Should we pay if we are rescued?

[aslabend]

The majority say NO and thats a fact is it ? Lets see ( take harry the next england football manager for example) al you need is a couple of prime time plugs pushing your viewpoint and no becomes yes. All in all we're just another...

Charging for rescue or a "free" service is a moral choice, harry for the next England ejector seat is frippery, not the same thing really. You're not, nor ever will be, in a majority on this sawdoc. Personally I like living in a country where captain calamity can be rescued 6 times before he leaves the harbour and most people chuckle about it. Almost nobody moans about the cost (except the Daily Mail maybe....).

 

[Bilgediver]

I was surprised to read in some of the coverage of the Costa Concordia incident that the captain may have been reluctant to issue a Mayday because of the likely significant cost thereafter under the Italian coastal rescue system. We seem to enjoy the other end of the spectrum where various Captain Calamitys can put to sea knowing that someone will go to considerable risk and expence to retrieve them from a perilous situation without any comeback on themselves. (We wont discuss the many call-outs due to dirty fuel/ poorly maintained engines). Should the rescue services be entitled to seek recompense from cowboys to the point of impounding their vessel until payment is made?

If you follow your argument and Rescue 131 turns up you may have to let them impound your home as well.

There are many folk up here who donate relatively large sums to the local lifeboat every year. Maybe if you have a conscience then you could do this

 

[gjgm]

Charging for rescue or a "free" service is a moral choice, harry for the next England ejector seat is frippery, not the same thing really. You're not, nor ever will be, in a majority on this sawdoc. Personally I like living in a country where captain calamity can be rescued 6 times before he leaves the harbour and most people chuckle about it. Almost nobody moans about the cost (except the Daily Mail maybe....).

You might moan about it if you were given the bill though.
I cant see what there is to chuckle about people being completely free about the consequences of their actions.
Was this the guy that the RNLI then gave a free course to, and he walked out saying is was blx, and he didnt need it.

 

[boomerangben]

Should a winchman/RNLI coxswain carry a chip and pin device? Salt water would play havoc with all those electronics. One rescue would cost the price of a south coast marina berth for several years. If it was a lengthy search involving multiple assets, considerably more. If one were to be charged for a callout, most are going to need insurance to cover the bill. So what about some one on a beach getting caught by a rogue wave and dragged out to sea. Pure accident. They would not have insurance for going to the beach. Is it fair for them to pay? So then you would have to have a two tier system, free if an accident (or indeed not required to be insured if there was a compulsory insurance scheme for boaters), you pay if you are negligent or unlucky. So where do you draw that line? For example you get tangled in flotsom/jetsom. You pay? You get muck up your cooling intake who pays?

We all pay some insurance - it's called taxes. Some choose to take additional insurance - it's called the RNLI/volunteer rescue boats. System is well proven. We don't need another Quango monitoring a new system of marine rescue.

 

[aslabend]

You might moan about it if you were given the bill though.
I cant see what there is to chuckle about people being completely free about the consequences of their actions.
Was this the guy that the RNLI then gave a free course to, and he walked out saying is was blx, and he didnt need it.

I am presented with the bill (or part of it at least) every time Mr HMRC asks me for my hard earned and every month when my bank takes some money out of my account and puts it in the RNLI's. I'm happy for this to happen so that ANYONE can go to sea and have a fair chance of enjoying it. As for captain calamities, Britain has a wonderful and exotic history of nutters who try **** and fail (usually having to be rescued or dying) Long may it continue.

 

[Searush]

Please get real, guys.

These "Captain Calamity" stories are good for circulation of papers, but bad for people with heart conditions who choose to get apopleptic about them. They make headlines about once a year or so. Occasionally the individuals are persistent, but it is NOT a major issue & provides lots of publicity for the RNLI, CG etc.

They are seldom big risk, bad weather, rescues, just a gentle tow home when they run out of fuel, get lost (how can anyone with a chart & compass do that in clear weather?) or run aground. They must count for less than 1/10th of a percent of all RNLI expenditure, below management costs, fuel, or hard hats even I suspect. It is NOT a big issue, please stop trying to make it one.

Please all go away & find something important to whinge about. Move on, there is nothing to see here.

And thank you, Elton, my Achilles has healled extremely well one year on from the incident. It ain't as good as it was before, but I don't suppose it will ever get better than it was. I can still only "Dad dance" according to my G-kids, so no improvement there yet.

 

[Searush]

BTW, who would pay for this rescue? The dog perhaps?

It was featured in a thread on scuttlebutt & is an excellent example of "there but for the Grace . . . ." It could be anyone caught like that. And brilliant job to actually find them before it was too late. I wouldn't like to spend 3 hours wading in a rising tide, knowing it had another 5'+ still to rise, would you?

 

[aslabend]

Please get real, guys.



Please all go away & find something important to whinge about. Move on, there is nothing to see here.

Ok,Ok, I'll stop poking the troll and go back to work............ I don't want to as it's cold out there and sitting in here with a rising sense of righteous indignation was keeping me warm.

 

[dolphin]

there are two issues on the subject, rescue - life & property!
when, we are speaking for saving of life at sea, there is no payment for this ! many vessels, voluntary, participate in AMVER organization and reporting their position during the sea passage, on daily basis - this way, the coordination center, know with great accuracy, which ship/s in which area is/are and in case of "mayday" call can be contacted to assist!
i have never heard, a vessel or shipowners to demand or claim reward/money for spend time/bunkers/efforts/expenses during operation for saving life at sea, at least in my carrier, up to now !
the act of saving property is completely different issue and usually is covered under the LOP,
based on "no cure - no pay"!
wish to everyone, never to come closer to both subjects !

 

[davidej]

there are two issues on the subject, rescue - life & property!

Unfortunately it is not always possible to dis-entangle the two.

A few years ago I came across someone swimming alongside his half-sunk jetski - about two miles off land. Of course I offered to pick him up and get him ashore, but he wanted me to tow his craft back. That was not really feasible in a 25 ft yacht and I thought it possible that if it sank completely it would get me in all kinds of difficulties. After about 5 mins of arguing with him, he wouldn't leave the craft and come aboard. So i radioed the coastguards, explained the situation and when was sure they understood, I left him to it.

I am afraid I felt he had got an offer of help and if he refused it then darwinism must take its course

 

[JimC]

Please all go away & find something important to whinge about. Move on, there is nothing to see here.

+1

 

[Viking]

PAY if your NOT a member. Its only fair

Here in Norway, Our Rescue service is full time job. It paid for, as UK, by membership fees and its a free service to members ,including a diver on board to check if you ground! But if your NOT a member and you use the service, you get a bill. Seems fair to me!

 

[Searush]

Here in Norway, Our Rescue service is full time job. It paid for, as UK, by membership fees and its a free service to members ,including a diver on board to check if you ground! But if your NOT a member and you use the service, you get a bill. Seems fair to me!

In UK the RNLI is completely free to all. Cost is supported by voluntary charitable donations from the general public. "Memberships" are just different categories of regular voluntary donations.