More than 3.6 million firearms were manufactured in the United States in 2006, according to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. There were about 12.7 million boats registered in 2006, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

How those numbers relate – meaning how many boat owners keep a gun aboard – is one statistic nobody tracks, but it stands to reason that some boaters exercise their Second Amendment rights on water as well as land.

Some boaters and law-enforcement officials alike warn that you could become a victim yourself even with a gun on board.

While standard weapons can legally be carried in many states, counties and foreign countries if proper procedures are followed – including training, permitting and stowage – is it advisable to have a gun on board?

We interviewed several boaters, all of whom are properly licensed and trained to use guns, and their answers were as varied as their experiences.

READY, BUT UNWILLING

Joe Costa is a boater, a captain, a Florida boat broker and a retired New York cop. He believes in people's right to bear arms, but feels strongly that training needs to take priority.

"People need to know they shouldn't take a gun out unless they're prepared and trained to use it," he says. "The perpetrator might overpower you and use it against you. Once you take out a gun, it's the point of no return."

Costa has had several boats in New Jersey and Florida and doesn't typically carry a firearm on board, even though he is licensed and knows how to use it. "The only time I have carried a gun on my boat was when I went [there] right from work and had it with me or a shotgun when I went shark fishing," he explains.

Despite his personal practices, Costa does see a situation where someone might feel strongly about being armed. "The only viable reason to carry a gun on a boat – or anytime – is always for the protection of life and property," he says. "Depending where you are headed"¦going to the islands or other places"¦there may be places where you would not want to see your family and loved ones harmed or your property stolen."

COURTESY JOE COSTAEven with his training from the police force, Joe Costa won't carry a gun on his boat.

Still, he is quick to point out the responsibility that comes with owning a firearm. "If you pull out your weapon, you have to be prepared to use it," he says. "It may be easy to shoot someone, only a pull of the trigger, but can you live with the after effects? Can you live with yourself if you have shot and killed a person just because this person was hungry or wanted to feed his family?"

While on the police force, Costa was trained to use his weapon to "stop the threat" by firing two quick shots to the chest, but says not everyone can deal with the emotional outcome of that decision. "I have worked with cops who have shot and killed suspects justifiably but then had to retire because they could not handle the aftermath. These were good cops, and it was either them or the bad guy, and still they could not handle it."

GUNS AND GUESTS

Costa also notes that owners should be careful when it comes to guests. If a boat is used for entertaining family and friends, it's important for owners to discuss what is and what is not permitted on board. Owners can be held legally responsible for a weapon on their boat. For example, in Florida, the laws for carrying a gun on board a boat are the same as they are for a car, according to the Broward County Sheriff Department in Florida. People must have a permit to carry a concealed weapon and keep that weapon locked inside the vehicle.

Costa also advises owners to talk to crew and others hired to perform service work. He related the story of a man who owns an 80-foot yacht. "He let his captain go, and when he went through his boat, he found the captain had left his gun on board," Costa says. "He had no idea how to unload the weapon and was afraid of the gun, so he asked me to do it for him." 

Unfortunately, some boaters have reported local officials in other countries stealing the weapons they declared upon entry.

RISKY BUSINESS

Captain Tom McKenzie agrees with Costa's stance about not carrying a firearm on board. "If you're gonna carry it, you better be prepared to use it at some point," he says.

McKenzie, who's responsible for a 92-foot yacht that cruises and charters in the Bahamas in the winter and spends summers in the Midwest, has never carried a firearm and doesn't plan to, for a number of reasons.

First and foremost, he admits that he is not sure he's prepared to fire one if needed. "Plus, when you go into another country, you have to declare the weapons," he says. "There's too many complications and paperwork that go with it."

McKenzie says he keeps a 24-millimeter flare gun as required, "so if we came into a situation that warranted using a weapon, I'd aim that at the boat or person, and I'm sure it would do enough damage."

Captain Charlie Kiss of Stuart, Florida, says the first and last time he handled a weapon on board was in 1978. He was a first mate traveling with the owner-operator, a self-proclaimed survivalist who carried a Remington riot gun and a semi-automatic rifle.