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waste of rescue resources off Coromandel yesterday


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http://www.msn.com/en-nz/news/national/big-rescue-for-boatie-with-flat-battery/ar-BBoTj5V?li=AA59FU&ocid=UE01DHP

 

It would be interesting to know the full story about this and the cost of the 'exercise' for all the responders.

 

While it seems ridiculous to set off a smoke flare for a flat battery, is the problem here that having been assisted by nearby boaties the 'distressed' party omitted to advise CG/SAR?

POB details, sea state, experience levels could all be factors I guess - but whatever the case I imagine its another nail in the coffin of vessel registration/boatie licensing, and unfortunately its quite hard to argue.

 

Would a  reasonable solution would be to charge the forgetful skipper for the cost of the services? If well publicised surely that would make people think twice..

 

 

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I agree there was no need for a flare in the first place.

The conditions were flat calm and it turned out the vessel "in distress" was anchored off Fantail Bay.

 

We saw the smoke flare and headed towards it and it took about ten minutes to get there.

I listened channel 16 on the way and heard a "Mayday relay" from Coastguard for a vessel on fire between Colville and Little Barrier.

Someone else came up and asked for clarification of the location but we didn't hear the full transmission.

I then called Coastguard on 16 and was asked to shift to Channel 80 or 82 which seemed a bizarre response for what was at that stage a Mayday situation. I always thought Maydays stayed on 16 till downgraded or resolved.

 

I changed channels and waited, Coastguard never called us and were happily handling TR's and the normal rubbish.

 

As we were nearly on scene by then I decided to wait until we knew more.

As we arrived two vessels were parting, both had engines running, no fire, both gave vessels gave us the thumbs up.

It seemed problem solved. I assumed, wrongly as it turns out, that one of them would have made a call but it seems not.

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