No RNLI - how would you change your sailing habits

[dylanwinter]

following on from the coast guard thread

would I still take to sea in the slug if there was no RNLI to come and get me out of trouble?

I am not sure that I would behave all that differently

I might be slightly more cautious regarding the weather

but it is really good to know that they are a vhf or phone call away

and with the sea it is the cold that kills rather than the drowning

as I understand it

Dylan

 

[Quandary]

Would you go to sea if you thought you might need the lifeboat, of course not, or if you heard they were out on a call, course you would.

 

[Simondjuk]

Not one bit. Anyone who would shouldn't be going to sea in the first place.

 

[dylanwinter]

I would be more frightened

I think I would be more cautious than I am

might make me go through the canal rather than over the top

d

 

[Cantata]

Not at all. When I go to sea the possibility of needing the RNLI never enters my head. How can it? You plan your passage on the basis of the information you have that says it's do-able. You don't think "If it goes tits-up the RNLI can come and save me". If you thought it could go tits-up you wouldn't set off in the first place.

 

[dylanwinter]

tits up

Not at all. When I go to sea the possibility of needing the RNLI never enters my head. How can it? You plan your passage on the basis of the information you have that says it's do-able. You don't think "If it goes tits-up the RNLI can come and save me". If you thought it could go tits-up you wouldn't set off in the first place.

tits up has always been part of my life

not sure that you can live without tits up ever happening to you

however, I usually have plan 2 and 3

plan 4 might be to call for help

Dylan

 

[Cantata]

No Dylan! Tits-up 1 and perhaps Tits-up 2 would be part of your passage plan, e.g. ports of refuge on passage. If you even remotely think that you will need to be rescued, you shouldn't be going!!

 

[dylanwinter]

so

so you should never take to sea if there is any chance at all of things going wrong?

nothing could go wrong for you to the point where you would have to call for help

I take it that you have no flares and would never deem it necessary to take the means of summoning help with you

blimey

brave fellow

D

 

[snooks]

Not one bit. Anyone who would shouldn't be going to sea in the first place.

Not much to disagree with here.

Accidents happen and obviously it's reassuring to know the RNLI are there for when they do, but I hope I never have to call on their services.

The last thing I'd want is for someone risk their life to save me.

 

[Reverend Ludd]

I think it's only a fool who sets off thinking - If it goes wrong the Lifeboat will come and get me.

 

[photodog]

If the RNLI weren't there someone else would come along and fish you out... just might cost a bit more.... dont forget... they are only here in the UK and Ireland...

But really, if your approach to risk is determined by the availability of a get out of jail free card... I think you are being a bit silly.

 

[glashen]

If the RNLI weren't there someone else would come along and fish you out... just might cost a bit more.... dont forget... they are only here in the UK and Ireland...

But really, if your approach to risk is determined by the availability of a get out of jail free card... I think you are being a bit silly.

My first reaction is that it wouldn't make any difference and I agree there would often be someone else to help anyway, but I do wonder if the knowledge that there is a whole rescue infrastructure in existence does affect us and can't just be uninvented. Anyone who listened to the VHF will know of "distress calls" that are anything but, I always like the bit when the coastguard reads back the situation, "So you are at anchor in a sailing boat with a fouled prop, you have sails but there is no wind......". We also know certain people seem to regard the RNLI as a get you home service.

I have once been out single handed in what I regarded as gale, passage between Paimpol and Guernsey, no real problems but it did cross my mind that if things had started to go wrong badly it would probably have resulted in a full scale rescue (whether I wanted it or not) with the boat lost. We should always think what if things start to go wrong and I don't see that you can do that without assuming the bottom line is outside assistance. Those you say they would never rely on the RNLI presumably would never carry a life raft either.

 

[AndrewB]

would I still take to sea in the slug if there was no RNLI to come and get me out of trouble?

I am not sure that I would behave all that differently

I might be slightly more cautious regarding the weather

Paradoxically, I think I would, if anything, be less cautious.

One thing that keeps me in line (when sailing in England) is the thought that if I made a hash of it, I could not just be left to face the consequences, but some poor s*d might be duty bound to put his life on the line - or at least interrupt his favourite TV show - to come out and rescue me. And don't even mention the cost!

