Skeet shooting

[clopaw]

I work with a guy who is an avid hunter, and he mentioned that his wife doesn't hunt but she does shoot clay pigeons. Was that once an activity on cruise ships? If it was, when did it stop?

[suseg]

The only time I ever did skeet shooting was on my European cruises, both in the Med and the No Sea....however never on any of the US home ported ships. I have to admitt it was fuan.

[Mark]

I have to disagree with the previous post. I have sailed on Norwegian in the Caribbean and they always had skeet shooting. No more of course like the other lines...they all blame pollution...what a crock!

 

After 9/11, they were afraid to have a shotgun in the hands of a passenger!:cool:

[KINGBOBOFTHENORTH]

I have to disagree with the previous post. I have sailed on Norwegian in the Caribbean and they always had skeet shooting. No more of course like the other lines...they all blame pollution...what a crock!

 

Well don't forget that the Society For Prevention of Cruelty to Skeet was pretty active as well!!

[chris sea]

The last tme I remember skeet shooting, was off the back of a Carnival ship in the early 1990's.

[CarobBean]

Monarch of the Seas, 9/96...there was a German fellow who hit every single clay pigeon they threw...even called the last one for just above the water! Very impressive! I went 4 for 10, and my wife bested me by one...have had a hard time living that one down!

 

Too bad they've stopped this activity...always enjoyed the spectacle!

 

I can understand stopping golf balls into the sea (not really, they could easily be made to decompose) but the clay pigeons and steel shot? Clay may not rot away, but steel hasn't got a chance!

 

Oh well, there's always Bingo...NOT;)

[tom C.]

Skeet shooting was stopped long befor 9/11....it was based on pollution concerns. Sealife would, could, and did eat the clay.....not at all good for them. But I do miss it........was a great way to pass time on days at sea.

[Mark]

Tom,

 

I don't doubt what you say but it is a crock! You know and I know that if the cruise lines wanted to have skeet shooting, they could get clay pigeons made of that biodegradable stuff that they make the golf balls from that are environmentally friendly and hit off of the back of cruise ships. What are they going to say next? The lead pellets from the shotgun shells are polluting the environment? Give me a break! I am all for saving the environment but these excuses are insignificant and lame!:cool:

[BearySweet2Cruise]

I am in favor of skeet shooting.. I enjoy that activity.. can not imagine at sea, but it would be fun.. :)

[Jim Gallup]

Although 9/11 was a good enough reason to stop giving loaded guns to inebriated passengers on a moving ship's deck, there is one other reason that really forced skeet shooting to be stopped. Every shotgun shell has a plastic sleeve inside that holds the shot seperately from the powder that propels it. When the gun is fired, that plastic sleeve is propelled into the sea.

Is it a lot of plastic?? No. Very little in fact.

 

But the US Coast Guard says it is enough plastic to fine the cruise line $5,000 for each piece that enters the water.

 

With dozens or even hundreds of passengers - many with video cameras - witnessing and recording the illegal activity, it would be very foolish and expensive for the cruise lines to sponsor this behaviour.

 

The clay pigeons could be made from compressed fish food. A few companies are making golf balls in this manner, allowing cruise lines to once again offer golf ball driving on the aft decks. But it is the plastic sleeve in the shotgun shell that stops the skeet shooting.

 

Is this ridiculous?? Many - including me - think so.

If you feel strongly about it, you might want to write your congressman.

 

By the way, my ship had an "oil spill" last year at a remote pacific island. ONE DROP of lubricating oil was mistakenly dropped into the sea by an engineer who was servicing our tender platform. We didn't think it was serious, and didn't report it to the US Coast Guard immediately - especially considering that we were thousands of miles from the USA. The US Government fined us $10,000 for the "spill", and another $5,000 for not reporting it in a timely manner.

[TahoeBob]

By the way, my ship had an "oil spill" last year at a remote pacific island. ONE DROP of lubricating oil was mistakenly dropped into the sea by an engineer who was servicing our tender platform. We didn't think it was serious, and didn't report it to the US Coast Guard immediately - especially considering that we were thousands of miles from the USA. The US Government fined us $10,000 for the "spill", and another $5,000 for not reporting it in a timely manner.

I find this hard to believe, but it could be true. its easy to say something with nothing backing it up. But if you post some proof well then thats another story

[Mark]

Jim,

 

I don't doubt anything you posted and I guess in a way seems to be a logical explanation.

 

However, the only problem I have in accepting it is the US Coast Guard and any enforcement of environmental rules by that organization.

 

If a ship is in International Waters then who made the law about plastic shells falling in the ocean? The United Nations? I don't know if the US Coast Guard has the right to enforce the pollution from plastic shells in international waters based on a US law...I thought their jurisdiction on such matter as pollution and drunk driving ended at the US border (waters) or have they been renamed the "global" coast guard?

 

Please advise...

