What do you do with the body?

[a64pilot]

Ann, your tough. I mean that as a compliment.
I do not think my Wife could bring herself even if she was physically capable of hoisting me up with a winch and tossing me overboard, and you likely have only a few hours to get it done, then rigor mortis sets in, and you may have to wait for that to pass.
I think however she could get me sealed into a body bag and zip it up and close the door to our Stateroom and not go into that end of the boat.
Military body bags the real thing is about $40. I know as I finally ordered one.
Not sure when I will get around to telling her what it's for though, after we have been out for awhile for sure.
Wanna kill the dream, sit down with the Wife and have a conversation about how to dispose of your body before you go

On edit, I would not want to have to dispose of her either, I think it best to give our Children something to say good bye to and bury

[DeborahLee]

I've told my wife get me over the side with our heavy anchor ( not the fortress) keep moving and after 24 hrs report me missing at sea and go for double indemnity on the ins. as having accidently fallen overboard while she was sleeping.

[Steven UK]

Eat the best bits and pitch the rest... Waste not want not.

The evidence will have passed through after a day or so...

[Steven UK]

Eat the best bits and pitch the rest... Waste not want not.

The evidence will have passed through after a day or so...

[SV Bacchus]

Having been a cop for 35 years I have seen and moved my share of dead people, of all ages. From my experience I can tell you this is a relevant thread and folks need to put some thought into it.

I've dealt with so much death that I've become somewhat cold to it, just a days work.

However, I'm with A64 here. I would do everything with my wife's body I would need to do, pretty well covered in all the previous posts. But I would still have a rough time hoisting her over the side and letting her slip away. It would be very tough to do even though I would know it has to be done.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by clownfishsydney

...
I would bring the body back to shore, no matter what condition it was in. I would also want a proper funeral for my loved one.

Had a job in college next to the local morgue. They brought in a few long dead bodies while I was there....whew...few thinks stink like a dead human. Sure would be an unpleasant trip back to shore.

[Steven UK]

Seriously though I have all the respect for the dead as the next person, I once tried very hard to keep one alive on the bridge between Malaysia and Singapore but that's another story. My wife is a bit more religious than I (which is not difficult) and she would probably want my body ashore to be buried with a religious ceremony, but if it were to be a health Hazard then I would want my stinking rotten body overboard. After all it is just a body, an empty vessel.

In fact I think I would prefer to be buried at sea...

[JPA Cate]

No, A64, I'm not tough. I'm a wuss. I'm old,not real strong, and I've faced some tough things, probably nothing as tough as what you've had to handle. But I do believe that I handle hard things easier when I understand the facts, and have made a plan before the emergency is upon me.

Now may not be the right time for you to discuss the death at sea issues, fair enough, but the two of you need to figure out a way she can get you back in the boat if you have an accidental gybe and the boom knocks you simultaneously unconscious and off the boat. Her guilt, if she could not effect your rescue would be a cruel legacy. And of course, what everyone does must fit with their ideas about burial at sea vs. burial in dirt, vs. cremation, and so on.

Ann

[Sawbonz]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Wanna kill the dream, sit down with the Wife and have a conversation about how to dispose of your body before you go

LOL! [emoji23]

[GILow]

Well, this is cheerful!

I'd go for the "tow the body home" option myself. Don't like the idea of a dead body in the boat for a few days but also don't like leaving any ambiguity about cause of death if at all possible. So my take would to be wrap the deceased in an old sail (storm jib might be the right size), lash on a few life jackets or floaty things and tow home. Coroner can take it from there, they'd have seen worse.

[Sawbonz]

Originally Posted by SV Bacchus

Having been a cop for 35 years I have seen and moved my share of dead people, of all ages. From my experience I can tell you this is a relevant thread and folks need to put some thought into it.



I've dealt with so much death that I've become somewhat cold to it, just a days work.



However, I'm with A64 here. I would do everything with my wife's body I would need to do, pretty well covered in all the previous posts. But I would still have a rough time hoisting her over the side and letting her slip away. It would be very tough to do even though I would know it has to be done.

My last physician's job was doing hospice. It was actually pretty great, but I was there for a lot of death and dying. It doesn't bother me at all. Rather fascinating, actually.

I started thinking about this thread because we will probably travel with our old poodle and I anticipate the day that he will have to go overboard. That logically lead to what I would do if it were my wife, but posting that seemed like an invitation to ridicule. Anyway, we have had the discussion of what to do when on land...she wants a burial, I would prefer cremation to feeding worms. At sea I think the choice is made for each of us.

[0urh]

Originally Posted by GILow

Well, this is cheerful!

I'd go for the "tow the body home" option myself. Don't like the idea of a dead body in the boat for a few days but also don't like leaving any ambiguity about cause of death if at all possible. So my take would to be wrap the deceased in an old sail (storm jib might be the right size), lash on a few life jackets or floaty things and tow home. Coroner can take it from there, they'd have seen worse.

With a couple of those SA Great White Sharks following

[GILow]

Originally Posted by 0urh

With a couple of those SA Great White Sharks following

Strangely, this is exactly what crosses my mind every time I see a power boat towing a bunch of kids on an inflatable ring.

[gamayun]

Originally Posted by Tkeeth

I am showing my wife this thread, she thinks she doesn't need to know how to do things by herself......

Let us know how that goes for you

[SV Bacchus]

Originally Posted by Sawbonz

My last physician's job was doing hospice. It was actually pretty great, but I was there for a lot of death and dying. It doesn't bother me at all. Rather fascinating, actually.

Yup, sometimes death is the better thing, a blessing if you will. When you think about your dog, you know what I mean.

I watched mom wither for 5 years with Dementia/Alzheimers and I told people, when she died, her passing was a good thing.

If we were on a boat I would have gladly let her slip beneath the waves and been happy for her. But there is a lot of difference between an expected death and an unexpected death.

Kudos to you for your service with Hospice, they were a great help to me and my family. Unfortunately mom didn't know the difference!