Idiots and boats

[kdf]

Saw this on the Dun Laoghaire Lifeboat site. Maybe the RNLI should charge the victims for this type of incident!!!

31.07.02 W 2

A speed boat owner, known to the RNLI as he had been assisted twice in the previous year got lost somewhere in Dublin Bay.in poor visibility. He didn't have any compass on board. Unable to operate the hand held VHF he had he contacted the Dun Laoghaire Marina by mobile phone. They contacted the SHS and a wide reaching search of the Dublin Bay, Kish Lighthouse area found nothing. The casualty then rang the Coastguard to advise he could see land but not sure where, perhaps Bray Head? Rescue Helo 116 joined the search for a while and found him near Bray Harbour, some 9 miles to the SW of where he first thought himself to be. The ALB closed with the casualty and told him to follow them back to Dun Laoghaire. A free RNLI Sea Safety Check is to be offered to this gentleman.

 

[rogerroger]

Of course, some will argue that he's exercising his freedom to do as we wishes on the sea.

But this sort of cretin...

1) Gives us all a bad name
2) Burns up vital resources
3) Risks the lives of others by tying up services that might be needed for a genuine emergency
4) Brings higher insurance premiums and increased legislation on boat owners ever closer...

A court order, as opposed to a SEA check would be more appropriate.


/forums/images/icons/cool.gif Roger Holden /forums/images/icons/cool.gif
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.first-magnitude.co.uk>First Magnitude</A>

 

[Guest]

I partly agree with both of you, regulation would probably not only help this guy enjoy his boat more, but might possibly save his life. Charging him for services would make him think twice about doing it again

But......

If he were, whats to stop you, or I, or indeed all of us being strangled with red tape in the name of "safety"

It's not really a safe sport.

Would skippers think twice about calling for help in REALLY dangerous situations if they knew they were facing a large bill? Better to have 100 callouts for nothing, than one life lost due to finance

There's a thread somewhere regarding statistics involving RNLI callouts. Aparently most rescues logged are to this type of "emergency" ie human failure/incompetance rather than life threatening conditions.

If the RNLI only went out to weather based, or serious mechanical failure type incidents, they would have little to do, would find it more difficult to justify their existance, and would not be the competant, reasuring service we know today.

They probably love this guy! Practice makes perfect.

The situations fine as it is. Everybody's happy!

We have the best rescue service in the world and it's nominally free!

The RNLI get to practice, and yes, they love it. RNLI stations generally have waiting lists of people eager to join up.

We can sail whenever, and wherever we want without having to seek permision from the Department Of Lesuire Craft (for now).

Live and let live the system works

Jim

 

[RayB]

Whilst there are a lot of idiots out there, this guy must be one in a thousand.

Better to educate the regular "under achievers" than get all dramatic about one extreme isolated incident


Thats Life!

"Hopefully that won't be too expensive to fix?"

 

[hlb]

Maybe he's not that big an idiot. All though must admit if he's been resued twice before Hmmm! Byt anyway it's not hard to find ones self. one minute bright shiny day and the next in thick fog. Happened to me this summer off Sark. One minute it was there then gone, then back and gone again. Now ok I've got GPS, Radar, Chart Plotter And all the rest so not a big problem. But if just blamming about in a speed boat a compass aint much use less you know where you are!!

<font color=red> No one can force me to come here-----------
----- I'm a Volunteer! /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

Haydn

 

[Guest]

Hi

HLB writes

> But if just blamming about in a speed boat a compass aint much use less you know where you are!!

Sure, but for the cost of a tankfull of fuel he could buy a handheld gps and a chart. Blamming about in a speed boat without knowing where the hard lumpy bits are seems a bit on the irrational side to me.

Regards



Fred

Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get you.

 

[johnsomerhausen]

In exchange for his "Free Safety Check", this idiot should be made to pay for all the expenses incurred by all parties to his rescue. He wouldn't do it another time...
john

 

[ccscott49]

But he did give the RNLI some free advertising, din't he?

