What Boat Captains Bring To Cuba For Protection Since They Can't Bring Their Guns

There are various underground rules about taking a boat to Cuba, and at the top of that list is to leave firearms behind — that is, if you don't want to get them confiscated by customs officials and possibly never returned.

Captains who want alternate means of protecting their boat may turn to the following:

• Kerosene
• Paint thinner
• Mason Jars
• A 12-Gauge flare gun with many extra flares

At least that was the advice given to the captain of my boat by a former U.S. special forces servicemember who currently operates out of Cuba. Operating on the open seas, even in the Caribbean carries a certain amount of risk. To ward off and prevent and unwanted boardings or attacks, our contact recommends the following:

Mix equal parts kerosene and paint thinner in the mason jars. If confronted by an enemy boat, hurl the jars at their vessel. Make sure the canning lid isn't too tight, so that the liquid will leak if the jar doesn't smash. Then launch some 12-gauge flare rounds at whomever is threatening you.

The photo shows the flare gun my captain bought for the trip.

One of the other rules is to have enough cash on hand to bribe off the full crew of a Cuban gunboat. An American vessel is generally believed to not be in possession of proper paperwork to get back into the United States, there are federal and military requirements to fulfill, so it's not unheard of for a Cuban crew to attempt to plant drugs on incoming vessels.

Enough cash can prevent that from happening, save the vessel from being impounded, and the crew from prison.