MCA Boardings

[Sailfree]

Firstly Thank you yachting world for fixing a UBS sticker round this months Yachting World to I really needed this to ensure I received this copy with its first three pages torn. It will be destined to the rubbish bin faster than normal. Most wrappers just slide off but to glue this one in was a work of art/vandalism?
Secondly did I miss the Scuttlebutt outrage at the boarding of 55 vessels during Cowes week (reported in same torn edition of YM) by sailing in those sinister countries of France and Spain for 2 months where no-one bothered/bordered us once. Thank god some British organisation has started doing this as I was starting to get feelings of enjoying myself and being liberated by sailing freely in British Waters at weekends instead of the nervous feeling I normally feel all week while trying to earn an honest living but knowing that by driving a car I am No 1 enemy of the people and must be transgressing one law or the other.
Today I heard that my hard up Son-in -law (normal young couple one child - big mortgage - trying to reduce debt to a reasonable amount by a novel idea called work) had his van broken into once again and his working tools stolen. Now I wonder when we will get an organisation to stop this sort of thing happening!!
Do the politicians realise what they are turning England into?
Please excuse the Friday rant but the heavy handed actions of the MCA just capped my P**ed off feeling for this week.

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[boatless]

Only bought it yesterday, and am still finding it hard to believe - particularly that they were boarding uncoded boats too.

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[Robin]

Do tell which issue, which mag, which page? I can't find it.

Robin

<hr width=100% size=1><font size=1>Sermons from my pulpit are with tongue firmly in cheek and come with no warranty!</font size=1>

 

[boatless]

Y World, current issue.

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[alant]

You guys sure they weren't Excise Men in disguise?

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[Sailfree]

Is there anyone on scuttlebutt that was one of the 55 boats that were boarded who can describe in detail what happened and what right the people from the MCA had to board? I have checked the YW again and it is definately November not 1st April.

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[boatless]

I was actually wondering the reverse!

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[gjeffery]

Have a look on the mca site. They were checking on commercially coded vessels, and fitted in some effective rescue work, while in difficult conditions. Seems entirely propper to me.

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[Birdseye]

B****cks! Its not proper at all. What it is is Empire building, but people dont seem to realise it.

The MCA are under pressure to finance themselves and to justify their existance. Hence their sudden interest in licensing, in training where they have appointed themselves as the official body, and their sudden pro active approach to coding.

No govt burocrasy is going to agree that they are largely redundant and should be downsized. Instead they take the view that Joe Public cannot possibly be allowed to do what he wants when he wants and without controls. That way lies anarchy. Joe must be regulated and the regulations muct be enforced. All it needs is "more investment" (Govt speak for taxpayers money), more "assets" (Govt speak for toys) and more powers.

The answer is to sail in winter. Just like parking wardens in the rain, the MCA will melt away back to the offices and training courses when the weather is less attractive.

Rant over - I feel better now!

P.S. Probably a bit unfair to the MCA, but I definitely reckon there is a pattern in their increased visibility. Maybe one of their staff can use the anonymity (?) of this site to enlighten us?

<hr width=100% size=1>this post is a personal opinion, and you should not base your actions on it. <P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by birdseye on 17/10/2004 10:06 (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[gjeffery]

Sorry, I see a big difference between boarding commercial craft, where the mca have responsibilities that are similar to those of the HSE ashore, and boarding recreational craft, where documentation and equipment is mostly a matter of discretion. I am unsure what the mca could legitimately check in a private leisure craft.

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[duncan]

agree - the coded craft that went down in Poole Harbour a couple of months back with a marked deficeit of equipement has probably driven the current visibility.

<hr width=100% size=1>madesco madidum ..../forums/images/icons/smile.gif