Captain Calamitys

[Corribee Boy]

I followed some of the links above, and came across this interview on ABC. Apologies if it's been posted before but I just couldn't believe the guy's response to RKJ's comments.
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/duo-attempting-sail-norway-maine-speak-36568337

Have they even understood that the RNLI are volunteers?

 

[RichardS]

Have they even understood that the RNLI are volunteers?

Perhaps we should list what they do understand:

1) .......... errrrrr



Richard

 

[Nicholas123]

I followed some of the links above, and came across this interview on ABC. Apologies if it's been posted before but I just couldn't believe the guy's response to RKJ's comments.
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/duo-attempting-sail-norway-maine-speak-36568337

Have they even understood that the RNLI are volunteers?

Have you understood that they said that not all the callouts were emergencies? All seems a little bit stuffy to me.
There always seem to be loads of arm chair experts telling other people why they should'nt do something.At least they are having a go & probably an adventure that most of us can only dream about.

 

[JumbleDuck]

probably an adventure that most of us can only dream about.

Yeah, I dream that I'm drowning sometimes. Can't say it's much fun.

 

[Bru]

"Robin Knox Johnson should remember we won the war"

With that asinine remark any sympathy I felt for the idiots went right out of the window

 

[Nicholas123]

Yeah, I dream that I'm drowning sometimes. Can't say it's much fun.

Have they drowned then?

 

[GHA]

There always seem to be loads of arm chair experts telling other people why they should'nt do something.At least they are having a go & probably an adventure that most of us can only dream about.

Most of us having a go would know how to do some basic passage planning and get a weather forecast. And be slagged off if we didn't.

 

[Bru]

Most of us having a go would know how to do some basic passage planning and get a weather forecast. And be slagged off if we didn't.

And most of us having a go would listen to good advice from other experienced people and even in the event of a calamity would make some effort to sort the boat out

Every new set of pictures or new video that emerges seems to show the boat getting shabbier and messier. Accepted that after the initial mooring disaster at Hayle (and as a one off in isolation, such a thing could happen to the best of us) things were going to be in a mess but there doesn't seem to be any attempt to straighten out the boat, it actually seems to be getting into more of a mess with every day

And most of us having a go would, if we'd required the assistance of the RNLI and other agencies even once, would be grateful and at least mildly embarrassed to have needed help (I know I was when we needed help off the Belgian coast - and we had to pay handsomely for that help too, unlike these jokers who've received no end of assistance at no cost to them and who seem to think it's their God given right to expect it)

 

[TonyBuckley]

I don't think any of us have a clue what the next steps are, do we?

Maybe some lessons learnt?

An interesting story to watch but as I mentioned before, I doubt the news will pick it up again unless they die. The story is finished especially if they complete it with any success.

I'd like to keep watching as I wish them well, as I would anyone.

I wonder what letter of the alphabet we will reach as the Atlantic storms race in prior to Summer.

 

[Seajet]

"Robin Knox Johnson should remember we won the war"

With that asinine remark any sympathy I felt for the idiots went right out of the window

I rather agree; remember according to Hollywood the Americans, not the Polish then British, grabbed the enigma machine and code...How any film producer with a modicum of self respect could have made the American nonsense like that is beyond me - and hopefully an insult to the more clued up Americans.

As for our heroic pair, maybe their ' Bucket List ' is to tick off every rescue service in their book ?!

 

[JumbleDuck]

Have they drowned then?

Not yet, but it can only be a matter of time.

 

[fisherman]

One St Ives LB crew was moved to say "OK, I'm a volunteer, I accept that absolutely, but I'm hacked off losing a hundred quid for those tossers" or words to that effect. For anyone who thinks they have been unlucky rather than un- skilled or prudent, would you happily join them for the trip round the end, just go below and relax with a good book and cup of tea?

 

[trapezeartist]

The arrogance towards RKJ beggars belief. At that point the CCs lost all my sympathy.

The St Ives lifeboatman makes a good point. Rescues are not just a cost to the taxpayer or a charity. A good proportion of lifeboatmen and Coastguard Rescue Officers are self-employed, and when they are turning out on a shout they aren't earning money. Even those in employment, their employer is losing their services for the time they are away.

