3 "Mayday" calls today in the Solent/Isle of Wight

Evidence base?

It's a joke, hence the facetious language and the smiley.

I was thinking specifically of this incident: https://www.gov.uk/maib-reports/grounding-of-feeder-container-vessel-k-wave-off-malaga-spain, but there have been a couple of other similar ones. But for the avoidance of doubt amongst the humour-impaired, I'm not seriously suggesting that all accidents in which the Coastguard are not called in a timely manner are a result of inebriated Ukraininans.

Pete
 
It's a joke, hence the facetious language and the smiley.

I was thinking specifically of this incident: https://www.gov.uk/maib-reports/grounding-of-feeder-container-vessel-k-wave-off-malaga-spain, but there have been a couple of other similar ones. But for the avoidance of doubt amongst the humour-impaired, I'm not seriously suggesting that all accidents in which the Coastguard are not called in a timely manner are a result of inebriated Ukraininans.

There is also https://assets.digital.cabinet-office.gov.uk/media/547c6f54ed915d4c10000019/CoastalIsle.pdf, which was a sleeping Turk.

I assume that all small coastal vessels are crewed by an insufficient number of inadequately qualified and overworked drunks with serious communication problems and proceed accordingly. I'm still alive.
 
I think the allusion to crews of coasters - and larger ships - making way between waypoints utterly trollied and / or asleep is completely right, and proven so a very long time ago.

When on aircraft trials at a range - and more importantly, nice hotel - near Portpatrick we sometimes used to go to the lighthouse nearby.

Right at the foot of the cliff with the lighthouse on top, is the wreck of the ' Craigantlet '; set off from Ireland, put in CTS for lighthouse, got trollied, missed turn point, crunch !

A depressingly regular sequence all over the globe, unpopular when it involves supertankers.

Years ago we were crossing the Channel back from Fecamp when a small coaster heading North across the lanes passed us; both wheelhouse doors were open so we could see straight through as she rolled; no-one on the bridge.
 
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I get the feel that over the last 15-20years the shipping industry has been cleaning up its act. It may be far from perfect, but I suspect there are far fewer Trollied people at the wheel. Likewise there are less people asleep on the bridge of BIG ships. Small vessels (trawlers and smaller) I think fatigue is a much bigger issue... But I don't think that's much different to your typical cruising yacht - short handed. I suspect there are plenty on here who would fail the new Scottish Road Breath Test while at sea.
 
By my definitions - EVERY MOB other than during a sailing dinghy capsize or from a Jetski or some other situation where you basically go out expecting to go for a swim and self recover is a MAYDAY until proven otherwise. I'd far rather be calling abck five minutes later to cancel the mayday and stop the chopper taking off than deciding to escalate

I agree.

I know that some folk on here don't rate RYA Courses but they do teach that any MOB requires a Mayday - and quite rightly as far as I am concerned...
 
I agree.

I know that some folk on here don't rate RYA Courses but they do teach that any MOB requires a Mayday - and quite rightly as far as I am concerned...

Well, I'd still suggest that a MOB on a sunny day into warm water where you can recover them quickly and no injury sustained isn't going to be a Mayday, but that's probably one of the least likely times to get a MOB.

Taking on water - Mayday? Dunno - depends how quickly the water is coming in, how it's coming in and where the vessel is ...

Engine failure in clear water when the primary propulsion method is available (ie sails) or there's scope for anchoring - that isn't a Mayday - I can understand the initial panic and a call for assistance, but it's not a Mayday unless you're about to be without your boat - eg it sinks! Which doesn't generally happen with just an engine failure - not in clear water ...
 
When I did my RYA course - 1992 - we certainly weren't told to yell Mayday, just the manouvre - reach tack reach - to get back to the casualty; I do think more could have been made of how a small crew such as man & wife help each other back aboard, especially if it's hubby who is in the water.

It's a long known problem with sailing school boats that there are plenty of crew so one can designate someone to keep pointing to the target; very different thing if a wife is not too sure about manouvering let alone getting the skipper back onboard - hence practice tries are vital but tend to be ignored in the rush to go places, catch tides etc.

With a fully crewed handy boat, MOB should be just an unpleasant dunking; if it's man & wife I tend to think a Mayday is a good idea ASAP.

As for the Solent MOB first mentioned wasn't it a passenger off a cruise liner ? He died.
 
With a fully crewed handy boat, MOB should be just an unpleasant dunking; if it's man & wife I tend to think a Mayday is a good idea ASAP.
Depends on circumstances - if I just missed my step and fell in whilst in Chichester Harbour with just SWMBO onboard then recovery is likely to be fairly swift and simple - it'd take more time to call the mayday than to pick me up - but then I can swim and have experience of swimming in the harbour.
If I got swept overboard during a boistrious solent sail with just SWMBO aboard then a mayday is more probable - because recovery is that much harder.

I would certainly agree with a rule to consider calling a Mayday when a MOB occurs.
 
I would certainly agree with a rule to consider calling a Mayday when a MOB occurs.

I understand that with any sharp contact twix boom and human head then a Mayday should also be called even though a Pan Pan Medico was advised when I did my VHF course.
 
I would certainly agree with a rule to consider calling a Mayday when a MOB occurs.

Why do we also need a rule for this, a rule for that. What happened to good old fashioned common sense? Just about every circumstance for a person going overboard is going to be different and certainly one rule/procedure isn't going to be the best for all of them is it? The problem with making rules is that if anybody does anything that is even remotely in variance with them they leave themselves wide open to the blame committee which invariably follows any incident these days.

I personally think the Mayday system is massively abused with just about every other call I hear about being a complete waste of our valuable emergency services, however I'm not on the boat involved and what may just be a minor challenge for me could be a crisis for another. It would be nice if we could somehow increase the level of competence and confidence amongst some sailors however that would probably only come about with further rules and legislation but that takes me back to where I started.....so probably best to leave alone.....
 
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