Drink Legislation - a survey

Sushi is delicious

  • Yes

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • No

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    0

awol

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The RYA doesn't seem to think there is a problem. The majority of posters on the subject think the legislation is unnecessary. So here are 5 questions which, if answered truthfully, might give some scale.
If something like this has been done on another forum, I apologise, but I only watch YM and PBO.
 
It seems that there is no problem and yet as I write 26% of respondents have been over the limit whilst being in command. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif
 
when T25 posted there were 5 votes in total. There is no statistical method under the sun that will make meaning of the results of that.

There is also the issue on these forums that people will vote for whatever will make the most antagonistic thread, and no voting on this forum would ever be accepted by any method of genuine polling.
 
Amazing! 1 in 5 report they know of an incident where alcohol was a factor and fully a third of the respondents indicated they've commanded a vessel while legally drunk, yet the vast majority (82% when I counted) don't think there's a problem with boats and alcohol.
 
Amazing! 1 in 5 report they know of an incident where alcohol was a factor, yet only 1 in 5 think there's a problem with boats and alcohol. Like you, I'm gobsmacked by people's inconsistency!
 
Doesn't have to be inconsistent! The question refers to drink and drive rules, that is for cars. Many a boater may think that you can command a boat safely with higher alcohol level than drive a car.
 
"a problem" which leads to "incidents". 4 people have said there isn't one despite saying they've witnessed "incidents"...
Strange.

Marc.
 
indeed - and this is where the proposals, peoples thoughts and reality all come together.

I will 'admit' (does this make me a problem?) that I have on occassion left Studland or Swanage and returned to Poole on a Saturday evening with possibly more than 80mg/100ml. These will, in many ways self correctingly, have been clear calm sunny days. I will return slower than I might otherwise, giving any potential hazard a wider berth than I might otherwise. This luxary is availbable on a boat but not on defined roads ar where you create a hazards for other road vehicles when travelling at slow speed.

In the above I am no different from those who anchor up for the night and then proceed to have a few glass of wine - as many issue could present themselves to them as me. Most hazards are actually a function of being afloat on a boat rather than being underway.

I have not completed the above poll as it is clearly biased both in structure and use of words.

The real answer is obvious - alcohol in any quantity affects judgement in many ways and should be banned from the planet. Anything less is a compromise of the basic premise and miss quoting Churchill - it's just a matter of establishing whats considered acceptable. Personally I believe this level is obvious rather than achaedemic - ie when people exhibit antisocial behaviour as a result of it or are incapable of operating (whatever) for the safety of themselves, their crew and others.

As many people are clearly not capable of the latter in many, normal, circumstances when sober it is difficult to accept that the skipper of helmsman of a 40ft yacht with a stone cold sober crew motoring along an open coast in perfect conditions but having had 4 glasses of wine with lunch represent any tangible risk. It is absolutely obvious to me that making the carrying of even mimimum levels of safety equipement onboard vessels at all times would save more lives than this legislation. Now if we are going to ban alchol completely on all vessels and operators that's another thing - is it inconsistent if I suggest I would be more in favour of that than this legislation?
 
From what ive seen most drink when in port or at anchor.Boats leaving tend to leave and compleat their passage before serving a drink.
One exception that i saw was a large German boat which left a yard late afternoon as i was being lifted,he was drinking whisky and ran on the rocks!
A lot of boats leaving in the evening or night for a passage may be over the drink drive limit for cars but are no way drunk or careless from what ive seen
 
The "drink taken" incident I witnessed was a PWC driven by a lager fuelled lout. He was leaping wakes, charged into the side of a mobo and fell off. He was too pissed to climb back on.

My saving grace this year is the few days I've been out. Over a season, I probably do exceed the drink driving levels a couple of times, but while I enjoy a G&T or a beer whle on a day out on my boat, I don't sail to get pissed and i don't know any who do. Hence it's no poblem.
 
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I have not completed the above poll as it is clearly biased both in structure and use of words.

[/ QUOTE ]

As the author of the poll, I can assure you that any bias in the words or structure is purely accidental. I was trying to gauge the effect of alcohol on the experiences of forumites not run a MORI style poll for which I have neither the training or aptitude. I am sorry you did not complete the poll but don't you have any desire to know the response?
 
Sadly drink seems to be a regular contributing factor to damage on charter boats...I would tend to lean towards yachts, but that is because I have limited experience of Motor Yacht charter.

Is it a general problem?? Probably not - confined to the "lunatic few"

I can think of several instances where an inebriated charter crew came into a pontoon without remembering to stop!!! (I won't mention the charter company!!)

Thats why we don't charter "Freya"

Nick
 
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