MAIB speaks out on drink boating
- Fri, 23 Oct 2009
- Comments (4)
The Marine Accident Investigation Branch has described the evidence in favour of imposing drink-drive limits on leisure boats as 'compelling'.
The comments were published in the MAIB's report into the death of Gary Henaghan off Tobermory in May 2009.
Henaghan was thrown onto rocks and suffered fatal head injuries when the RIB he was travelling in ploughed into rocks at about 20 knots. The RIB driver was voluntarily breathalysed several hours later and found to have 74 micrograms of alcoholin 100ml of breath - more than twice the legal road limit of 35 micrograms.
In July 2005, as a result of the fatality in the Carrie Kate and Kets collision, the MAIB recommended that the DfT:
‘work closely with the RYA, MCA and other relevant stakeholders to realise the urgent introduction of national regulations to establish limits on the amount of alcohol which may be consumed by operators of leisure vessels'.
Since 2007, there have been further fatalities in the leisure sector in which the consumption of alcohol was a contributory factor.
Only 6 weeks after this accident a RIB, travelling at speed during darkness, collided with a moored sailing vessel in Falmouth. The RIB impaled itself into the bow of the sailing vessel, and alcohol was identified as a significant
contributory factor to this accident.
The report states:
the consumption of alcohol while operating leisure craft is dangerous. The need to deter leisure craft users from consuming alcohol is compelling and, while education is an important tool in this respect, the imposition of limits on the amount of alcohol that is allowed to be consumed when in charge of a leisure craft has a major role to play in changing the attitude of drink/driving boats.
Your Vote
Should leisure boat owners be subject to the same alcohol limits as professional seafarers?
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Yes over a certain length or speed (21%)
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Yes for all vessels (23%)
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No - current restrictions are sufficient (57%)
Latest comments
October 25 19:16
Barnacle Bill
One of the arguments made for not having drink-driving limits for leisure craft is that in general they are slower and the skipper has ample time to react to an emerging situation.
In the cases highlighted in this article involve highspeed craft either close inshore or in busy waters.
The fact that the helm was over the road-legal limit does not mean that acohol was a factor in the incident, thought it may well have been. Far more relevant is inappropriate speed.
There are speed limits on the roads becasue different speeds are appropriate in different areas.
20kts is not an appropriate speed close inshore or among moored craft, sober or drunk.
Would there have been fatalities at 5 kts?
Inapropriate speed is the problem in these incidents.
October 27 22:05
owl
there would appear to be a huge gap beween the consumption of alchol and the activity that is seemingly ignored in all the discussion I have seen so far.
what you are in is a minor element relative to what you are doing in it - actualy doing 30 knots or 5 knots is more relevant that the 'capablility of the craft'.
Clearly hill walking and mountain biking under the influence of alchol should also carry huge mandatory prison sentences.
November 03 17:00
Phil
The influence of alcohol can significantly impair a person's ability to do most things correctly and safely, although the degree of impairment varies between people. Handling a boat, whatever the type, length and particularly the speed, requires a certain skill, which is unlikely to be deployed if the skipper is under the influence of alcohol. Furthermore, the frequently observed lack of skill with many boaters, even without the influence of alcohol, is already a risk to life, limb and property, let alone the 'cowboys' that we already see on our waters, who have no regard for others anyway, sober or otherwise. I for one am in favour of a legal limit for all skippers, of all craft underway, similar to if not the same as we have for motorists. We all fear the drunk driver on the roads and I'm sure we would all want to feel as safe as we can on the water too. Some skippers just do not realise the damage/injury they can/do cause in what they see as an entirely 'fun' boating activity. I don't believe there is anyone out there who, if they suffered boat damage or injury from a 'drunk skipper', would accept the situation in the 'spirit of boating'. In summary, its dangerous, no different to driving, so lets have a deterrent to minimise it.
November 27 21:36
Mr R H Towers
Present legislation has not stopped drink driving, nor will it stop the odd few sailing whilst under the influence of drink. The fear of sea sickness has a far greater infuence on sailors not to drink. I personally allow 1 drink on the odd ocasion when conditions permit. Otherwise we wait until we are safely tied up for the night.