[Andy the Coastie]

Thought this was one of the reasons for SOLAS V.

Originally Posted by D NET

Action possible over bad seamanship
The RNLI has warned leisure boat users to clean up their act - or face a possible raft of statutory controls aimed at guaranteeing seamanship standards.

The issue affects every type of user, from divers in RIBs to the crews of motorboats, speedboats, yachts and sailing dinghies.

Andrew Freemantle, RNLI Chief Executive, said that many incidents were taking place which were avoidable given proper training. If sea users did not improve standards voluntarily, the Government could consider various forms of compulsory training and qualification.

Charging for call-outs in emergencies borne of incompetence is another possibility. This is already done in some other European countries, including France.

Freemantle told The Times: "The sea is one of the last unregulated areas of our lives...It would be a great shame if we lost that...What worries us is that if people don't take care and prepare themselves for going to sea, then the pressure for regulation will rise."

Mark Criddle, a West Country RNLI coxswain, said errors ranged from simply forgetting to check fuel level to fundamental lack of knowledge about tides and weather.

"A lot of it could be avoided with a simple bit of training," he told The Times. Referring specifically to divers, he said: "There are some quite inexperienced guys doing 'extreme diving', down to 50m or 70m, without really being aware of the tides or anything."