The Lulworth Cove "cowboy"

[Andre]

We had a fantastic picnic in Lulworth Cove and if you have not been there then worth a visit.

Spotted this operator who in one hour made 3 trips with a full boat load of passengers but no lifejackets for anyone and also could not see that the helmsman was wearing an attached kill cord. I am suprised that people make trips out to sea with so called "cowboy operator's"

[fred bolton]

That doesn't happen in Abersoch see this link: http://www.peninsularibs.co.uk/

[Andy Moore]

Originally Posted by Andre

We had a fantastic picnic in Lulworth Cove and if you have not been there then worth a visit.

Spotted this operator who in one hour made 3 trips with a full boat load of passengers but no lifejackets for anyone and also could not see that the helmsman was wearing an attached kill cord. I am suprised that people make trips out to sea with so called "cowboy operator's"

What an idiot.

[UKPOWERBOAT]

Originally Posted by Andre

We had a fantastic picnic in Lulworth Cove and if you have not been there then worth a visit.

Spotted this operator who in one hour made 3 trips with a full boat load of passengers but no lifejackets for anyone and also could not see that the helmsman was wearing an attached kill cord. I am suprised that people make trips out to sea with so called "cowboy operator's"

Crazy, what planet is he on? for starters no one is wearing life jackets, and in picture 3 even the two small kids up the front have no life jackets on. Also you have to wonder what are their parents thinking about too!!!. I wonder if he has a commercial ticket too!!!

As for not wearing a kill cord......

[codprawn]

Whilst it is common practice for passengers in Ribs to wear lifejackets is it a legal requirement? After all it IS law to carry lifejackets but that's about it. How many people wear a lifejacket on a cross channel ferry or on a fishing charter trip? Whilst there is not much need on the cross channel ferry there is far more call on a fishing trip.

As to the kill cord he MAY have one of those new wireless ones.......

[John Kennett]

As far as I know it's a licencing requirement to carry lifejackets for all passengers, but there's no statutory requirement for them to be worn.

Depending on the conditions and nature of the trip, whether it's a responsible way to operate or not may be debatable but I'd suggest that it's not best practice. I think that most operators would make the assessment that permitting passengers to ride without life jackets presents an unacceptable risk.

John

[Polwart]

Originally Posted by Andre

I am suprised that people make trips out to sea with so called "cowboy operator's"

To be honest joe public won't even know what a kill cord is never mind the importance. If the operator doesn't ask/tell/suggest you need a life jacket I don't think it is reasonable to expect someone who has never been on a 9m rib before to see the need. After all they are not planning to go in the water - especially if they are sight seeing rather than on an extreeme ride.

Not suggesting for a minute that I think its a good idea or that I would have got on his boat... ...but why would his average passengers think anything of it?

[Dunc]

As far as I am aware it is a coding requirement for paying passengers on a rib to wear lifejackets. The reason that passengers on fishing trip/traditional coastal cruising boats don't have to wear them is because those boats have rails all round to a specified height, which for those type of boats is a coding requirement.

[timw]

Codprawn, your comments give you much credit by not jumping to conclusions from a couple of photographs.

Sadly it's typical of certain self appointed Rib "traffic wardens" who seem take any opportunity to criticize someone or someones operation who is not known to them. Of course they know so much better.

[JIY]

Originally Posted by Dunc

As far as I am aware it is a coding requirement for paying passengers on a rib to wear lifejackets. The reason that passengers on fishing trip/traditional coastal cruising boats don't have to wear them is because those boats have rails all round to a specified height, which for those type of boats is a coding requirement.

This is not correct. The Practice for Small Vessels Coding (SCV) directs that a lifejacket is carried aboard for every passenger, it does not stipulate that the lifejacket has to be worn.

However, most "seafari" type operators prudently require all passengers to wear lifejackets aboard at all times. We would never carry any passenger that was not wearing one, even for a short, no thrills ride across the marina!