Sailing with Weapons Aboard.

We've now sailed from the lower Bahamas to the Turks and Caicos! The passage from Crooked Island, Bahamas to the Turks took about 29 hours, we had pretty calm seas and about 8 knots of wind. It wasn't great for sailing but we raised our sails and motor-sailed through the night. We had a little hiccup with our Screecher but it worked out ok. More on that later...

This post covers a controversal topic...Weapons...Or firearms as they're called around these parts. Some people wouldn't ever leave a dock with a weapon onboard while others wouldn't leave without one. Both ends of this topic have some very strong opinions. We're obviously on the "bring them along" side of this but let's stick to facts instead of opinions here. 

If anyone were to bring a weapon, they should have ample training in using it. Jeremiah, having spent 22 years on active duty in the U.S. Marine Corps, has TONS and he's shared some of his knowledge with me. We feel confident in using each firearm and can do so safely. Including with a child or children onboard. We have gun safes for each along with other safety devices. 

The Bahamas was simple as far as checking in. Count the rounds (no more than 250 in total) and verify serial numbers with the Customs Agent who came to the boat. Checking out involved just mailing the cruising permit back once we arrived in the Turks. Checking into the Turks was a little different...But still simple. 

We were honest with our check-in and we told them about all of our weapons. We carry a pistol, a shotgun and a AR-15 onboard and we have a specific number of rounds. The customs agent came aboard, verified all of that and then placed the weapons in the trunk of his car to be taken to the police station where the weapons would be held while we were in country. 

Check in was easy, checking out was even more so. They brought the weapons back to our boat, we counted rounds, verified serial numbers then then locked our weapons up. Easy as that.

Some countries will take your weapons while others will just tell you to keep them locked up onboard. There is only one country along the Caribbean that we might have stopped at that we cannot because arriving with weapons is illegal, that country is Dominica. Not stopping there is worth the security we feel being able to defend ourselves and children should we need while at sea.

If you have any questions concerning having weapons onboard or the check in/out process please let us know!