 

[Guest]

I agree that the rescue services might as well practice on real situations as it were.

There was endless whining down here about the RAN's expensive rescues of Tony and Isabel in the balmy south seas. But really it was a good realistic excercise for them and apart from a bit extra fuel they were all getting paid anyway. The ships crews seemed relish the challenge (not sure about the one Tony kept kissing) and were obviously proud of completing succesful operations.

Cheers

Lash

 

[castaway]

Im with Lash. Its all about what ..extra.. cost are entailed..I suspect not that much, fuel etc and extra operating hours for the SAR. Additionally its a bit like the "Radio Check" mob ... Iritatating to listen to but the CG logs all the calls and it helps them look busy in the quiet patches.

I rather suspect that some of the most powerful powers in the world realise this when they are planing another "minor" war. Most of the cost are being paid anyway and its the best possible execise they can do. All in my very uninformed and humble opinion of course!

Nick

 

[ccscott49]

Only difference between an exercise and a war, is the number of body bags!! I would hate to think even our government would be that criminally insane!

 

[castaway]

I think that in the last US incursion the US lost more troops to their own fire than that of the enemy, and would probably have lost just as many had it been an excercise.

And talking about criminal insanity I suggest you try "The Price of Glory" by Alistair Horne. Governments have changed in someways in 90years but not all...?

I wonder how much of their agendas and are actually projections of personal egos, Im afraid I am always skeptical of those who are sufficiently driven to make it to the absolute top, regardless of what appears to be rather limited talent and conviction.

Nick

 

[pkb]

Re: Idiots and boats and friendly fire

If this thread is coming round to the subject of "friendly fire" then this is not a new phenomenon. In the 18th and early 19th century it was estimated by one French Marshal that almost a third of casualties were due to men being shot or bayonetted - accidentally - by their own side. This was a particular problem in the dense linear formations which were used at that time.

Peter

 

[Dave_Snelson]

If this was end July / early Aug then we can blame summer madness - we get it a lot at Portmadoc (N Wales). However... we were plagued this year by sea frets that came and went in a matter of minutes, dense fogs that had visibility down to 30 / 40 yards and then vanished.

One day I was towing a friend of mine (waterskiing) behind my bowrider and two miles out we ran into such a fog, a bank that appeared from nowhere and blotted out the sun. Always carry GPS which was running snail trail and the chanel markers were waypoints, so no problem. Came across a family in a cabin cruiser, obviously lost and peering into the gloom for a direction. "Follow us" we shouted at them as we skied past - and they did. Half a mile further in, brilliant sunshine again and all was well.

Strange place the sea - even stranger still, the Irish sea.

At the end of the game, the King and the Pawn go back in the same box.

 

[hlb]

Just though some one should stick up for him. No one else would. /forums/images/icons/cool.gif

<font color=red> No one can force me to come here-----------
----- I'm a Volunteer! /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

Haydn

 

[oldgit]

Did we not lose eight of our own soldiers through american"friendly fire" in afganistan recently.

Just hold tight dear it will not be so rough when we get round the corner,trust me.

 

[aztec]

dad's got a little boat, goes into the harbour fishing and the like. made a big fuss about having a compass, "need one to get home in the dark" the question arises, what good is a compass without charts, and positioning aids? especially in a harbour where the current playys with you.

can you use a compass without a chart if you have no available datum? i've seen the hunt for red october.. seems to be a simmilar concept.

by the way i'm regularly an idiot, in my £5.99 inflatable tender. ;-))

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[aztec]

agree with the sentiment, however, i also work in the rescue service and i would rather turn out to 100 "false alarms" than one fatality.

i have come across people that think that they will be charged for sevices like chimney fires, animal rescues, flooding etc. in one case the damage caused by not calling us cost the ownwers thousands of quids in repair work.

and don't forget while the rescue boat is out it's response time is improved.

i'm gonna go put on my hard hat now! regards, steve.

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