What to do with the body

[Guest]

This popped up on CF, I thiught it worht asking again here

 

Imagine you're half way across the Pacific and one of your crew members dies. Not a violent death; an accident, heart attack, etc. You're 7 to 10 days away from land.

 

Ignoring the stress and grief that such death would generate, I'm curious about the practical issues: what are the legal considerations that should be kept present? What laws apply with respect to what to do with the body? Is it ok to throw it overboard?

[Grinna 2]

No way I'd try and store a body for a week or more in elevated temperatures on a yacht on passage. Sorry.

 

Bundle the body in a sail bag, add a weight and commit the lot to the deep blue sea (all with appropriate respect of course). The paperwork would be a nightmare with or without a body, but at least the smell would be considerably better this way.

[Guest]

Then you wouold need to prove no foul play on your part?

[Guest]

Deploy them in the Dinghy after taking some photo's and calling the incident into relevant rescue authorities in the area.

More than likely you will lose the dinghy, but it's an honest attempt to keep the body on board.

[Grinna 2]

Came on watch to find crew member missing. Entry in log to record missing crewmember and to document attempts to locate missing crew member. Radio message to alert authorities. Attempts to locate crew member failed, vessel continued onward toward destination.

 

That's my story and I'm sticking with it.

[Guest]

I heard of some people who got in terrible strife for a burial at sea. No proof that they didn't knock the deceased on the head. Terrible dilemma. The deceased probably would have preferred to have been thrown overboard than stink up the boat. Might have to add embalming fluid to the ship's stores.

[wheels 543]

Nobody saw you do it, nobody can prove a thing.....eh Scott.

Might have to add embalming fluid to the ship's stores.

But that's a hell of a waste of good rum.

[Murky 1]

Given that you are currently on a coastal trip with your dearly beloved, Wheels, this is probably one thread that you might be better not participating in.

[Guest]

When I did all my legal stuff, if you had refrigeration you are expected to keep the recently deceased or if you are only a day or 2 from port they are also a keeper. If you were in the deep blue with no storage nor close to port you could slip them over the side.

 

The best option, legally, it to keep them as long as you can but if you have good sound reasons like no fridge that is OK as a reason to knot make port with them. Questions will be asked either way so if you do slide one over get ready for them.

 

Whatever you do inform someone fast that someones clocked off and then ask 'What shall we do?'. You wouldn't want to just arrive one short.

 

Anyone been on a Cruise ship where someone has clocked off? Cruise ships always bring them home and guess where they store them.

[wheels 543]

Anyone been on a Cruise ship where someone has clocked off? Cruise ships always bring them home and guess where they store them.

I assume the Freezer, right next to the other cold cuts.

Hmmm, so I wonder if they would accept you cutting it up as an excuse because you couldn't get the body into the freezer in one piece??

I reckon, tie on a really big hook and throw it over the side attached to a line. The water would stop things going too nasty(well less so than in the heat of the Saloon) and if you are really lucky, you might catch a damn good Marlin.

Or of course, hoist the body up the mast. It's not like that idea ain't a first.

[TimW 1]

No No No.

 

Its a trick question, the only way to eat them is to curry it, make sure its still warm though other wise you'll get some horrific disease.

 

Just use a Pork or Goat recipe and it will all be good

[Murky 1]

Reminds me of a book I read - true story about a whaling ship that was sunk by a whale (apparently the inspiration for Moby Dick).

 

Anyway the crew ended up in separate lifeboats. Those on one lifeboat ate one of the first guys who died. Before long they were drawing straws to choose who they would knock off next to feed their hunger.

 

On one of the other lifeboats, they simply cut small pieces off their dead and used them as bait to catch fish.

 

Fresh fish = much better than a gnarly old half-starved sailor. Even if you do have the hell curry recipe Mr Wolf.

[Kiwi303 0]

Fark it! Where is too far away from a long range helo these days? or a navy boat of some stripe which can buzz over and pick up the stiff... You'd have to be a way out in the midst of nowhere... even Galapagos has a helo base. and if you're a thousand Kms from Hiva noa, well they can stage a froggy helo out from Tahiti.

 

You may have a hell of a feul bill to meet if you don't have insurance, so make sure your crew are signed up on a health plan

[Guest]

Fark it! Where is too far away from a long range helo these days? or a navy boat of some stripe which can buzz over and pick up the stiff... You'd have to be a way out in the midst of nowhere... even Galapagos has a helo base. and if you're a thousand Kms from Hiva noa, well they can stage a froggy helo out from Tahiti.

 

You may have a hell of a feul bill to meet if you don't have insurance, so make sure your crew are signed up on a health plan

 

 

That is an interesting question, does anyone have a real answer? I would have said anywhere more than 200 miles from land.

[tuffyluffy 76]

What about choppng them into small enough pieces so they'd fit in the fridge?

 

Or you could dry them in the rigging for a few days?

[PaulR 3]

Unlike those in the drug world, should one keep the hands for "positive" identification?

[Grinna 2]

should one keep the hands

 

That way they can still give you a hand to sail the boat

 

Perhaps you should keep the head so they can check it against the passport photo??

 

Perhaps you could keep the bum so you had somewhere to park your bicycle?

 

Perhaps ......

 

OK, I'll stop there.

[wheels 543]

Perhaps you could keep the bum so you had somewhere to park your bicycle?

Or a jam cleat

How about sailing to South America and into the Amazon. After watching a recent TV program on nasty little fish species there, throwing a body overboard would be better and faster than a wood chipper and Acid tank.

How the hell did we all suddenly get so gruesome??????

I think I am going to have to watch more closely from the corner of my eye, next time Grinna offers me another Rum. I thought the Grin was just the normal way he looked.

[Grinna 2]

Wood chipper and a pig, Wheels .... wood chipper and a pig.

[John B 106]

Reminds me of a book I read - true story about a whaling ship that was sunk by a whale (apparently the inspiration for Moby Dick).

 

Anyway the crew ended up in separate lifeboats. Those on one lifeboat ate one of the first guys who died. Before long they were drawing straws to choose who they would knock off next to feed their hunger.

 

On one of the other lifeboats, they simply cut small pieces off their dead and used them as bait to catch fish.

 

Fresh fish = much better than a gnarly old half-starved sailor. Even if you do have the hell curry recipe Mr Wolf.

 

The whaleship Essex.

IIRC.