[fireelks]

I find this hard to believe, but it could be true. its easy to say something with nothing backing it up. But if you post some proof well then thats another story

 

This is very accurate. While filling up my ship in the florida keys once a small amount of fuel oil leaked out of an improperly tightend release valve. A staff member from the docks filling my vessel dove on to my ship stopped the small trickle from reaching the edge of the deck. Apparently if the oil reached the water it would have been a $10,000 fine for the company. Not something a boss would have enjoyed.

 

Also I am not sure where the coast guard could issue a fine for something in international waters, but they can require compliance with certain rules if you intend to dock in a us port. Maybe the shotgun rule is one of them.

[gaileeh]

I have sailed on Norwegian in the Caribbean and they always had skeet shooting. No more of course like the other lines...they all blame pollution...what a crock!

 

After 9/11, they were afraid to have a shotgun in the hands of a passenger!:cool:

 

Well lets all pollute the planet, why not, we won't have to live here much longer...Just let our kids worry about cleaning up the mess. Not only is it a pollution problem, what about looking at it from another persons prospective...most people go on a vacation to relax and unwind. Not to listen to gun fire off the back of the ship. :confused:

[Mark]

For your information skeet shooting just like shuffleboard had been a long-time traditional sport on cruises - so, if you don't like the sound of a shotgun then don't frequent the stern of the ship for a about an hour or so in the afternoon when it traditionally took place.

 

Your statemen reminds me of a person who buys a house near an airport and then complains about the noise and safety factors and tries to get it shut down.

 

As far as pollution, give me a break! Do you really think an hour or so of one person shooting at bio-degradable pigeons is going to have an impact on the environment? I don't!

 

If you are really interested in stopping pollution and saving the planet, take a look at countries like China, Russia and India and see who the major offenders are and whose governments are blind to it for the sake of economic progress. Don't buy products made in those countries.

 

Do you know that China buys factories and mills in this country that cannot operate due to pollution regulations and ships them to China for use where there are no laws. China loves to buy old US Steel mills.

 

Did you know that all old ships including ships like the Norway go to India for breaking? The Indians just cut the ships up on a beach and have no rules about polluting the land, ocean or air.

 

As far as the Russians, only God knows what they are doing over there with there radioactive waste!

 

Your conern about skeet shooting ruining the environment is funny even though your intentions are good.:cool:

[chasetf]

I work with a guy who is an avid hunter, and he mentioned that his wife doesn't hunt but she does shoot clay pigeons. Was that once an activity on cruise ships? If it was, when did it stop?

Have not seen it since our 1991 cruises. I think it just lost popularity due to the pollution debate.... but probably the real reason was the cost..... Last time I did it, it was $1 a shot in 1991. Probably would be $3-4 a shot nowadays. :eek:

[Capsu78]

Well lets all pollute the planet, why not, we won't have to live here much longer...Just let our kids worry about cleaning up the mess. :confused:

 

I don't think driving to the airport, flying to a port, floating around on a hugh diesel fuel driven boheameth, daytripping on polluting buses across pristine island ecosystems while consuming massive amounts of food, beverages and generating large amounts of waste really helps those "non sheet shooters" on the front of the ship have a much smaller "carbon footprint"...unless of course you buy some pre cruise carbon indulgences from Al Gore, Inc. Last I checked, those planes, ships and vehicles don't run on rainbow beams and fairy dust.

 

Only saying I don't think skeet shooting off the back of a ship is the "inconvenient truth" here!

[BruceMuzz]

The US Coast Guard (and US Navy) has been stopping, boarding, and arresting ships in international waters for many years. We see them all over the Caribbean every week.

 

When my Bahamas Flagged international cruise ship leaves the port of Miami and goes into international Waters, we open the Casino.

But if a non-American wins more than $1200 in that international casino - in international waters - my international cruise line is required to collect income taxes from that winning non-US citizen and pay that money to the US Internal Revenue Service. The fingers of the US Government reach very far.

[DeepWaterMariner]

I suppose it is possible that shooting clays from cruise ships was stopped due to environmental reasons but it defies logic...if a regiment of duck hunters can shoot cases of shotgun shells from duck blinds around a small bay without causing an environmental impact it doesn't make sense that a half dozen cruise ship passengers in the middle of the ocean firing 10 shots each would do more damage. I think cost and safety were a bigger factor. It never was a cheap activity, in fact very overpriced compared to shooting clays on dry land. And it's hard to keep some passengers from jumping off of cruise ships these days. We certainly don't want them armed.

[MaderaMan]

My wife and I shot skeet from the stern of the Carnival Jubilee in 1992 on our honeymoon. Was fun.

 

I went first...hit 5 of the 10, and was pleased thinking that it would impress my new bride. She went next and hit 8 of the 10. There were hundreds of folks crowding the rails applauding her.

 

Put me in my place real quick...and I've never forgotten that lesson!