Burial at Sea Regs ?

[TaoJones]

Originally Posted by Charlie

don't tell they don't ask. In the letters section of Lat 38 there was alot of info on burial at sea. Don't remember which month but I think it was recent.

Seek, and ye shall find . . .

Latitude 38 - The West's Premier Sailing and Marine Magazine

TaoJones

[Hud3]

A good friend of ours died and was cremated. His wife and family took his ashes out of our creek into the Chesapeake on their Cape Dory 30', with all of his friends following in our boats. Flags at the houses onshore were at half mast.

About a mile offshore, we all gathered around as she sprinkled his ashes over the water. He was German, so we all raised a bottle of his favorite German beer, took a sip and poured the remainder into the Bay, with a toast to Joachim. It was an appropriate and moving ceremony.

[s/v Beth]

What I have learned from this thread is that it is still possible to do body burials at sea- I kinda like the idea of being recycled as fish food. After all, they have fed me for many years... and I do not like the idea of being preserved in a box with toxins in my skin. But that is just me.

[David_Old_Jersey]

Nice to read that folk share similar sentiments. Doing what is right by the deceased with legal niceties not the overriding consideration.

Originally Posted by newt

What I have learned from this thread is that it is still possible to do body burials at sea- I kinda like the idea of being recycled as fish food. After all, they have fed me for many years... and I do not like the idea of being preserved in a box with toxins in my skin. But that is just me.

I recall reading that in this part of the world body burials at sea require paperwork and are permitted only in designated areas.......a certain practicality involved - no trawling for a start and the authorities do need to know who went in, on the off chance they make a reappearance onshore

Whilst we are on this subject, and on the off chance someone has to deal with. Worldwide not all cremations end up with only ashes / dust. Not so much a problem for a sea scattering, but onshore would need a bit of thought..........I only mention it cos' some things are best known about before hand.

"Dead people stuff" - always a lot of practicalities involved...........

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by Tellie

This past week one of my best friends passed away. He knew it was coming. The day before he died I asked him if there was anything I could do. He said he wanted to be cremated and asked if I would take his family out to sea and drop his bio-degradable Urn into the sea. My question to those who might know. Is there any legal requirement for me as Captain of my boat to comply with or can we just do it without any notification to any proper authorities?

and take care. Best wishes.

[DavidGC]

My Dad was more of golfer than a sailor. A his request, my brother and I played a last round of golf at his golf club, and sprinkled a small container of his cremians on the greens and fairways as we played. I made sure to dump some in the water hazard on the fifth hole -- seemed only right-- he spent so much time there.

I second the caution of thinking twice before exposing the family to the actual ashes -- there can be lots of larger pieces mixed in, and it might upset them. Pouring them into the water quickly shouldn't be a problem (make sure you're up wind), or a biodegradable and/or sinking container might be best.

DGC

[keelbolts]

I agree with the others who said that a body should be taken well offshore, if for no other reason than you don't want somebody picking up Uncle Henry with his oyster tongs. As for ashes, who cares what the govt. wants? My friend says dump me in the bay, I dump him in the bay. Anybody who's unhappy with that can kiss my transom.

[bstreep]

Originally Posted by keelbolts

As for ashes, who cares what the govt. wants? My friend says dump me in the bay, I dump him in the bay. Anybody who's unhappy with that can kiss my transom.

I concur completely.

[Strygaldwir]

We have carried my mother's ashes with us while cruising. We sprinkle a little bit at great or memorable spots. Didn't get a chance to share the sailing with her, so this provides a little bit of a sense of that.

The ashes are just that. It's a white powdery ash for the most part and it is sterile. I would be surprised if anyone knew, or cared about where you put the ashes.

[Roy M]

I've done it for friends and friends of friends. Here is what I do. As we are motoring out (usually early morning to avoid swells and wind), I duck below with the ashes, transfer them into a black Oaxacan ewer with a line between the handle and the base, in the sink of the galley. Any cremains that spill get washed down the drain with no one but me to observe. Onsite, someone says something meaningful to the mourners, we ring eight bells, in the proper fashion on the ship's bell, I lower the ewer by its long loop close to the water, ON THE LEEWARD SIDE, and gently tip one side of the ewer with the looped line. The ashes spill into the water with no wafting of ashes into the air. I then gently dip the ewer into the water a few times to rinse out any remaining ashes before retrieving it. Flowers are thrown, salutes given, then I blow a very long blast on the conch. Folks seem to feel comforted by the modest ceremony.

[Roy M]

On this subject, I've often thought I might (if I knew what was coming and had the capacity) craft a hull of simple, unfired clay, in the form of a Viking longship, complete with mast and sail, ballasted with my ashes and sealed with wax and combustible kindling. Light it off at sunset and cast it adrift. It would burn quickly, the clay would dissolve and the remains sink into the sea. Reminds me of the end of the movie "Rocket Gibralter" with Burt Lancaster.

[GordMay]

Excerpted from 40CFR229.1
TITLE 40--PROTECTION OF ENVIRONMENT
Sec. 229.1 Burial at sea.
Goto ➥ Sea Burial | Ocean Dumping | Region 4 | US EPA

“... (3) Cremated remains shall be buried in or on ocean waters without regard to the depth limitations specified in paragraph (a)(2) of this section provided that such burial shall take place no closer than 3 nautical miles from land...”

Notwithstanding, I'm not aware of any "scattering ashes police" who would care to enforce Federal or State regulations.
Be discrete and dignified.

[PiperGavin]

I think just a permit from the department of health.

[tager]

Man, people will ask for a permit for ANYTHING!

Wake up people!
Govern-ment == Control-Mind

Being from King County, WA, USA there are permits required for nearly anything you can do. I am sure that if I asked my local bureaucrat, I would be told that I need some kind of permit to scatter ashes.

One time an acquaintance of mine moved away to Idaho, he stopped in the nearest town to his new land, and asked what permits would be necessary to build a cabin on his land.

To his surprise, they just looked at him funny and said "none, it's your land!"

[Mav]

I by no means wish to denegrate the burial at sea or spreading of ashes as it is a sacred moment for all those concerned with the deceased. However I cannot for the life of me see why there needs to be any permits needed or for that matter the need to be 3 miles from shore when fisherman regularly throw chum into the water to burly up fish.

There are far more chance of toxins or polutants from shoveling chum into the water then there would ever be from spreading a handful of ash imo.

Personally I would go with the, what the eye doesn't see the heart doesn't grieve rule. So just go out and do it and nobody will be any the wiser.