SoSo Why not just press the Red Button & say 'MAYDAY'?

[Shibumi]

A very strong opening post for a 'newbie' I accept.

But just because I am new to YBW forums does not mean that I am new to boats, boatyards, t'internet, or indeed boarding vessels for 'Stop& Search' whilst (in my case as a searcher) armed.

Basically, I believe in the rule of law and defence but not overbearing jobsworth's.

So, a question?

If, as having read 150 or so pages of recent threads in the last 24 hours leads me to believe, there is genuine concern & disillusionment with UKBA attitude, why not address the issue as follows;

On being (attempted) boarding (from the stern unannounced as I understand) - simply jump on the VHF and say;

"MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY . Yacht XXXX under attack from unidentified boarders.

Request assistance from all vessels in vicinity as per maritime law".

Twill cause havoc, and will require us all to stick together.

Not prepared to do it? Then don't moan anymore.

Shibumi.

 

[aslabend]

 

[snowleopard]

All one has to do is press the red button and select 'Piracy' for nature of distress. If anyone boards me in international waters without identification that's what I would do.

Why are you coming in so aggressive on your first post? Is it a habit you have picked up at work

 

[Victoria Sponge]

I think this thread is hilarious

 

[Shibumi]

That's an understandable reply aslabend - I did indeed mean to provocative (but not a troll).

My point is, assuming that we do not all want to start practising 'defensive measures' (I certainly do not) - what would be our only defence to what we perceived was a REAL attack on our vessel in UK waters. We have a VHF to call for help - that's pretty much it.

UKBA seem to be on the one hand telling us that a major justification for their activities is to protect us all from the forces of evil - and on the other hand acting in an almost mirror image of how we assume an attack on our vessel would present itself!

I personally have only been sailing in the English channel since the 1960's so there are many on here with greater memories than me. But in all honesty, I cannot recall in that time a more worrying incident in the channel than being boarded at 4am by black clad unidentified persons as that poor lady so described.

Is there not a certain irony in that the closest (most frightening in my memory) incident to an actual raid on a UK leisure vessel in the Channel should be carried out by those who say that this is what they are protecting us from?

Is not a major part of their remit to help us sleep soundly?

 

[Shibumi]

All one has to do is press the red button and select 'Piracy' for nature of distress. If anyone boards me in international waters without identification that's what I would do.

Why are you coming in so aggressive on your first post? Is it a habit you have picked up at work

On the contrary Snowleopard, my point was that we managed to board foreign vessels in Hostile waters without being aggressive or needing to sneak up unannounced at 4am clad in black.

 

[Lady Campanula]

When Her Majesty paid me to defend the Realm, I was instructed by those who knew what they were about that I should never point a weapon at anyone unless I was prepared to use it to shoot to kill.... That perspective is what I would have in mind, should/when I be boarded at 4am by unidentified black-clad persons pointing weapons at me and my crew - some of whom would likely be mightily distressed at the sight.

I might well seek to protect me/them with whatever comes readily to hand - including rocket flares.

I recall being approached, near Milford Haven one Spring morning, by a black RIB carrying two black drysuited individuals - with no visible identification whatever - who shouted that they were coming aboard. Given that they were faced by an ex-Royal Navy Principal Warfare Office, a Royal Marine WO2 and Weapons Instructor, and my good self who holds an Advanced Degree in Pub Fighting, they were perhaps a tad presumptious...

The burgeoning situation was 'managed' when I demanded to see Warrant Cards and, like all good constables having no evil intent, they unzipped, struggled, wriggled, and finally produced said Police Authority cards, giving them the right to 'stop and search'. Fine....

"We've never been asked before," they told us. "Ye wurnae gonna be askit twice", growled the monster in the corner wearing the green t-shirt. Honour and questions satisfied, and after mugs of tea and gobbling down our ginger nut biscuits, they departed - all smiles - to continue on their beat.

I can't help thinking that, if the UKBA bunch announce who they are and what they are about, prior to piling aboard, like other civilised forces of law and order, then this community would like as not co-operate willingly and helpfully. Otherwise, I can see only confrontation ahead, with the probability of someone getting seriously hurt.

....And I'm quite sure the gnomes at UKBA HQ already know that.

 

[Major Catastrophe]

This must be a troll as on one hand you are defending the UKBA and on the other offering advice to call in a mayday when boarded.

How come you were armed when the UKBA has categorically said they do not board with weapons.

Only the police and RM do that, as far as I know.

So, are you ex C&E, UKBA, police, RM or a troll?

 

[snowleopard]

This must be a troll as on one hand you are defending the UKBA and on the other offering advice to call in a mayday when boarded.

How come you were armed when the UKBA has categorically said they do not board with weapons.

The OP is berating us about various situations, none of which he has explained or linked. Somewhat confused methinks. Who was boarded by men in black? I presume we are supposed to have deduced that.

