Drink Legislation - a survey

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it should apply to all watercraft, just like the drink-driving laws apply to all vehicles, including bicycles.

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As yet, breathalysers don't apply to cyclists. The test is impairment. But then the law against "furious riding" is still on the statute books, rather than speeding
 
As far as I know , there is an offence of being drunk in charge of a cycle . They can only prove someone is drunk by making the cyclist take a breath test , although I don't know of anyone being prosecuted , they're usually helped back to thier feet and told to walk home
 
And as far as I know there is no legislation that requires a cyclist to submit to a breath test.
While this may seem like tangential thread drift, it is likely that Mr Plod will regard smallish sail boats in the same light as cyclists where severe impairment or "being far too clever by half" is needed to cause the book to come out. Less leniency is likely to be shown to large and/or fast motorboats, yachts etc. and that, IMHO, is as it should be.
 
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As for legally drunk, completely different set of circumstances apply to helming a boat frrom driving a car. Where I boat, there is a 4 knot speed limit - walking pace - I'm absolutely certain that it is possible to travel safely at a walking speed while legally unfit to drive a car.

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Perhaps one should be allowed to drive home from the pub, drunk as a skunk, as long as one keeps it under, say 10 Km/h?

I think it would be very difficult to allow for various regional rules. Unfortunately, laws tend to have a "broad brush" application. Also unfortunate, is that drink tends to render the user less willing/capable of following prescribed rules.
Many argue that one is perfectly capable of helming a boat while thoroughly primed, and that may be true, but would their performance be up to snuff to handle an emergency? How many mg of alc per 100 ml of blood makes it dangerous to recover a MOB, put out a fire, or anchor in an emergency?
The argument that driving a dink, while impaired is just as dangerous is probably quite correct. Personally, I don't think water-sports and heavy drinking are compatible. I think the 7m/7kt allowance is there as a concession to boaters to allow dink use when returning from the pub. If everyone was sensible there would be no need for laws - unfortunately we as a society must accept some restrictions on our freedoms as the price to keep the less sensible members of that society alive.

Would the legislation have saved these lives?:
http://www.maib.gov.uk/cms_resources/Sea%20Snake.pdf
http://www.maib.gov.uk/cms_resources/Carrie%20Kate-Kets.pdf
 
I feel like banging a few heads together.....

..talk about:-

"DIVIDE AND CONQUER"

If you're FOR opposition to the legislation - Stay on Line

If you're against, thank you for your input and good night - perhaps you should start your own campaign?

We really DO need to get organised on this.

Steve Cronin
 
Re: I feel like banging a few heads together.....

Not sure what you mean Steve , the way I see it they're going to push it through regardless of any opposition but if you think there's an effective way of opposing it I'm all ears . But the way they ignored the petition on red diesel proves that they really don't care what we think
 
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Now that the issue is on the government radar, its only a mater of time before licencing, legislation, probably even further taxation (to fund the monitoring) comes along. Just as soon as some government official sees an opportunity to keep a dept of mandarins busy.

[/ QUOTE ]I've no problem with licensing, nor paying for it, if it keeps the twats off the water.
 
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I've no problem with licensing, nor paying for it, if it keeps the twats off the water.

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Right, because its so successful at keeping the twats off the road....

Rick
 
Yes - loopers are put off the road, their license is revoked, or they go to jail - aka paris hilton. There is no easy legal mechanisim to do this to looper leisure boaters
 
They're taken off the road if or when they're caught which is often after something has gone wrong , that can happen with boats because we already have the legislation in place to deal with that , if the judges don't deal with offenders fully that's a different matter
 
Just about 2 weeks ago i took my bike into town,the French police were part of a fair,i asked them if i could drive a moped when id been drinking? As id been told you can drive after drinking as little as one bottle of wine at lunch,but what if the wine from breakfast 11ams added?

They said that anyone driveing anything that could provoke an accident is forbidden,That if i rode my bike back to my boat i could be fined 90€ or more if i was very drunk.I did ride back but it was on a grass track.

I always thought i could drive?Now i cant even use a bike!Things arnt getting better
 
As a skipper, we are responsable for a lot. I wouldn't allow anyone on board who is obviously over the limit for a days sailing as they are a danger to both themselves and the the running of the vessel. Draconion maybe but I won't drink unless the boat is tied up in a marina.
can you imagine trying to re anchor at night after having 4 or 5 pints?
In any sort of blow, it's diffacult enough as it is, adding alcohol is just crazy!
 
I for one sometimes have a few beers on a decently crewed yacht. We have all, at least I have, occassionaly had a few too many to handle a possible emergency. Deep down I feel the new laws to be somewhat intrusive. That said that you points are so logically indeniable it is very hard to argue a coherent case against them.
 
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I've no problem with licensing, nor paying for it, if it keeps the twats off the water.

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Thanks for your consideration for us who really cannot afford yet another tax. Didn't know you were such a rich bu&&er.

EDIT: Sorry should have replied to OceanFroggie
 
<there is an offence of being drunk in charge of a cycle>

You can be drunk in charge of a horse or a child. The benchmark is miles further on than merely exceeding the alcohol limit. His eyes were glazed, he was unsteady on his feet, his breath smelt of intoxicating liquor, he was drunk your honour.
 
The problem with legislation is that it will be general.i.e your drunk if you drink more than one bottle of wine.

Thats daft.Its responsability,if you fall off the gang plank getting aboard you have to know you shouldent set sail.

It also depends on whats drunk.I drink wine and know how much to drink and which wine to drink it makes passages very pleasant,though thunder lightning very heavy rain or very gusty conditions are just as bad weather tea water or wine are consumed

Ive seem people that can drink beir and still seem sober i cant beir makes me rather negative strong drink whisky gin sends me to sleep absinth vodka have me singing and doing stupid things.Good wine with good food make me happy and very awake a passage with just water aboard has me falling asleep!So everyones differant so a law would be wrong

Theseday where more have far far to much money is the problem for its mostly the new rich that go aboard their new boat roaring drunk and cast off.I once had a rubber boat pass me doing 70 knots i can still see his face lite by the electic chart not looking where he was going.

When i arrived later the boat was there he was very drunk i told him he had passed just meters from me and it was a wonder he hadent hit me.He was drinking vodka and bier!!But as he was very rich he could do as he wished.

The solution would be to take away all the money from the new rich and give it to me to support the economicaly challenged med sailors!
 
Dave, before you do your normal sending a link to these threads to Steven Ladyman so he can respond, may I suggest you refrain on this occasion. The more I read of the prevalence of alcohol being consumed at the helm, the more I see a need for a clamp down. Reading the threads around this site shows there is a problem and we are not policing it ourselves.

When people have often moaned that people will not allow other boats to raft against them in the summer, maybe these anti-rafters are more savvy than first realised, maybe they have been damaged by social drunks in the past.

What is this UK dependence on alcohol to have a good time?
 
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