Skeet Shooting?

In some of my early cruise days you could skeet shoot off the back of the ships. On one cruise they even had a contest. Best out of 10 shots with a 5 shot elimination round. Not sure if its even offered on any cruise. I guess this also has gone by the way side.

i have not seen it since 1997 . i believe it might be do to lead in the water.

Go back one or 2 pages for a longer thread on skeetshooting

I may have been responsible for it's demise industry wide. On Festivale in '84 I aimed the gun, they pulled and I turned around to say something and pointed the gun toward onlookers. My husband yelled "duck" and the crew redirected my aim.

In some of my early cruise days you could skeet shoot off the back of the ships. On one cruise they even had a contest. Best out of 10 shots with a 5 shot elimination round. Not sure if its even offered on any cruise. I guess this also has gone by the way side.

My husband loved skeet shooting. We were in our early 20s. For a multitude of reasons it was eliminated -skeet shooting is bad for the ocean environment. (as well as shooting into the sky these days can be mis construed by some) :eek:

I may have been responsible for it's demise industry wide. On Festivale in '84 I aimed the gun, they pulled and I turned around to say something and pointed the gun toward onlookers. My husband yelled "duck" and the crew redirected my aim.

I have shot skeet off a ship since '84, but I haven't seen it offered since the late 80's/early 90's. It's a shame because that was something I always enjoyed. It probably went away for various reasons such as safety, the lead pellets/skeet going in the water. etc..

John

They make non lead shot now and the skeet are bio degradable. Gun clubs in my area have skeet shooting on a weekly basis and they don't clean the pieces up. They break down on there own. Could be because these ships are registered in foreign countries where they don't like guns and it requires to much paperwork. Where as here no one cares if you have a shotgun and it takes 10 minutes to buy one from Walmart.

They make non lead shot now and the skeet are bio degradable. Gun clubs in my area have skeet shooting on a weekly basis and they don't clean the pieces up. They break down on there own. Could be because these ships are registered in foreign countries where they don't like guns and it requires to much paperwork. Where as here no one cares if you have a shotgun and it takes 10 minutes to buy one from Walmart.

Mike,

What state is that you live in? Just curious. I dont know much about the subject of guns and ammunition, but where i live in NJ there are a gun club or two. 10 minutes to purchase at wal-mart? didnt know it was THAT easy. :(

Mike,

 

What state is that you live in? Just curious. I dont know much about the subject of guns and ammunition, but where i live in NJ there are a gun club or two. 10 minutes to purchase at wal-mart? didnt know it was THAT easy. :(

Maryland is a pain with waiting periods for hand guns and assault rifles, but regular run of the mill shot guns and rifles are easy to buy. They do the instant background check you fill out and sign a form and off you go. From what I've read on different sites NJ is a pain when it comes to firearms.

Take care,

Michael

As someone who has spent a lot of time in college learning chemistry I can say definitively and authoritatively that neither lead shot nor clay pigeons will not harm the ocean.

As someone who has spent a lot of time in college learning chemistry I can say definitively and authoritatively that neither lead shot nor clay pigeons will not harm the ocean.

GW,

I take it that you weren't with Cheney on THE BIRD HUNT, huh?;)

The US Coast Guard prohibits skeet shooting because the lead pellets are held in a plastic sleeve - that ususally ends up in the ocean when you are shooting from the deck of a ship.

Even the tiniest piece of plastic going into the ocean - even in international waters - results in a $5,000 fine from the US Coast Guard.

It's not worth it.

You might telephone George Bush if you disagree...........

Philip,

I do not question what you just said and assume it is on the books somewhere...however, I do not understand how the US Coast Guard has the right to enforce any US law on a foreign ship that is in international waters and not in US territorial waters.

As far as I know, skeet shooting does not break any UN law and last time I looked, the Coast Guard flies a US flag and not the UN flag anyway.

Any thoughts or ideas on how they (US Coast Guard) manage to pull this off?

Mark

In some of my early cruise days you could skeet shoot off the back of the ships. On one cruise they even had a contest. Best out of 10 shots with a 5 shot elimination round. Not sure if its even offered on any cruise. I guess this also has gone by the way side.

