The harwich Lifeboat launched to tow a fishing boat

sailorman said:
Out on the Gabbard with engine problems
is the RNLI now taking over Sure Start role, surely this is a commercial rod fishing enterprise that should arrange a commercial tow.
No danger to life or the boat in flat conditions today

http://www.charterboats-uk.co.uk/lauraiii/
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I have often thought this. Sometime ago I was next to Lifeboat station in West Mersea. The lifeboat was out and I asked the guy where it had gone, and he said "Someone in Wivenhoe had got a rope round his prop" - I said I would not have thought there was a need for the lifeboat, and he replied that "we do not judge" - Had I been a lifeboatman called away from whatever I was doing, I would not have been a happy bunny
 
All

As a recently retarded member of MRCC Thames we tended to treat each call on its merits. Were the crew competent to handle the situation, wx situation,etc. If in doubt make a shout !!!
Rather a dead boat but live POB then dead POB and a live boat:confused:
 
Yeoman of England said:
All

As a recently retarded member of MRCC Thames we tended to treat each call on its merits. Were the crew competent to handle the situation, wx situation,etc. If in doubt make a shout !!!
Rather a dead boat but live POB then dead POB and a live boat:confused:
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Pro Skipper taking paying customers, a commercial tow might have been more appropriate.
Just saw her under tow at Trinity
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DavidofMersea said:
............ Had I been a lifeboatman called away from whatever I was doing, I would not have been a happy bunny
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Having been a volunteer CG locally for years and worked closely with lifeboats, I can assure you that every crew member always hugely enjoys getting out on a shout. They wouldn't do it otherwise, would they?!
 
Cantata said:
Having been a volunteer CG locally for years and worked closely with lifeboats, I can assure you that every crew member always hugely enjoys getting out on a shout. They wouldn't do it otherwise, would they?!
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Yes they enjoy it,and the commercial angling boat enjoyed getting a few hundred quids worth of free tow, at the expense of the *charity* which thousands of people donate to, in the obvious delusion that they are helping to save the lives of those in peril on the sea. "don't make judgements", well they ought to. Why didn't they just say: You need to get a commercial tow??
Signed Jerry RNLI member.
 
jerrytug said:
Yes they enjoy it,and the commercial angling boat enjoyed getting a few hundred quids worth of free tow, at the expense of the *charity* which thousands of people donate to, in the obvious delusion that they are helping to save the lives of those in peril on the sea. "don't make judgements", well they ought to. Why didn't they just say: You need to get a commercial tow??
Signed Jerry RNLI member.
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fully agree
sailorman RNLI Governor
 
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The RNLI is for all on the water not just pleasure boats. Why should this incident be treated any differently from any other broken down motor vessel?
 
I can see both sides of this argument however ...

out of curiosity, who offers a commercial emergency towering service (available 24/7) in the Thames estuary?
 
If, perhaps there was a fire on board a ship close by and the RNLI crew were distracted from it, then perhaps, they might be guilty of wasting their time, but I could not guarantee that I would be confident of getting back to port under all eventualities. If the RNLI crew were not engaged, would they see this as an exercise?
What does it cost to launch a lifeboat over and above standing charges? I must admit I have no idea.
 
I tend to think the RNLI should not be called out for a failed engine on a commercial boat when there is no danger to the occupants.

Most mobo's have auxillary engines, perhaps they should have one as well, or do they just rely on the RNLI instead?
 
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Surely this has been done to death umpteen times on these forums? The RNLI needs to tow boats in so it can claim to have saved lives, that's the core premise of their fundraising. If they started charging, people would find alternatives (or just fix their engines), and the statistics would tumble, potentially leading to loss of RNLI income. And of course the volunteers love going out on a lifeboat - more interesting than their normal work, probably?
 
The way it works is that the CG requests the lifeboat launch, the RNLI don't make that decision. The Launch Authority at the lifeboat station makes a judgement only on whether it is safe to launch, not on whether or not the 'casualty' is suitable RNLI fodder. If anyone is going to find a commercial tow rather than call the RNLI, it's the CG, and I dare say that they have sufficient info at the MRCC to know if there would be a timely one available. If the casualty has requested help, the CG gets them help from the appropriate resource available at the time.
If RNLI members don't like commercial operators 'getting free tows', then I suggest they tell the RNLI.
I am an RNLI member too, by the way.
 
DavidofMersea said:
They might just about to have dinner - or a bit of nookey. I am sure they would rather carry on with that than respond to some pillock up the Colne with a rope round his prop
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Happens all the time when you are a CG or a RNLI bod. Thier families get used to them disappearing. I often used to do Sunday night CG cover and the number of times I had to vanish from the family dinner table at 1900 on a Sunday evening was legion. If you can't take the joke, you shouldn't have joined.
 
DavidofMersea said:
They might just be about to have dinner - or a bit of nookey. I am sure they would rather carry on with that than respond to some pillock up the Colne with a rope round his prop
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But surely "some pillock up the Colne" might be you or me one day. I certainly would be glad of some RNLI assistance. Also, a rope round the prop can quickly turn into a boat drifting into danger (if anchoring not working) or causing a risk of sinking via a wrenched prop shaft. A minor incident can soon turn into a life endangering emergency on the water.
 
Habebty said:
But surely "some pillock up the Colne" might be you or me one day. I certainly would be glad of some RNLI assistance. Also, a rope round the prop can quickly turn into a boat drifting into danger (if anchoring not working) or causing a risk of sinking via a wrenched prop shaft. A minor incident can soon turn into a life endangering emergency on the water.
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I don't think you know how narrow the Colne is at Wivenhoe. If you stretch your arms out, you can almost reach both shores
 
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