For those who followed this years
ARC, many of you may have already heard about the tragic passing of one the participants approximately half way across the Atlantic. I can not imagine the heartbreak and anguish that his
family felt as he had his wife and young son along. I have nothing but heartfelt sympathies for his wife and son. I am just thankful that they had additional, well seasoned crew on board to get the
boat safely across.
However, this horrible event has caused me to wonder just what is the proper procedure when something so unfortunate occurs. One can only imagine that the deceased's remains would become a
health hazard to the others in short order. I have read that an impromptu burial at sea can cause some serious
legal issues, up to and including standing trial depending upon how the authorities at the next port of call choose to handle the situation.
So what is the best procedure? Trying not to be too dark, but I would like to have a contingency plan in place when we make long passages so that the survivor knows exactly what to do.