TheBoatman
Well-Known Member
Fred
For a lot of years now I have been the person responsible for the boats at my YC on the Medway and in that time I have had numerous requests to use a club boat to consign some (recently past) member to the Briney but because of local bye-laws I ask them not to tell me directly what they want the boat for, as under those B/laws you shouldn't be putting "Uncle Arthur or Auntie Mavis" in the river - pollution regs/licensing laws and all that official bull.
Over the years I have attended a good number of "scatterings" and some have been rather good.
1. Cruiser sailor that liked his drink in the bar after a days sailing - we scattered his ashes downstream on a fast rising tide and some wag said "bl***y typical he's gonna be back in the bar before us"
2. Dragon sailor - whilst we were waiting for the event to take place half the fleet of Dragon's that had come to pay their respects ran aground - typical of Dragons, what a perfect send-off.
3. Cruiser man that was known for not sailing in to much wind - F3 and he thought about reducing sail - the day we "buried" him it must have been blowing at least F7 from the SW - I brought the boat head to wind and his wife cast him over the side, only to see him drift off at least 200 yards downwind before touching the water - I'm sure some of him came down in Essex, now that's what I call "scattering" /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
Peter.
For a lot of years now I have been the person responsible for the boats at my YC on the Medway and in that time I have had numerous requests to use a club boat to consign some (recently past) member to the Briney but because of local bye-laws I ask them not to tell me directly what they want the boat for, as under those B/laws you shouldn't be putting "Uncle Arthur or Auntie Mavis" in the river - pollution regs/licensing laws and all that official bull.
Over the years I have attended a good number of "scatterings" and some have been rather good.
1. Cruiser sailor that liked his drink in the bar after a days sailing - we scattered his ashes downstream on a fast rising tide and some wag said "bl***y typical he's gonna be back in the bar before us"
2. Dragon sailor - whilst we were waiting for the event to take place half the fleet of Dragon's that had come to pay their respects ran aground - typical of Dragons, what a perfect send-off.
3. Cruiser man that was known for not sailing in to much wind - F3 and he thought about reducing sail - the day we "buried" him it must have been blowing at least F7 from the SW - I brought the boat head to wind and his wife cast him over the side, only to see him drift off at least 200 yards downwind before touching the water - I'm sure some of him came down in Essex, now that's what I call "scattering" /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
Peter.