What if.....There's a Death at Sea

[El Pinguino]

Very sensitive spot, makes them blink , and is considered more respectful than a kick in the goolies....which would have much the same effect.

Mirror under nose is meant to show up any condensation if any breathing going on at all.

[Red Sky]

Originally Posted by El Pinguino

Very sensitive spot, makes them blink , and is considered more respectful than a kick in the goolies....which would have much the same effect.

Mirror under nose is meant to show up any condensation if any breathing going on at all.

Thanks, I knew what the mirror was for and I figured that a stitch through the nose must hurt like h@$&, but I wanted to make sure I had an explanation for the Admiral, you know, in case she woke up.

[aquabrat]

Whew! Some serious thoughts and very differing opinions on the subject. Obviously..there is no clear cut maritime protocol on the matter.
I ask the question cause I WAS ASKED THE QUESTION AT MY DAY SKIPPER TEST. I am now preparing for the the puddle jump (and this "small" matter needs consideration).

Not sure why a body must be stitched into a shroud...understand the nose stitching thingy...so too the videos and logs. But for me or my crew..the body goes overboard after a while of trying to contact any passing ship. The poor soul left behind on board can beg for forgiveness when they reach land.

I agree with the writers that say this issue should be discussed beforehand between the crew and Captain. I would however propose that all skippers input this/his procedure into the ships log book for reference purposes when needed.

Thanks all for your contribution.

[S/V Alchemy]

Originally Posted by pistarckle

, Peter Tangivald lost more than one wife at sea and had no death cert .

Sorry, but that just seems careless.

[S/V Alchemy]

Originally Posted by aquabrat

Whew! Some serious thoughts and very differing opinions on the subject. Obviously..there is no clear cut maritime protocol on the matter.
I ask the question cause I WAS ASKED THE QUESTION AT MY DAY SKIPPER TEST. I am now preparing for the the puddle jump (and this "small" matter needs consideration).

Some day, skipper.

[carstenb]

I'm with Ann on this (make out before sailing), signed and notarized documents expressly ordering immediate burial at sea in case of death. Also, don't forget a paper naming the survivor as sole captain with the right to do what they please with boat.

Anyone who has ever seen a body bloat, would want it overboard as fast as possible.

[ontherocks83]

As horrible as it would be you may want to consider practicing getting a 200 pound body say off the cabin sole and through the hatch and then over board. A fit grown man would have trouble with that never mind anyone out of shape or petite. At least if you can figure how to use a halyard, a bosun's chair, and a spin pole to rig something up. Now mix in rough sea state and emotions it could be an almost impossible undertaking for certain people if not pre-planned.

On the flip side when all that is done you may be looking over your shoulder all the time at your spouse nervous that you just taught them how........Happy sailing!!!!

[Dale Hedtke]

Watch the movie Weekend at Bernie's

[ontherocks83]

Originally Posted by Dale Hedtke

Watch the movie Weekend at Bernie's

+1 That would have saved me so much time typing my last post if I had thought of that.

[El Pinguino]

One of 'The Books' ( the Australian 'Survival at Sea' handbook maybe ) written for professionals states that, if in a lifeboat or raft, you should should get rid of any cadavers muy rapido due to the effect they will have on survivor morale and general state of mind.

A rather unpleasant thing that cadavers do fairly early on is void their bowels, not really what you want on a small boat.

You aren't going to be arrested for murder just because you arrive short one crew member... only if they have reason to suspect foul play. Often its only after the deceased's family kick up a stink is there an investigation.

Another thought... film the body intact and naked so they can see no nasty holes or missing bits ( head etc) and also get a shot of one of them infrared thermometer thingos showing the deceased's temp has hit ambient... that will also be a handy keepsake for their rellies

[pistarckle]

Last stitch was to make sure you are dead ! If ya holler then you probably ain't ready for burial yet !

[Teknav]

Hiya ElPinguino! For the sake of discussion...let's say a 40 year old passed away on your boat, half-way to Zanzibar. Throwing the corpse overboard is not going to cut it. In most countries, death at that age will necessitate an autopsy to determine the cause of death; was the death caused by an altercation, a shooting, a poisoning, a disease? No country will let you get away with it; most likely you'll be arrested.

While there's no perfect answer on what to do. I would take plenty of pictures of the corpse, then wrap it in a blanket/plastic and place it in the dinghy, towed behind the boat. The smell will be unbearable for a few days, but it would be better than being charged with murder then placed in a third-world prison to rot.

I would also try to contact cargo and cruise ships for assistance, and request them for "entries" of what they saw in their ship's log book. Let's hope that no one would have to face such predicament. No matter how you'll handle it, the outcome will be less than desired.

Mauritz

[El Pinguino]

Half way to Zanzibar from where? Lets say two weeks out.. by the time you arrive assuming the dinghy is still with you the ***** hawks will probably have eaten the evidence....
As stated above... photos log book entries etc. If possible rondezvous(sp) with a ship or yacht to have an independent party take a look see.

Second option... photoshop your last clearance.

How many cases can you cite where a yacht arriving one short has lead to a murder charge.

I can mention three where it didn't..

Peter Tangvald, Peter Tangvald and Peter Tangvald.

Mind you there were suspicions in Brunei that there had been foul play in, I think, the first case....

[Reinhardt]

I think the best course of action is to heave the body overboard, no matter where you are. Weight it if possible, and don't dismember, as this is messy and time consuming, and leaves too much trace on the boat. On that point, make sure you clean all surfaces near the scene with bleach, even do over your victims bunk and be scrupulous about finding their hairs, especially in sink and shower outlets. Wipe down cutlery and any chandlery they may have touched. It's all time consuming, but it's always worth it.

Burn clothing, any papers they might have had, and hopefully you had the sense not to mention their real name on any clearance papers you might have. In regards to passports and drivers licences, there you have a conundrum. Keeping them, if they are found, will raise embarrassing questions. However, on the topic of making money whilst you are cruising, American, UK, Irish and Australian passports are nice little earners in the right ports, drivers licences less so, but never the less.

Remember, the middle of the ocean is the ideal place to conceal a homicide, and... Oh, wait a minute..... is this thread about dealing with a death from natural causes? Oops... pardon. Disregard previous.

[Tbrad]

Why not weigh the body down' pitch it overboard with proper reverence of course, then simply report them as having evidently fallen overboard during the night? Don't know where and don't know exactly when.