The harwich Lifeboat launched to tow a fishing boat

[nigelm]

Pro Skipper taking paying customers, a commercial tow might have been more appropriate.
Just saw her under tow at Trinity

Maybe as a gesture of goodwill the skipper of boat concerned should donate a days takings to the RNLI ......

 

[Burnham Bob]

having once had a rope round the prop and getting a tow home, it seemed only natural to cough up a donation to the RNLI, i'd be surprised if the skipper in question didn't.

 

[sailorman]

5 paying PX 30 miles offshore one engine, seems foolhardy to me

 

[tugger]

5 paying PX 30 miles offshore one engine, seems foolhardy to me

And there goes the forum record for conclusion jumping.

Where was the confirmation that it was 30 miles offshore?? If they were at the Gabbard has it moved significantly?

Oh and also while we're at it, if you've got an issue with taking paying passengers out with a single engine probably the people to gripe to would be the MCA rather than petty forum based mutterings.

And for the record, I have absolutely no connection with the vessel in question. I did happen to see it brought in though and no one seemed particularly put out on the Lifeboat judging by the joking going on at the time between crews of it and Laura III.

All's well and no one was left in danger. I do agree with the voluntary donation for non emergency rescues though... but I'd be surprised that if after one, the rescued parties didn't review their subscription situation.

 

[sailorman]

call it 24 > 30 depending inner or outer gabbard.
the skipper was asked if he wanted a tow now or later ( after fishing) so no urgency there then

 

[Tomahawk]

All

As a recently retarded member of MRCC Thames we tended to treat each call on its merits.

Freudian slip?

 

[Otter]

Headline for this story:

"RNLI HAPPY TO TOW IN FISHING BOAT, FISHING BOAT CREW ALL OK"

The RNLI want to do lots of shouts and generally have a problem with professional fishing crew that they don't always call for help soon enough, so I'm struggling to find the problem with what happened in this case?

 

[macnorton]

I thought the RNLI exist to help ALL persons, minor shouts can be used to train new volunteers and test engines ect.
I expect local seafarerers would contribute more than the once a year guys and quite often are on the lifeboats themselves.
The idea of charging may have merit but when is a charity a business?

 

[pvb]

...but when is a charity a business?

Surely most charities operate as businesses?

 

[macnorton]

Surely most charities operate as businesses?

Perhaps profit making business would have been a better phrase.

 

[pvb]

Perhaps profit making business would have been a better phrase.

Most charities want to make a profit, so they can increase their reserves. On the other hand, the RNLI was criticised by the Charity Commission some years ago on account of the huge reserves the RNLI had. That's one of the reasons everything the RNLI buys is expensive and often custom-designed.