Having said that, if you think there is a situation that requires 999 or Mayday, don't hesitate. We'll do 100 false alarms with good intent, in preference to not being called just once when we should have been.

 

[Triassic]

Having said that, if you think there is a situation that requires 999 or Mayday, don't hesitate. We'll do 100 false alarms with good intent, in preference to not being called just once when we should have been.

I understand your point but should there not be a degree of responsibility around that good intent. Is it acceptable for people to have so little skill or ability to deal with unexpected problems that they rely on emergency services to solve them.

Take for example that video posted on here recently with the gentleman making passage up the west coast in a yacht when they experienced engine failure in a dead calm sea. They were still 18 miles offshore when they called out the lifeboat. As far as I could make out the hull was intact, the mast, rigging and sails serviceable, and they were in no immediate danger. It appeared to me that they were using the lifeboat as some kind of RAC breakdown service and I though that totally inappropriate. What was stopping them from waiting until the wind came back in, sailing to the vicinity of a harbour, and calling out a local resource to tow them in if necessary?

 

[Robert Wilson]

Good point, and sensible reasoning.
Perhaps they had some reason to be "in port by a definite time"? I know cruising to a deadline is not quite sensible, but there may have been a genuine reason.
The pub closing-time, "on a promise", charter-boat return by time, not insured for dark-time at sea?

None of which warrant an RNLI call-out as not "in danger", but who knows what was going through the crews' minds at the time.

 

[Appledore]

Take for example that video posted on here recently with the gentleman making passage up the west coast in a yacht when they experienced engine failure in a dead calm sea. They were still 18 miles offshore when they called out the lifeboat. As far as I could make out the hull was intact, the mast, rigging and sails serviceable, and they were in no immediate danger. It appeared to me that they were using the lifeboat as some kind of RAC breakdown service and I though that totally inappropriate. What was stopping them from waiting until the wind came back in, sailing to the vicinity of a harbour, and calling out a local resource to tow them in if necessary?

A few years ago, on our way back from Guernsey to Plymouth our engine failed some miles off Salcombe, due to a cracked piston. My 20 year-old crew member wanted to get home and asked that I call out the Lifeboat to tow us in. I point blank refused, and instead called Brixham Coastguard to advise them that we were making for Salcombe but only very slowly as the seas were lumpy and not much wind. Brixham asked that I radio in every hour, which I did, to confirm position. Once off the Bar, the harbour launch came out and escorted us in. Never any problems, and we were being monitored by the local Coastwatch team at Prawle Point all the time. The system works if you don't abuse it.

 

[NormanS]

I understand your point but should there not be a degree of responsibility around that good intent. Is it acceptable for people to have so little skill or ability to deal with unexpected problems that they rely on emergency services to solve them.

Take for example that video posted on here recently with the gentleman making passage up the west coast in a yacht when they experienced engine failure in a dead calm sea. They were still 18 miles offshore when they called out the lifeboat. As far as I could make out the hull was intact, the mast, rigging and sails serviceable, and they were in no immediate danger. It appeared to me that they were using the lifeboat as some kind of RAC breakdown service and I though that totally inappropriate. What was stopping them from waiting until the wind came back in, sailing to the vicinity of a harbour, and calling out a local resource to tow them in if necessary?

I think you will find that the yachtsmen didn't call out the Lifeboat. What they will have done is to have alerted the CG. The CG then make the decision as to whether assistance is appropriate. They do tend to err on the cautious side.

 

[Robert Wilson]

Well there you go then.
All friends

 

[Triassic]

I think you will find that the yachtsmen didn't call out the Lifeboat. What they will have done is to have alerted the CG. The CG then make the decision as to whether assistance is appropriate. They do tend to err on the cautious side.

So is it possible that this is what has been happening with our American friends, hence their comments that the "rescues" were not really emergencies. Don't get me wrong, I still think their attitude and comments in the interviews I've seen were appalling, however if the first couple of times they simply reported problems to the CG it resulted in a lifeboat being sent to them they might be forgiven for thinking that's what happens around here and it's no big deal?

 

[trapezeartist]

All good points. But generally it's better to be safe than sorry (and do bear in mind that I am definitely not a part of the OTT Elf 'n' Safety brigade). I would suggest that the CG watchrooms don't err on the cautious side, but they do work on the cautious side.