Where will help come from?
Posted on July 05th 2010
The tragic story of young Devonian fisherman Chris Wadsworth, 21, has highlighted the increasing reluctance for commercial ships to help each other out in trouble.
Pleasure boats and yachts might not often find themselves in the shipping lanes of the English Channel but they are often in coastal waters and boat insurance won't help out until you are back on dry land.
Weymouth-registered fishing vessel Etoiles des Ondes was run down by a bulk carrier on 20th December 2009. The Maritime Investigation Branch have just released their report into the accident and slated the 90,000 tonne Alam Pintar freighter, which did not stop.
They also expressed grave concern that no vessels in the area, the busiest sea lane in the world, responded to flares sent up by the three surviving crew members from their life raft. Nor did anyone respond to radio mayday signals that coastguards repeatedly sent out.
This emphasises not only the care that boat insurance policy holders must exercise in coastal waters but also that these days they may not be able to rely on traditional sources of help.
News brought to you by Insure My Boat, providing the UK with a range of fully comprehensive and third party boat insurance policies.