Last time I saw it (or participated) was 1991. I think it has lost interest because of the polution issue along with golf balls off the stern. How would the cruise line expect smokers to not throw butts in the ocean when they are launching clay birds. :confused:

i have not seen it since 1997 . i believe it might be do to lead in the water.

Bird shot is now steel not lead.

They had skeet shooting off the back of the Mardi Gras in 1989. It was fun to sit on the deck and watch them shoot.

Shot skeet off the Monarch of the Seas in 1995....a German fellow hit 10 for 10 with his last shot only a couple of feet from the water! Great shot!

Seems that this has gone the way of a number of "traditions" on the cruise ships. Would love to see this one make a comeback! Shotgun shells can definitely be made with biodegradeable shot (steel) and the wadding does not have to be plastic as there are any number of materials that would suffice.

Fairwinds!

Philip,

 

I do not question what you just said and assume it is on the books somewhere...however, I do not understand how the US Coast Guard has the right to enforce any US law on a foreign ship that is in international waters and not in US territorial waters.

 

As far as I know, skeet shooting does not break any UN law and last time I looked, the Coast Guard flies a US flag and not the UN flag anyway.

 

Any thoughts or ideas on how they (US Coast Guard) manage to pull this off?

 

Mark

Mark,

The US Coast Guard and US Navy claim to have complete jurisdiction on any ship on the high seas that 1) carrries American Passengers or freight, 2) is sailing from a US Port, or 3) is sailing to a US Port.

Let's see now..........

-Over 18,000 Americans killed by guns in the USA last year.

-Many intoxicated and semi-intoxicated passengers.

-Ship's decks moving at sea.

-People worried about terrorists on ships.

-Loaded shotguns.

All supervised by crewmembers whose first language is not English and whose qualifications for handling loaded guns, and supervising their use, is at best questionable.

Anybody see any potential problems popping up here????????

I have had this discussion with many passengers on ships over the past decade. The best response was a suggestion that we arm our Security Staff and have them supervise the skeet shooting. If they spotted any passenger trying to kill another with the shotgun, the Security Staff could draw their guns and kill the person with the shotgun, avoiding any risk to other passengers.

Absolutely brilliant...............................

And just how do you get your shotgun thru airport security???

All that is required is a locking guncase and the gun must be checked baggage. They have you open the case and show that the gun is not loaded, relock the gun in the case and off it goes with your suitcases.

Let's see now..........

 

-Over 18,000 Americans killed by guns in the USA last year.

-Many intoxicated and semi-intoxicated passengers.

-Ship's decks moving at sea.

-People worried about terrorists on ships.

-Loaded shotguns.

All supervised by crewmembers whose first language is not English and whose qualifications for handling loaded guns, and supervising their use, is at best questionable.

 

Anybody see any potential problems popping up here????????

 

I have had this discussion with many passengers on ships over the past decade. The best response was a suggestion that we arm our Security Staff and have them supervise the skeet shooting. If they spotted any passenger trying to kill another with the shotgun, the Security Staff could draw their guns and kill the person with the shotgun, avoiding any risk to other passengers.

 

Absolutely brilliant...............................

Nah. They did this (skeet shooting) safely for many years. I did it in 1991. It was fun. But you do have a point, if guns are going around killing Americans I guess we should keep an eye on them. I thought people had to be involved, but I guess not.:D

In light of the recent Pirate Attacks and the attempts to stop them:

The Cruise Line I work for was just reminded by US Customs that no Cruise Ship carrying any conventional weapons of any kind will be allowed to enter a US Port.

In light of the recent Pirate Attacks and the attempts to stop them:

 

The Cruise Line I work for was just reminded by US Customs that no Cruise Ship carrying any conventional weapons of any kind will be allowed to enter a US Port.

Don't all cruise ships have security staff with access to small arms for defense? I know that non-naval ships with mounted weapons are prohibited, but prohibiting small arms seems a bit draconian and difficult to enforce.

Just curious.

Dave

When the Captain of the ship can be arrested, fired, lose his license and end his career by having a pistol onboard in a US Port, this regulation becomes incredibly easy to enforce.

Draconian is another matter. Many of the crazy laws we have to deal with in US Ports are easily draconian - and worse.