Soon: MOT's for boats??

Re: Soon: MOT\'s for boats??

You are of course right. It wouldn't be a bad thing.

I rant at almost anything the government interferes with because they don't know where to stop. They normally cause an aweful mess due to ill considered legislation with un-intended consequenses.
 
Re: Soon: MOT\'s for boats??

It's interesting to see the contrast between the "cruising" section and the reaction to this kind of survey/check and what happens when racing.

At the Scottish Series everyone enters and agrees to abide by the Sailing Instructions. Part of that is that the boat complies with ORC Special Regulations Category 4. It's one of the most basic Categories, but contains all sorts of safety requirements.

It was a bit embarrassing when the RNLI inspector came round (a really nice guy) and took me through the list. Both my torches failed to work (despite being tested before the event). I won't tell you about the flares... but I wasn't alone as the chandler had hundreds in stock and sold out!

It's always irritating when someone asks about something you are already doing, and you see as unnecessary but sometimes a simple check is worthwhile in the bigger picture.

John
 
Re: Soon: MOT\'s for boats??

IMO the rise in the number of calls to the emergency services is to be expected, with the increase in the number if new boats that have been sold over recent years, many to people who have not graduated in the skill of dealing with a problem.

Should I register the time we got (I believe) a polly bag around our saildrive, in light airs off Hurst, but then sailed against the tide back up to Yarmouth with no engine? Or as a result of relying on what turned out to be a faulty fuel gauge, sailed into St Peter Port with no fuel?

Both situations that could have been heard on CH 16, but were not. 'Engine failure' and people not knowing where they are appears to be typical. It always seems to me that there is a higher % of calls for help on CH16 on a lovely sunny summer weekend than when the weather is a bit average.
 
Re: Soon: MOT\'s for boats??

IMHO we're spoiled in this country with the RNLI - everything they do for the boating community is FOC.

If boaters where made to pay the full economic cost of their "rescue" when not in a lifethreathening situation (running out of fuel does NOT warrant a Mayday) it will have one of two consequences.
1. People start taking an active interest in the inner workings of their boat. And should in the end be able to deal with most common, minor, breakdowns.
2. It will make idiots think again about getting a boat.

Either way - an improvement
 
If you were to ask a dinner lady....

...or a local authority road repairer their opinion on this matter, both would come down on the "Yes it's a good idea. After all we have MoTs for cars don't we so why should these rich peoiple with their expensive toys be allowed to put working men's lives at risk to get them out of trouble."

That is how a labour government decides upon policy. So until THAT changes be prepared to be a victim of this governments ongoing intentions to kill any spark of individualism or pioneer spirit in the population. When you put to sea in the "new future" you will do it NOT in the sense of an individual but as a member of a "caring sharing responsible society" and you will believe that no other way can possibly be right.

Steve Cronin
 
Hopefully the MCA will realise that there is no big problem to legisla

You live in hope if you want to. The rest of us need to get rid of these megalomaniacs. 2007 and Brown loom!

Steve Cronin
 
Re: Soon: MOT\'s for boats??

[ QUOTE ]
(running out of fuel does NOT warrant a Mayday)

[/ QUOTE ]

It always has me falling about laughing when I hear a CH 16 broad cast from a (sail) boat that has no engine when there is a good sailing breeze!
 
Re: Soon: MOT\'s for boats??

Well said mate! Proper job! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
Re: Soon: MOT\'s for boats??

[ QUOTE ]
The MCA link is aff....just as I was going to flood it with dirty fuel, floating carpets etc. Shame.

[/ QUOTE ]It is still there or at least here

or even http://www.mcasurvey.1stresortmedia.com/
--------------------
hammer.thumb.gif
"Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity"
sailroom <span style="color:red">The place to auction your previously loved boatie bits</span>
 
Re: Soon: MOT\'s for boats??

We saw a distant flare one morning and, along with several others, called the CG. "The life boat is trying to locate a yacht, we told them to fire a flare"
"Can we help, what's the problem?"
"Unable to make progress"














"oh"
 
Re: Soon: MOT\'s for boats??

Puts me in mind of a wealthy gentleman called Harry, who owned a largish Princess. He called the shop one day and had to look on the transom of his boat for the name when asked for it, but I'll never forget it.

He complained that we hadn't serviced his engines properly, as one would only do 15 mph and the other only 25 mph, when normally they both did 40 mph (sic).

After finding the propellor shafts impossible to turn from inside the boat, we called a diver who found a very stout rope round both shafts, with a chain and then a concrete mooring block at the other end, which had been dragged miles around Palma Bay all afternoon.

Maybe some sort of qualification would have been a good idea for him, also for his navigator, who had never been on a boat before, and asked me if I could spare a few minutes to show him how to navigate.

I showed him how to lay off a course between two points and get the bearing from the compass rose with his parallel ruler. I did tell him to check there was no land in between, but he didn't listen properly; a couple of weeks later I saw the boat on the other side of the island with the bottom ripped out.

Hopefully his insurance company stopped his motor boating activities (that is, if he had any insurance)
 
Re: Soon: MOT\'s for boats??

Quote:-
If boaters where made to pay the full economic cost of their "rescue" when not in a lifethreathening situation (running out of fuel does NOT warrant a Mayday)

Co-incidently on the subject of "out of fuels" The motoring organisations now class running out of fuel, losing keys, getting a puncture and having no servicable spare wheel as not being a "Breakdown" and thus not covered under their terms of membership.
That means that the punter has to pay a hefty amount to get someone out to sort the problem.
We always clear an out of fuel call out as being a "temporary fix". You cannot permenently fix an idiotic mind-set.

Perhaps an out of fuel call should be chargeable to the dim wit who does it?

Admittedly I am pretty cynical about some of the half-wits on the water, or on the road for that matter.
/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
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