Drink Driving - of boats

Cornishman

Cornishman

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Most will recall the various exchanges here and elsewhere about being breathalysed when in charge of a vessel and my guess is that most of us have tended to ignore the new rules.
On this subject Charles Hattersley, a marine law solicitor at a big firm in Plymouth has issued a warning "We may soon have officers carrying out spot checks." (Western Morning News, 22nd August)
The warning is directed mainly at fishermen, and the traditional last pint before leaving for a week at sea could well cost them dearly.
However, the new regulation applies just as much to skippers of leisure vessels as it does to the professionals. There have been two prosecutions already in the West and they were not fishermen. Beware.
 
I like a drink, I mean, I LIKE a drink, red wine best, drop of malt now and again. A pint of hand drawn beer at a weekend lunch time, ooooh! luuverly!

However, I apply the same rule too sailing as I apply to driving. As much as I love a drink as I do driving and sailing, its one or the other, never mix the two, there is no need for it, no excuse.
 
I used to joke ....

Helming - activity designed to interrupt flow of hand to mouth .....

Stowage - the art of finding the best and most convenient way to stow the beer ready for drinking ....

OK OK ......... so I make light of it .... in fact I do like a drop while boating but so far have not endangered others or caused mishaps - maybe I'm lucky ...

I agree that levels must be set to achieve maximum safety on the water ....... unfortunately levels set to govern the most stupid which affect all. ie - Many can safely sail there boats with 3 or 4 cans inside ... but there are idiots that literally cannot control a bath-toy after 1 sniff of a drink ........ that is the level that has to be set ...

Others may take me to task about the above .... but for years I have without problem partaken of a few beers on boat ... along with many who sail with me ... possibly familiarity with my boat and what it can and cannot do assist my doing so without mishap ... who knows .. but I will have to change my Modus Operandi ....... in light of latest developments ...

/forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif
 
Re: I used to joke ....

The RYA asserts that this is not really a problem among "average" boat users, which I believe is why they were opposed to strict enforcement of limits. Harbour authorities barely have the resources to enforce obvious transgressions of the bylaws, such as speeding, without getting every yottie with a can in the cockpit to heave-to and blow into a little bag. I think its more likely to be used after an incident, as it generally is with mechant ships, to decide how big a book to throw at the culprit.
 
Re: I used to joke ....

I take it from the comments that it is strictly applicable to boats under way and therefore different from motor vehicles where just being in charge of the vehicle is what counts. No-one can be expected to run a dry ship even at anchor or berthed surely?
 
Re: I used to joke ....

You are right. Once we get the hook down or the warps on; the cork goes pop!

Having a drink while sailing is down to choice of the skipper on board. For me its not 'am I going to upest a HM', no, for me its how much can I or any memeber of crew drink and then safely be able to work on the foredeck, navigate into an unfamilier haven, deal with a potential collision situation etc. As doubt exists and we are involved in potentialy a dangerours pastime, let there be no doubt, no drink 'till we are tucked up.
 
Re: I used to joke ....

<<I think its more likely to be used after an incident, as it generally is with mechant ships, to decide how big a book to throw at the culprit>>

Al a Exxon Valdez ?? Not always the norm ... as many company's nowadays breath test their own staff......

I even worked for a company that used to send it's security staff on with the dogs to sniff out substances ...

As I was leaving the sea and 'swallowing' the anchor ... company's were taking decisions to try and stop any problems with US CG and other bodies ... by self-regulation.

Funny thing was - the guy on board with responsibility to oversee the 'bag' was often the one who was p.....d the most - the Old Man !! Second in line often the Ch. Eng ..... so who top administer it if the two most senior guys on board are .............. !!

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Re: I used to joke ....

The trouble with loosing all restraint about drink when at anchor is those few moments when the anchor starts to drag!

Mind you I should be the last to preach, I well remember an occasion on the broads in a 21ft sailer, when a collision with the riverbank was welcomed and boat secured in case we were unable to find the other bank! It was 30 years ago
 
Re: I used to joke ....

[ QUOTE ]
Harbour authorities barely have the resources to enforce obvious transgressions of the bylaws

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't know what happens elsewhere in the country, but the Devon&Cornwall Constabulary have officers afloat in several ports and harbours along the coasts of the two counties, and then there is always MOD PLOD (Ministry of Defence Police) in Plymouth. All of whom carry a supply of the necessary bags with them.
 
Er ....
What exactly do they propose to DO if you transgress ?
They can't exactly take away your license can they ?
It would have to be a jail term or community service I suppose but then wouldn't your defence lawyer point out the unjust difference in penalties compared to drivers ?
I'm a great believer in the Darwinistic approach to this - sooner or later a pi**ed boater will drown themselves and cease to be a problem.
 
Trouble is he/she might take others with him/her. BTW have you seen the latest report that 19% of women drivers who answered a survey admitted to driving while over the limit?
 
The MCA and drink driving - of boats

The MCA have already thrown the book at the professionals.

In one case a North Sea shuttle tanker owned by (a huge oil company which has a strict no booze on board rule) was waiting on weather in a Scottish loch. They decided to drop the MOB boat (a RIB) in the water for practice, and so they did. Master, Chief Engineer and a mate and the Bosun climbed in for a drive round. They decided to visit the shore...

...a Pub met their gaze...

...and in they went for just the one pint...

...and then another one...

...several pints later the second mate called up to say it was brewing up and they had better get back.

They were too p......d to operate the RIB and had to be plucked out.

Now, it is worth noting that their SHIP was safely at anchor and sufficiently manned by competent officers and crew to go to sea at once, case need.

The three officers were in charge, not of an 80,000 ton tanker, but an 18ft RIB.

None the less the MCA did their very worst.

All three officers lost their tickets.

A yachtsman might be in charge of a 35ft yacht, not an 18ft RIB.

Be warned...
 
Re: The MCA and drink driving - of boats

[ QUOTE ]
All three officers lost their tickets.

A yachtsman might be in charge of a 35ft yacht, not an 18ft RIB

[/ QUOTE ]

What ticket will the yachtsman loose - Incompetent crew /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
Re: The MCA and drink driving - of boats

I thought that in that case they were done for being drunk on the rib, but the fact that they were about to be in charge of a 80,000 ton tanker had some bearing on the punishment.
Doesn't matter though, being drunk and in charge of any vessel is daft.

I saw some boaters, who had been drinking, get into difficulty in Dartmouth a couple of years ago. One moment it was all merriment and laughter, the next it was all shouting and screaming in the water. It was astonishingly quick. It sobered them up!
 
Re statistics I heartily agree - but the other 70% you mention might not have been caused by sober drivers either. What about the lamp post which jumped into the road, or the cat/dog which caused a quite sober motor cyclist to swerve and fall off?
And what about the driver who swerved to avoid a child - and fell out of bed?
 
Yes slightly worrying.The problem I can see is that you never have to drive a car after drinking but you could have to get underway to re anchor or if the wind shifted unexpectedly.

I never drink a lot on board unless safely alongside a pontoon or wall but still enjoy a few sundowners at anchor or even underway on occasions Usual thing ,a few idiots spoiling it for the vast majority.
 
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