 

[Major Catastrophe]

Who was boarded by men in black? I presume we are supposed to have deduced that.

Tommy Lee Jones would have been okay, but who has a boat big enough for Will Smith's ego?,

 

[Bosun Higgs]

All one has to do is press the red button and select 'Piracy' for nature of distress. If anyone boards me in international waters without identification that's what I would do.

Why are you coming in so aggressive on your first post? Is it a habit you have picked up at work

BY the time you get through the menus to select and then shout piracy, the boarding party will have helped themselves to your beer and be sat with feet up on the chart table! What a system

 

[Bosun Higgs]

This must be a troll as on one hand you are defending the UKBA and on the other offering advice to call in a mayday when boarded.

How come you were armed when the UKBA has categorically said they do not board with weapons.

Only the police and RM do that, as far as I know.

So, are you ex C&E, UKBA, police, RM or a troll?

Guns, aggression, level of intelligence in the comment - has to be plod.

 

[Searush]

Guns, aggression, level of intelligence in the comment - has to be plod.

Nah, the silly sod just watches too many US films I reckon.

 

[sailor211]

Been borded,
Guys in BLack,
No name that I can remember on the Black RIB,

Boss guy Identifed himself and said he would like to come abord. It was inplied that if I objected he would come on board anyway.

We agree routine, for me single handed, to lower Spinnnaker and put kettle on.

The Clue as to who they were, was the F*****g Big Mother ship, Grey with UKBA/ or customs on the side. Went past, dropped back, hovered 1/2 mile away lowered rib


Nice guys, queried inconsistances in my story, took swabs around the boat and said they would catch me up if the swabs found anything interesting. Promised not to tell wife if only bacteria!

Significantly nicer than plods I meet rolling home after closing time. Who one tome told me to F off home, when i enquire why they were entering neighbours kids party in Riot Gear!!

 

[Bosun Higgs]

they were entering neighbours kids party in Riot Gear!!

You live in a choice neighbourhood!!

TBH I have found the few UKBA chaps I've met to be much more approachable and pleasant than most but not all of the plod I have met. But then if as plod you spend most of your working day dealing either with yobs or lawyers, the frustration is bound to colour your view of humanity.

 

[cimota]

I've not had a negative Exoerience with any of our armed services though I am the bloke who looks guilty when passing through airport security - presumably I'm mostly harmless and I've only ever been stopped on the random checks they reserve for the "Irish".

I presume I'd not feel intimidated after a couple of decades of being expected to submit to search under guard from being a native of Ulster. But identification is important and without it, it does seem intimidating.

 

[Lakesailor]

But identification is important and without it, it does seem intimidating.

It's meant to be. If they are taking swabs it's drugs they are after. Announcing their arrival and having a logo on the baot would be counter-productive.

 

[Guitarrich]

Id for boarders

I came back across the pond in 2000, pulled in at Falmouth, filled in the forms etc, but was surprised at how brief the formalities were. Some days later, still heading East I was approached by a RIB from astern with 6 blokes in black. It was mid-morning and I think we were nearish to Brighton.

The RIB had a big sign on the front which read "CUSTOMS". They got pretty close - certainly close enough for them to see that my mate and I had clocked the big sign. Then they faded away astern, and I assumed that was that. We must have looked innocent!

A short while later, I noticed the RIB was mucking around in my wake, snaking from side to side. I thought they might be just having a larf, (God I'm so naive sometimes!).

The next thing I knew they were alongside and asking to come aboard. Fine, come on over. The boat had had several deep cleans since we'd been in the Caribbean after all.

The guys - two of them only came aboard (IF memory serves correctly) were really VERY friendly.

After they had left, the sequence of events was pretty obvious in hindsight. They approached, tacitly announced who they were and then pushed off to allow me to jettison my booty in private. Then the wave dancing was no doubt calculated to collect all the barrels of drugs that in panic the bad guy, (had there been one) would have thrown overboard.

All in all I thought it was a neat operation, and I didn't mind a bit. That situation might have been different if I'd had some more colourful friends aboard for the evening in, say Brighton, who theoretically could have rolled a spliff on the chart table after I had turned in. I've really no experience of what might have happened then, if some minescule crumbs of contraband had been swabbed up, but I'm really sure they are only looking for the real baddies - the traffikers who we know come in ALL shapes and sizes of craft.

 

[haydude]

On being (attempted) boarding (from the stern unannounced as I understand) - simply jump on the VHF and say;

"MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY . Yacht XXXX under attack from unidentified boarders.

Request assistance from all vessels in vicinity as per maritime law".

Twill cause havoc, and will require us all to stick together.

This is exactly what I will do should this ever happen to me. I will be legally compliant, the boarders will not be until they will identify themselves.

 

[Beadle]

Nah, the silly sod just watches too many US films I reckon.

I think you are probably right.

If not then I hope he keeps his gun well greased

Because some day he will come across someone who will take it from him and stick it somewhere that will bring tears to his eyes.