Legal weapons on a yacht?

First, the area you're traveling in is not one known for privacy or other problems. In fact, it's a wonderful area to travel. The Bocas del Toro area of Panama is an incredible place.

Now talking about legal weapons. There are three other options. One is smoke, one is sound, and I think the best is light.

On Carlisle and Finch's website you can click on their brochure and get some excellent information.

http://carlislefinch.com/Anti-Piracy-Products

I agree with OB. But you could probably get away with a Taser too. Most customs declarations ask about fire arms.

Just curious, what about flair gun(s)?

Add water cannons to the list.

We once cruised the Gulf of Paria, Venezuela. A well know hotspot for armed pirates.

We took the ultimate defence with us, my girlfriend's mother! She had a face like a bulldog chewing a wasp and the social disposition of an angry honeybadger.

No one came near us for two weeks.

Knives?
A crossbow?
A six bajillion candlepower searchlight?
A platoon of honey badgers?
Slingshots & cherry bombs?
Wasp spray?
Drone with megawatt laser?

The best would be a large caliber air rifle. Since it is an air rifle it is not considered a fire arm. You can get them in big bore calibers such as .50 and at 850 FPS and they're relatively quiet and accurate out to 2-300 yards and just as deadly as a real rifle. A customer of mine has an air rifle that shoots capsules with tear gas and stuff to. Google both and you'll find what you're looking for.

Would like some details on where and when the "attempted piracy" took place. A lot of US boats make that run and I am not aware of any that had issues so would like to hear some specifics if there have been.

I researched a bit as I hadn't heard of any. Here's what I found. February 2015, an armed robbery off Honduras reported but third hand and March, 2015 a sailboat hit by pirates off Honduras. This one was reported first hand and confirmed. Otherwise some robberies of anchored boats but no other pirate activity I could find.

Here is the report from March 2015. http://www.noonsite.com/Countries/H...tes-en-route-from-belize-to-roatan-march-2015

Still not an area of major pirate activity.

Not piracy, but most recently, there was an armed boarding of an anchored boat overnight in Middle Long Cay, Belize, in January of this year.

No area is immune but this isn't a high piracy area. By comparison there was in January of this year an armed boarding in the US Virgin Islands 1.5 miles off the coast of St. Croix and that one included a shooting of the captain, serious, although not critical.

There is risk most places, but there are a few high risk areas, just not in the area being discussed to my knowledge. We need to be careful hearing stories vs actually researching.

Here is the report the OP referred to.

http://www.noonsite.com/Countries/N...ncia-colombia-attempted-boarding-january-2016

you also have this option ..

http://www.prepperforums.net/forum/shotguns/769-12-gauge-ammo-flare-gun.html