Skipper fined £26,000+ for going wrong way in Dover Strait

Several transmissions by Dover Coastguard reminding one or two vessels of their responsibility in the TSS (and their failure to follow) a couple of days ago.
 
.....We should all be quite concerned that when the MCA prosecute the total cost is massive. Tomorrow it might be you who is defending themselves against the power of the state.

The HSE has been taking this route for a few years, charging a generous hourly rate for any action they take, even for simple improvement notices. I guess it's a Govt policy to make regulators finance themselves?
 
The HSE has been taking this route for a few years, charging a generous hourly rate for any action they take, even for simple improvement notices. I guess it's a Govt policy to make regulators finance themselves?
Most Government Agencies are required to be self-financing to some extent, though some of that financing takes the form of a notional contract to supply services to the Government. There are quite complex Treasury Rules governing how much they can charge, but a fundamental principle is that they must not charge less than a commercial enterprise could for the same service. Given the rates barristers can charge for their services, especially specialists such as in marine law, I don't think the costs will have been inflated.

All Government Agencies are subject to routine oversight and auditing, and having worked for an organization subject to such oversight, I can assure you it ISN'T a rubber-stamping operation, and frequently results in major changes.
 
But how clever do you need to be to outsmart a fish?

Cleverer than me evidently. We used to go fishing when I was little and I never ever caught anything :ROFLMAO:


And me too.

Aged maybe about 8, I took it into my head to go fishing. I splashed out precious pocket money to buy a toy rod from Woolworths and caught the bus to Clissold Park (N. London), but approaching the pond I was apprehended by the Parkie, who told me it was out of season. (I was unaware there was a fishing season!)

Subsequently I've realised that I am content for clever people like Captain Birdseye, John West, and others to do my fishing for me.
 
I've caught loads of mackerel. Well, not loads, several really, but they tasted good. Our children contrived to catch a gar with our mackerel line. The line took hours to disentangle.
 
And me too.

Aged maybe about 8, I took it into my head to go fishing. I splashed out precious pocket money to buy a toy rod from Woolworths and caught the bus to Clissold Park (N. London), but approaching the pond I was apprehended by the Parkie, who told me it was out of season. (I was unaware there was a fishing season!)

Subsequently I've realised that I am content for clever people like Captain Birdseye, John West, and others to do my fishing for me.
I used to go to Clissold Park in the early sixties
 
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