Burials at sea........

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ianat182

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Further to the lifejacket thread comments.. is there a law or protocol for having a burial at sea instead of the rip-off prices of cremation and funerals these days.
I had thought of laying in a supply of cement and gravel and a couple of buckets- perhaps I'd best re-phrase that! I have no-one in mind at present and I expect there is a pollution problem , but it is as well to be prepared. I know that ashes can be scattered but again there is a rule I think?

ianat182
 
Possibly more than you wanted to know...

Professional funeral directors may be able to organise a burial at sea, though this service could cost upwards of £2,000. If family members are going to organise a sea burial, then, in addition to registering the death, they will need to procure a licence for a burial at sea. This licence is free from the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). This licence grants approval for a sea burial at one of two designated areas: Newhaven, East Sussex or The Needles Spoil Ground, Isle of Wight. The local Fisheries District Inspector at either location may be able to grant a licence for a burial at sea as well.

When preparing the body for burial, no embalming is allowed as this preservative could cause water pollution. Instead, a cotton sheet or biodegradable body bag may be employed. In fact, no materials may be included in the coffin which could present a danger to the marine environment. This includes the body itself (a certificate acknowledging that it is free from fever and infection should be obtained) and the coffin itself (which must not be made of synthetic materials, zinc, lead or copper).
http://www.facingbereavement.co.uk/BurialAtSea.html

Scattering ashes seems to be a simpler matter:

People arranging individual ceremonies do not require Environment Agency approval, but should comply with the following guidelines;

Do not:

* Spread ashes within 1km upstream of any drinking water supply
* Spread ashes where the water is used for commercial, agricultural or recreational purposes, such as a marina
* Use a bridge over a river used by boaters or canoeists
* Use anywhere close to anglers
* Hold ceremonies in windy weather or close to buildings because of the risk of ashes being blown astray. You should spread the ashes as close to the surface of the water as reasonably possible.
* Allow other non-biodegradable materials such as wreathes and plastic bags to enter the water

http://www.ifishoulddie.co.uk/scattering-or-interring-ashes-c71.html

A google's wonderful thing....:)
 
Salty Urn

In Mallorca it is common to commit the ashes to the sea. The ashes are placed into an urn made of salt. It is dropped overboard in deep water. The salt dissolves and the ashes then are dispersed. Apparently sea-sickness of the relatives on the boat that does this is the major problem!
 
The bit about not scattering ashes in windy weather is serious. I helped scatter ashes of an old seaman from the back of a motor launch. At the crucial moment the wind swirled around the stern a bit and we got him all over us :-(

I could taste him for ages afterwards, its very fine dust.
 
graham said:
The bit about not scattering ashes in windy weather is serious. I helped scatter ashes of an old seaman from the back of a motor launch. At the crucial moment the wind swirled around the stern a bit and we got him all over us :-(

I could taste him for ages afterwards, its very fine dust.
Click to expand...

Did he taste salty then?
 
We've done a number of ashes at sea - even got into YBW Confessionals for one specific activity!

It needs to be delivered to the wishes of those saying farewell, religion, music, speech making, flowers, drinks, etc; we take a position fix and mark it on google maps and subsequently send the link to those aboard.

If you've got some one to say goodbye to then SWMBO and I do a respectful "farewell" ....contact in the link below
 
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We scattered some of my Dad's ashes in the Mersey with a little family service. He used to take my brother & I swimming off the Wallasey Prom back in the '50s & he always enjoyed a walk of the beach.

We said our piece & then scattered the ashes from the bottom of a slipway, the next wave brought them straight back & naturally it was bigger than the previous one & deposited the ashes all over my shoes. We actually had a good laugh as Dad would have done & decided he was only trying to tease us.
 
ianat182 said:
Further to the lifejacket thread comments.. is there a law or protocol for having a burial at sea instead of the rip-off prices of cremation and funerals these days.
I had thought of laying in a supply of cement and gravel and a couple of buckets- perhaps I'd best re-phrase that! I have no-one in mind at present and I expect there is a pollution problem , but it is as well to be prepared. I know that ashes can be scattered but again there is a rule I think?

ianat182
Click to expand...

We used to do both burials-at-sea and scatterings of ashes, at present only scatterings. The burial ground is 'licensed' to protect from disturbance. I understood there is/was another burials service offered at Liverpool. (I didn't know of the south coast but it would make sense)

By the way, the burials are using the proper weighted canvas bags.

Official scatterings and burials are arranged through the Seaman's Mission or Apostleship of the Sea organisations.

ps. A scattering will do for me. I think.
 
Incidentally, what is the current recommendation when a member of crew has a heart attack and drops dead, 3 days sailing away from land in hot weather ?
 
VO5 said:
Incidentally, what is the current recommendation when a member of crew has a heart attack and drops dead, 3 days sailing away from land in hot weather ?
Click to expand...

Had that on ship 3 days out of Brazil - body bag, in the freezer.

If a yacht - I'd make all efforts to contact Authorities asap and be guided by them on Pan Pan 16. Or use a ship to make a satellite call to your nearest port. They'll probably come out to you. You can expect to be crawling with officials on arrival.

You know it's natural causes - they don't.

The experience would be a nightmare.
 
To avoid some of the bureaucracy, you could of course just sail 12 miles from the coast so you're in international waters and therefore out of the UK. However: "The Coroner may also need to be informed of the intention to remove a body out of England as prescribed in the Removal of Bodies Regulations 1954 (as amended)"

Wherever you do it, though, it's worth paying heed to the distress of others:
"It is, of course, inevitable that when a body is buried at sea it is liable to be subject to movement by currents, with the consequent risk that it may be returned to the shore, or even the unfortunate possibility of it being trawled up by fishing gear. Such situations cause considerable distress to relatives and friends of the deceased and indeed, also to those who may inadvertently encounter such a situation."
 
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