drinking & sailing

[ghost]

It's a subject close to a lot of peoples hearts it seems,
I just saw the current results from this poll and was surprised to see most in favour of "butt out, my boat my rules",
I would have imagined that being sensible and safety paramount folk we would be agreeing even welcoming any legislation that might make our way even safer.
Myself I have been run down by a big mobo with matey and his bimbo out of it on the flybridge, smashed my dinghy and broke my crews head a bit - although the insurance got me a faster hull new boom and my mate seemed more alert and nimble when he recovered -
Booze on board is ok in berth for all aboard but sullen and dehydrated skippers waking early and making way with the responsibility of the lives of their crew subject to decisions made by a cloudy mode of thought........well, it's dodgy aint it?

 

[Peppermint]

Re: Grown ups

don't need a law. Incidences such as the one you describe are thankfully rare. Should an accident happen, the mechanism is in place to allow for the breathalizing of those involved. What else would you suggest.


If you want more law your certainly living in the right country. You've picked a likely target too as most of the new laws seem to target things that rarely happen and that are covered by law already. If you want to really make a safety difference to yotties compulsory crash helmets would save more injury and lives. Good luck selling that one too.

 

[FullCircle]

Sensible? Hmm, less likely with me than you might believe.
Safety Paramount. Nope, but assessed risk is my favoured modus operandi. I do not equip for absolutely every eventuality.
Drinking on board? Well, a search through the threads will probably show that on balance we like to look after ourselves, and there are loads of existing laws.
You will find a diversity of opinion on every single subject boaty here, and long may it remain that way. Look down furhter to the anchoring scope thread of yesterday/today. Not a dry eye in the house.

Welcome ghost, from a mildly dodgy Essex Geez.


Jim
who moved the liferaft to the port pushpit today /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[ghost]

Ha ha. i actually have actually seen such a thing, Ramsgate week several years back, boatload of french guys wearing milkmaid dresses and canoeing/ climbing helmets, come to think of it they had to get drunk to look like that

 

[Birdseye]

Problem is that whilst drinking and driving is (largely) socially unacceptable, the attitude amongst sailors to drinking and sailing is very different. Similar to the attitude of drivers back in the 60's.

Members from our club have been known to go out on lunchtime booze / sail when the tides are right. Then the wives drive up to the club to drive them home. And I dont for one minute think we are unique in this.

So yes - I'm in favour of the new laws, even though nothing has been put in place to enforce them. No good saying that its likely you'll only kill yourself. True that may be, but it would still most likely have bad consequences for others.

 

[Ben_e_Toe]

There’s a bit of difference between driving at 80 mph and helming at five knots.....

Problem is the same as with all legislation. Since the DD laws came in during the 60s DD deaths have reduced but still a 'hard core' believe that they know better. You could put a death penalty on drink driving and still some people would flout the law......

What happened to the principle of encouraging a society based on personal responsibility......

 

[pragmatist]

[ QUOTE ]
There’s a bit of difference between driving at 80 mph and helming at five knots.....

What happened to the principle of encouraging a society based on personal responsibility......

[/ QUOTE ]

If you want that kind of sense I would suggest you won't find it in the UK. If 3 people per year are damaged by tripping over a kerb someone wants new legislation to prevent it ever happening again. I'd ask "what happened to commonsense ?" A couple of years a to Radio 4 did a short series on "What new law would you like to see introduced ?" No-one suggested that repealing some of the vast quantity of useless and senseless regulations.

 

[Guest]

Not so much the D&D ....

Its the imposition of rules on people that many do not like. Each day etc. it seems that liberty is reduced due to the actions of a few .... maybe not so few on boats, but the accident rates on boats are far lower than cars etc.

No-one minds the reduction of alcohol related incidents afloat, but legislated limits at road levels may be a bit drastic IMHO.

Yes I do like a few cans when sailing and now I will have to watch how many I do have .... so as not to catch the attention of Waterborne Plod.
I have read through the proposals and IMHO think they are near ludicrous ..... there are so many instances that they sit either way and really do not answer the very point they are seeking to solve.

I remember Seat Belt Laws coming in, Crash Helmets on Motor-bikes etc. All sorts of petitions and arguments for / against etc. - now its all accepted as common place. Blimey - careful, we will all have legislation to wear harnesses next !!!!

/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[Das_Boot]

Re: Not so much the D&D ....

We should shoot all drunks while that are drunk there is nothing more demeaning or dangerous than a drunk. I would rather sail with a heroin addict.

 

[tcm]

drink/heroin addicts

i agree. However, i wd imagine that the drunk and the heroine addict might choose another boat instead of the one with a casual shootist/vigilante on board....

 

[ghost]

Re: Not so much the D&D ....

aw c'mon, how many of us have borne witness or can recall a yarn where a "Jolly sailor", happy to be in harbour and perhaps fatigued, has a tot or three and subsequently "just dings" the jetty/ that boat etc.
I was with this one bloke once who would'nt relinquish the helm -cos of his ego and the onlookers- who came in too fast and squashed some absent owners sonata, the tell tale crunching of the grp was scary.
The "jollies real folly" was to quickly motor straight out and we went somewhere else 15knm away.
Now if that was you're snotty and you knew nothing of the incident,
went out some days later and during the first blow the chain plate ripped out, you're kid was below in a mummy style sleeping bag and blah blah etc.
To say you'll only injure y'self is, well.... blinkered mate. sorry to upset anyone, but I would rather stop drinking than stop sailing.

 

[Das_Boot]

Re: drink/heroin addicts

I would hardly threaten them on the pier I would wait until we were at sea. The Heroin addict has nothing to fear. The drunk will slip quietly overboard.

 

[tome]

Re: drink/heroin addicts

Would this be a skippers decision or sort of more commitee like?

 

[ghost]

Re: drink/heroin addicts

yo Das-Boot,I like your style. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[tcm]

Re: excellent

I'd like to take this opportunity to say how heartily i agree with das-boot over there and especially all his views on skipperless boats, dealing with drunkeness and everything else.

I will now rush off to check the weather forecast at the office or if at sea if feel sure that i left something down below...

 

[webcraft]

Re: heroine addict

- one who cannot stop rabbiting on about Day Melon, presumably??

- Nick

 

[Das_Boot]

Re: drink/heroin addicts

It would be up to the commitee. No one can stand a drunk when they are sober.
I have had a drink at sea waiting out a storm. What I am talking about is a drunkard. I think I would have to stop the commitee stringing him up on the spreaders.

 

[tcm]

Re: drink/heroin addicts

you're total creep, ghost, but he does seem to have gun, so i'm right behind you. Quite long way tho..

 

[tome]

Re: drink/heroin addicts

Sounds a bit assertive to me

 

[tcm]

oh dear

unfortunately, i think DB has probably struck the right balance, whilst you seem to picking holes in his arguments all oveer the place, and hence you and the drunk will have to be shot as well by a democratic vote of the heroine addict, me and DB against you two.