Packing Heat at Nassau, Bahamas

We headed out on Wednesday for our second attempt at a foreign port of call. Way back in June, we left for Isla Mujeres, Mexico and ended up in Pensacola. This time, we’re pleased to report, has resulted in passport stamps and a stern lecture on bringing a pellet gun to the Bahamas. The gulf stream crossing was rough all day Wednesday but the following day was beautiful and we sailed into Nassau Harbor with three sails up. We pulled in late and didn’t think we’d have time to clear customs but a very nice customs officer breezed through the paperwork while we stared at the first warm meal we’d seen in 48 hours which was sitting on the table when she arrived.
“Any firearms aboard?” she asked.
“We just have a little toy pellet gun,” Randall replied.
“Does it have a serial number?” she wanted to know.
“I don’t think so. It is just a pellet gun,” Randall replied, showing her the “maybe we can fool the stupid ones with this” bb pistol we have on board.
“You are allowed to bring a firearm on a private vessel as long as it has a serial number. This is prohibited. Without a serial number, we cannot track it. It is prohibited.”
Silence.
“I will call my colleague to confirm this,” she said.
The colleague confirmed that it was prohibited.
Randall kept looking the bb gun over and finally found a number stamped on it. Now, our Bahamas paperwork reflects that we have legally declared our bb gun. We have 1500 rounds of ammunition on board (bb’s). And, most importantly, if this little bb gun is found in the hands of a murderous criminal, it can now be tracked back to Randall Fuchs on Capricious.
Tomorrow, we leave for the Exumas. We may give the bb gun a burial at sea.