This is a regular line of reasoning in my yacht club, leading to the disapproval of all who seek to do anything adventurous on their own initiative.

 

[snooks]

Those you say they would never rely on the RNLI presumably would never carry a life raft either.

Just because I say I wouldn't rely on the RNLI it doesn't mean that if I suffered a catastrophic hull failure my wife and I would heroically go down with our yacht while saluting the queen.

I carry a liferaft for the second chance it offers and don't expect to be rescued by the RNLI. However as a yachtsman I abide by the laws that if I see someone in distress and it's safe for me to offer assistance I will, therefore is it too much to expect others seafarers to offer me assistance should I need it? This isn't relying on the RNLI, and I do everything I can to avoid seeking assistance.

 

[Simondjuk]

Those you say they would never rely on the RNLI presumably would never carry a life raft either.

The inverse of this would tend to imply that you believe a person might take a more casual attitude to safety when sailing a vessel equipped with a liferaft as opposed to when sailing one without.

As with that of the RNLI, the presence, or not, of a liferaft makes no difference to how I sail, since I actively plan to employ neither.

 

[epervier]

My thoughts have always been that the elements are the enemy, and that as leisure sailors we would come to each others aid before we shout for the RNLI surely.

But perhaps I would be thought of as naive, again perhaps of my sailing grounds, mostly the Solent and western approaches,there's hardly ever a day when I'm out there alone, it's one of the busiest waterways on the planet.

The RNLI have a place in our lives that's for sure, but if they weren't there would it stop me enjoying my past-time? ...........Not a snowballs.

 

[glashen]

Just because I say I wouldn't rely on the RNLI it doesn't mean that if I suffered a catastrophic hull failure my wife and I would heroically go down with our yacht while saluting the queen.

I carry a liferaft for the second chance it offers and don't expect to be rescued by the RNLI. However as a yachtsman I abide by the laws that if I see someone in distress and it's safe for me to offer assistance I will, therefore is it too much to expect others seafarers to offer me assistance should I need it? This isn't relying on the RNLI, and I do everything I can to avoid seeking assistance.

Fair enough (I'm not expecting anyone to go down with their ship just to prove the point they are self sufficient), but I'm not sure about the distinction between "other seafarers" and the RNLI. Historically and today the RNLI are mostly seafarers who volunteer their time, the point is they are hopefully properly equipped and trained to give that assistance successfully. So whilst I understand the reluctance to accept the term that we are "relying on the RNLI" is that not in truth the real bottom line. If having taken every precaution things still go catastrophically wrong. Is it not reassuring that there are properly trained and equipped men and women you could offer timely assistance. I don't know if that is relying on the RNLI but can we be sure we would not act differently if they or other possible assistance did not exist at all. That is why I am a RNLI supporter.

 

[Simondjuk]

Glashen,

I for one entirely agree with your sentiments regarding the RNLI and am also an active supporter.

The question as posed, however, was whether their sudden absence would change people's sailing habits, and I believe that those who would answer that question in the affirmative consider them to be less of a last resort than they ought to.

They are, in essence, freely admitting that they do not currently do all they can to maximise their own safe keeping, since if they were doing so, there would be no scope for modifying their habits to further it.

 

[Searush]

From rescue reports I have read it seems that it isn't a single "tits-up" or even 2 that cause the problems but rather a consequential cascade of problems or issues.

The weather is adverse, therefor eth epassage takes longer, ypu get caught in the overfalls, somone is seasick & incapacitated & as a result someone is doing more than they should & gets injured, then you are virtually singlehanded with 2 casualties in conditions where you can't make progress.

 

[Iain C]

I'd probably feel less worried about being spotted not wearing a lifejacket on a very benign day but that's it!

Anyone who would sail any differently needs thier head looking at. Sadly they seem to used more and more as Sea-start/AA/RAC and an excuse to not learn about engines/jury rigging. My boat is only 27' and about the only piece of safety kit I do not carry is an EPIRB. The RNLI are an absolute last resort for me, and in the event of calling them I would fully be expecting to be asked to leave the boat behind.

They are "the charity that saves lives at sea", not a recovery service.