacks
  1. Citadel Armored Escape Room and Escape Pods. ...
  2. Anti Drone Protection. ...
  3. Underwater Sonar Detection Systems. ...
  4. Long Range Acoustic Device. ...
  5. Dazzle Gun. ...
  6. Cloaking System. ...
  7. Robots for Surveillance.
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Can you survive jumping off a cruise ship?

No. Survival rates depend on several factors, including whether the person was injured by impact with the water or part of the ship on the way down and how quickly the person can be rescued by the cruise ship or Coast Guard. Many times, a person going overboard is dead by the time he or she reaches the water.
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Are there police on cruise ships?

Unlike airplanes with Federal Marshals, cruise ships have no police authorities aboard. The few security guards on the ships are loyal to their employer who pays their salary – not to the passenger. When a crime occurs, the cruise lines first notify their risk managements departments and their defense lawyers.
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What happens if you fall overboard on a cruise ship?

If a guest on a cruise ship falls overboard the cruise ship will stop and return to the location of the accident to look for the passenger. The ship will spend several hours looking for the missing passenger and other ships may also join in the search. It can take a cruise ship up to a mile to stop.
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Are pirates real in 2021?

In 2021, there was a decrease of pirate attacks against ships worldwide compared with the previous year. While 195 ships were attacked by pirates in 2020, the number of ships attacked dropped to 132 in 2021.
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How fast are pirate ships?

Vessels could not reach their maximum speed until they met the waters south of Rhodes. When we combine all the above evidence we find that under favorable wind conditions, ancient vessels averaged between 4 and 6 knots over open water, and 3 to 4 knots while working through islands or along coasts.
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When was the last cruise ship attacked by pirates?

On November 26, 2012, Azamara Journey was attacked by pirates near the coast of Oman. After little maneuvers and warning shots from the ship, several pirate motor boats fell behind. In fact, this was the last of the recorded pirate attacks on cruise ships.
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How do pirates take over large ships?

Modern pirates use some of the same tactics as Golden Age pirates. They often attack ships from astern at night, using grappling hooks and ropes or hooks on poles to board the ship before anyone raises the alarm.
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Can yachts carry guns?

“You can take them to a firing range. You can't shoot up, but you can shoot straight out and crew can get an idea what it's like.” Traveling with a gun onboard a yacht requires captains to decide how they will handle compliance with laws and regulations that vary by state and country.
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Can you have a gun on a boat in international waters?

In international waters, defined as at least 24 miles away from any coast, the ship is bound by the laws of the country of registry and therefor the flag it is flying. In other words if you are on the open ocean, flying a US Flag, you can have any firearm on board that is legal under federal law.
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