Ireland starts new scheme. What role for the RNLI?

[steve_cronin]

The following news report was on RTE yesterday.

If you have sound and "Realplayer" go to the link. It talks about "regulation of the leisure sector". It appears that as here, the Coastguard are taking the initiative but there is no mention of the lifeboats.


12. NEW BODY TO BE SET UP TO SUPERVISE SEA SAFETY
---------------------------------------------------------------
A new Maritime Safety Agency is being established to take responsibility
for co-ordinating all aspects of safety at sea. The new Directorate will
rationalise the control of all the present maritime safety agencies for
which more co-ordination had been urged in a consultants' report. The
Directorate will also have the task of setting up the new safety system for
fishing boats, along with other tasks.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2002/0211/1News/1News7A.ram


Steve CRonin

 

[kdf]

Re: Ireland starts new scheme. What role for the R

Coastguard and RNLI are not impacted operationally by this. It's essentially a regulatory body that will set standards for commercial and leisure vessels -One of its biggest programs will probably be safety of fishing boats.

 

[Guest]

Re: Ireland starts new scheme. What role for the R

But isn't the RNLI becoming redundant in terms of sea rescue? Yes, it pulls out the odd dinghy sailor or sea-angler whose outboard has run out of fuel, but all the rescues that used to be done by Cox'ns like henry Blogg for example are now done by the Royal navy or the RAF, leaving the RNLI in a stand-by role.

And of course they have appointed a retired general as the top man. I ask you. What a recipe for redundancy.

William Cooper

 

[Derek_H]

Re: Ireland starts new scheme. What role for the R

What Royal Navy? The day the RNLI is redundant I for one will go and find a home a thousand miles from the sea. It's independance is by far it's major feature. I hope we are all paid up members of RNLI Offshore?

 

[Guest]

Re: Ireland starts new scheme. What role for the R

It's no use being independent if you are also ineffective. The vast majority of rescues more than 30 miles from land are made by helicopter. The days of the old-fashioned lifeboat are over. It exists nowadays to rescue dinghy sailors.

I speak as a former lifeboatman and branch committee member and once Chairman of a branch. The old service that we knew in the forties and fifties has finished. The Institute is now dominated by old servise people after a soft number, most of whom know nothing about bad weather at sea.

The appointment of a retired general is an insult to seafarers.

William Cooper

 

[graham]

Re: Ireland starts new scheme. What role for the R

Bill, I hope you never need the lifeboats assistance.I am not a lifeboatman but live and work next to the lifeboat station.

I have witnessed many of their rescues over the years and strangely can remember only one or two rescues of dinghys.

The two men recently rescued injured at the base of cliffs at Rhoose point with the tide rapidly rising did not think the service "ineffective."Nor did the yacht holed on castle rock The swamped trimaran flooded fishing boat or any of the other folk and vessels rescued or assisted.

I think to describe the lifeboat institution in such a derogatory way is disgracefull and unlikely to be endorsed by anyone who goes to sea.

Maybe helicopter s are the way forward for offshore but the majority of problems occur inshore where the crews teamwork and local knowledge cannot be replaced by a man dangling on a rope.