Engines are for going places....

[bilbobaggins]

...according to one retired mobo enthusiast, a stoker, innocently oblivious of the MCA's reported concern over the increasing number of 'Engine Failure Emergencies' in which the services of a lifeboat and crew are called for and provided.

The RNLI, in understated fashion, concur and reflect this in their 'Sea Safety' publications - and even Yachting Monthly has an article reproduced in their 'YMPlus' feature Here, seeking to reduce the number of avoidable engine failures that are costing the RNLI and MCA so much time, treasure and trouble.

Now, I've suffered my share of engine problems over the years ( a wee floating plastic bag, a work-hardened copper pipe leaking the whole fuel tank into the bilge, a great thick bit of Irish warp, a split-hydraulic weepy gearbox, a lack of wiggly amps.... ) and every single time, I've managed to simply sail on to where I was going. And so have my peers. As expected.

No fuss, no drama, no lifeboat.

I'd like a breakdown of the cost to the RNLI *and* the MCA of providing tow-services to broken-down mobos each year - including those *unmentionables* who simply, and repetitively, run out of fuel.

Grrrr!

Engines are for going places, eh? Yes, at the end of someone else's towing warp.....

/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[gandy]

It would be interesting to know how many failures/callouts would have been avoided by each of those checks.

 

[Stemar]

I'm sure they grit their teeth sometimes and use a few well chosen words (almost) out of earshot, but any charge would mean the irriots who can't manage to get themselves out of whatever merde they've got themselves into would delay calling for help until it's too late.

Any emergency service would rather go out 20 times to get a tosser home safe before it's an emergency than go out once looking for a body.

 

[bilbobaggins]

Have you seen that current TV advert for Martini? Where the polished plonker in his humungous mobo runs out of fuel, forgets to switch tanks, has a plastic bag over an inlet, or summat.

Along comes a cool forumeer, talks 'jack-the-lad' into parting with his SooperSunlinerPrincessDreamtime thingy and his even more sleek GF, fixes the fanbelt or whatever in a minute, and departs - leaving said loser walking back along beach to marina clubhouse with box of old Martini bottles on shoulder.

Says it all, somehow.....

/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Mirelle]

And sailing boats may expect to go aground!

without bothering the MCA and the RNLI.

At least, I've often managed the former without the latter.

 

[bilbobaggins]

Re: And sailing boats may expect to go aground!

Y'know, I'm really struggling to get this troll going.....

Maybe I should say something nice about mobotties - that'll shock 'em!

/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif