How much do you drink on board?

[timbartlett]

45 fatalities in 6 years!
Can we have a breakdown - yachts; mobo; professional (fishermen etc) the true account may be far more revealing.

The 45 is for "pleasure vessel fatalities involving alcohol"
Of course you could break them down in various ways.
I'm afraid I don't have the data to do a breakdown by length or speed, but I can do:
Dinghy/tender..........17
Power.....................12
Sail........................3
Canal.....................8
Canoe/kayak...........5

2 of the 45 were "commercial pleasure vessels", the other 43 were "non commercial pleasure vessels"

 

[longjohnsilver]

The 45 is for "pleasure vessel fatalities involving alcohol"
Of course you could break them down in various ways.
I'm afraid I don't have the data to do a breakdown by length or speed, but I can do:
Dinghy/tender..........17
Power.....................12
Sail........................3
Canal.....................8
Canoe/kayak...........5

2 of the 45 were "commercial pleasure vessels", the other 43 were "non commercial pleasure vessels"

Presumably power includes speedboats, dories and RIBs so I'd expect all 12 to fall into that category. If so that leaves 3 fatalities in larger boats, so is there a problem?

 

[onesea]

The 45 is for "pleasure vessel fatalities involving alcohol"
Of course you could break them down in various ways.
I'm afraid I don't have the data to do a breakdown by length or speed, but I can do:
Dinghy/tender..........17
Power.....................12
Sail........................3
Canal.....................8
Canoe/kayak...........5

2 of the 45 were "commercial pleasure vessels", the other 43 were "non commercial pleasure vessels"

Well lets face it "Dinghy/tender..........17" the biggest killer we all know about and I doubt regulation is likely to stop...Also the one most likely to involve the whole crew, the regulation will need to involve being crew/ passenger as well to be effective..

Considering the time spent by people doing these activities surely people have better things to campaign about...

 

[Deleted member 36384]

I sailed in a professional capacity for a good few years within the sail training environment. Mixing alcohol and sailing simply was not an option as safety of the yacht was paramount through proper conduct of the individual. It was all a bit regimented but that was fine.

I gave this up and entered other employment and more or less left sailing completely. After a few years I started sailing again with but this time with friends through chartering. Alcohol featured a lot on these trips. I felt very uncomfortable drinking on board, when underway as I was always the person in charge, the hirer of the yacht, the responsible entity! I carried on for a few years like this. I took risks with yacht which were not in keeping with the training I had received and level of competence that I had achieved. Situations that had no chance of recovery if something went wrong.

The sailing group moved on and again I stopped sailing until 3 years ago when I bought my first yacht. I sail most of the time with my family and I don't drink now when at sea or when at anchor or on a mooring. If I am out with the lads, I will drink in the pub, but not when sailing, at anchor or when on a mooring.

Two things have happened to make me appreciate that I need to be in control: my family, whom I am responsible for, my job - where non compliance with safety rules is a matter of life or death. I guess my attitude has been reset based on exposure and experience.

Being mildly drunk is could make all the difference between recovering a friend or killing them.

 

[photodog]

I havent had any alcohol since April.

Prior to this a bottle of wine once moored for the night.. And maybe a glass with lunch or a lager if there is company, and conditions are easy.

Dnt like to sail with a hangover... But as we get older I suspect more common sense prevails. Given the hotel functions of a yacht enforcing a non drink policy is just silly.

Fankly if i couldnt open a bottle of fizz to share with friends over a nice lunch on the hook, i would sell the boat.

 

[pelmetman]

When I can taste bilge water............I consider I've had enough

 

[Victoria Sponge]

We're not big drinkers at all. I drink the odd G & T and HWMBO will have a few beers, but only when we're in a marina for the night. When our friends are onboard we might open a bottle of wine.

 

[Sans Bateau]

Well, with 17 dinghy/tender associated accidents its clear having a drink on the boat whilst at sea is not as dangerous as is having a drink whilst ashore if your boat is on a trot or mid river pontoon. Lymington, The Folly, Bucklers Hard all spring to mind.

 

[nigelmercier]

Our policy is that one responsible crew member will not drink until the destination is reached. When I'm on board, it's always me, as I don't touch the evil stuff

 

[Fr J Hackett]

Dry boat definitely not

Drink as soon as I set foot on the boat definitely not

A glass or two with dinner on a mooring at anchor or on passage most certainly

A sundowner on passage perhaps see answer 3

But to each his own I would not enforce my views on others and do not expect or take kindly to the idea of them forcing their views on me particularly in matters personal. Although the thought of being in charge of a vessel and her crew whilst intoxicated is not one that I care to consider however the quantities that the OP indicates would hardly constitute quantities to induce inebriation in most so again a matter for personal judgement.

 

[Woodlouse]

Being a great admirer of Nelson I make sure I drink not a drop more than was allowed upon the ships in his Navy.

Therefore I limit myself to not more than a pint of rum and eight pints of small beer a day.

 

[maxcampbell]

To allow Tim to add to the stats:

I do like a drink, as do some of my regular crew, and we have been known to get a little foolish when tied to a pontoon (not noisy, don't worry, but I have dipped a trousered leg into the drink when I missed my footing). I'm only putting myself at risk, in the same way as wobbling home from the pub alongside a road.

Even we don't drink when underway - though I do remember a single can of beer in a F2 on the Crouch.

I agree with the calls for Tim to write about something else - FFS I go sailing to get away from all the rules - wide open spaces I can pick my own route through, and all that, but if you must write, then please conclude that we're a bunch of very responsible chaps and chapesses.

 

[Elessar]

To allow Tim to add to the stats:

I do like a drink, as do some of my regular crew, and we have been known to get a little foolish when tied to a pontoon (not noisy, don't worry, but I have dipped a trousered leg into the drink when I missed my footing). I'm only putting myself at risk, in the same way as wobbling home from the pub alongside a road.

Even we don't drink when underway - though I do remember a single can of beer in a F2 on the Crouch.

I agree with the calls for Tim to write about something else - FFS I go sailing to get away from all the rules - wide open spaces I can pick my own route through, and all that, but if you must write, then please conclude that we're a bunch of very responsible chaps and chapesses.

If YM want it written about then someone will - there is no better person than Tim to do it I reckon.

 

[epervier]

Not a Dry Ship

My craft has a fair grog locker, catering for most tastes I hope, Whiskey,Gin, Rum,Vodka, both red and white wines, cider,beer, with most of the requisite mixers,sorry no icemaker

I have not had a drink since 1998 and don't intend to start any time soon, but don't frown on anyone that does.

I feel that if ever anyone has a mishap that involves insurance, they will use the pissed skipper get out clause, if proved to be the case, won't pay out, so believe the motive for new rules will be enforced via the insurance route, the same as paper qualifications, no bits of paper to helm your craft, insurance might become difficult to obtain.

But as always, only IMHO.

PM sent if my tuppence worth required

 

[Hadenough]

Our policy is that one responsible crew member will not drink until the destination is reached. When I'm on board, it's always me, as I don't touch the evil stuff

You could try Ever Build instead of Evostik.

Ah, but what's your tipple nowadays?

 

[machurley22]

I have an occasional breakfast dram, an occasional lunchtime beer or occasionally will crack open a beer on reaching shelter after a hard sail but not all three on the same day.

In a marina I'll drink as much as I want and probably a similar amount on a mooring but at anchor consumption will be dictated by the shelter afforded by the anchorage and the stability of the forecast. All this will be influenced by what I'm doing the next day.

As a mostly single-handed sailor of a luxuryless pocket cruiser I don't see myself as a danger to anyone but myself and it seems to me that dinghies and fast mobos are the most dangerous vessels when combined with significant amounts of alcohol. I deplore the possibility of legislation interfering with my sailing and although it seems eventually inevitable I take comfort from the fact that it will be effectively unenforceable in all the best cruising grounds.

 

[robertj]

its the last frontier for legislation so the money pirates (police) can get more from the slaves to the state!!!

government police to stop and check on the water, prevention of terrorism no doubt or pain money driven.

'Excuse me Sir your not flying your tell tales correctly, blow in the bag, if you fail to provide and specimen, then anything you fail to say may if when mentioned at a later time............'

this they will apply to anchoring aswell unless we fight the pirates!!!

 

[bbg]

When racing or training - completely dry boat. Never a drop on board.

When cruising - never a drop consumed by me if I'm skipper until the boat is tucked away for the night. Then, I would drink no differently than when I am ashore (no more, no less) with a couple of qualifications.

1. When sailing in company with other friends (either on board or on a separate boat), it tends to be a social activity and we tend to have a coujple more drinks than we would if we were alone. So probably similar to a holiday ashore, rather than normal "life at home" ashore.

2. If the night looks like it could be dirty and we might need to get underway or deal with an issue later, I would reduce / eliminate consumption. More of an issue when anchored / moored than when made fast in a marina.

 

[Bobc]

Well I would say that by reading all the posts, you can make one conclusion at least, and that's that most owners of "proper" boats are sensible people and understand when it's sensible to refain from alcohol.

This in itself suggests that not only is legislation not necessary (as unlike the bankers and politicians, we have an ability to self-regulate), but would almost certainly be a counter-productive waste of taxpayers money.

 

[A1Sailor]

- No
-- No
---Yes
---- Yes

+1
and it can be less liberal than the above, depending on whether at anchor or in a marina berth. One is hardly going to be drinking alcohol if an anchor watch is required overnight!
It would be interesting to see if there is a difference between "MoBos" and "Raggies" - but I'm sure you've thought of that, Tim.