How Many Of You Want To Be Buried At Sea?

[Kettlewell]

If any of my parts or my body might be of use to someone I want them to have them, otherwise my instructions are whatever is cheapest and easiest for whomever has to deal with the problem.

[carstenb]

There are only two things that are certain in this life-death and taxes

It is of little concern to what happens to my carcass after I'm gone. Take whatever organs somebody can use, cremate the rest and toss the ashes into the sea.

But since I haven't managed my RTW yet, I don't mind if it does't happen for a few years yet

[kthoennes]

Micah - I'm with you. I'm certain You Know Who can pull scattered bits and fragments back together if he has to, but no need to give him more work to do when the time comes. See you then, we'll high-five and go for a sail on a crystal sea.

[Greenhand]

Now I have an image of the rapture ending up like a Star Trek transporter accident.

The history of funeral rites is very much a religious issue, and as such, a difficult one to address in this forum. The three abrahamic religions have all considered cremation sacrilege at some point, hence the burning of heretics at the stake; it guaranteed they wouldn't be available for resurrection. Nonetheless many, many other religions have considered cremation the only proper treatment of the deceased.

[Snore]

For many years it has been my pre-direction to be buried at sea off the coast of FL, or wherever my remains are found. While I have an unshakable faith, I see no need for my children to feel obligated to see a patch of dirt.


That said, a friend told me the story of a time he took his late friends wife and some mourners out to spread his ashes. He headed his large sport fisherman into the wind, the preacher said a prayer, the urn was opened to spread the remains, suddenly the wind came up just a touch.... Being in the lee of the transom and superstructure a minor reverse draft was formed and suddenly some of the ashes came airborne and landed on the mourners. Well after the event the humor of the situation was seen by all, but at the time they were all wiping the remains off their clothes!!!

Bill

[SaucySailoress]

Originally Posted by micah719

???

What horrendous calamity so mangled your body such that your spine interfered with your spleen? Somatically speaking, those two bits are quite far apart, or should be........cringing sympathetically in advance, micah.

Bloody hell, you're right. I was told that the fall (well, not the fall, the bad landing) off the horse had chipped my spine, which shredded the spleen, which bled out and caused a massive haematoma. When I woke up in ICU, all the nurse were crying. I said, "Hey it's OK I'm alive"; and they said "But Michael Jackson just died, Waaaaah!"

So now I have binged it, and you're right - the spleen is MILES from the spine. Now I'm scratching my head too.

[starchaser 2011]

I once spread the ashes of a friends mother from my boat. We were on Lake Erie at the mouth of the Niagara River on a dead clam summer day. As we poured the ashes over the stern the current picked them up and spread them in a long fan shape looking every bit a ghost. All aboard were spell bound. Very moving.
For me.. to all who will listen I've been asking to go Viking style. Fill the dink with dry wood and me, flame it up and turn me loose. Probably not going to happen, but it would be my choice

[kthoennes]

Originally Posted by SaucySailoress

...When I woke up in ICU, all the nurse were crying. I said, "Hey it's OK I'm alive"; and they said "But Michael Jackson just died, Waaaaah!"

Now that's funny.

Shortly after I first met my wife, she got thrown from a horse and cracked her coccyx (tailbone). Hobbled around for a while. I thought it was a very upper-crust, high class injury, kind of sexy actually, like young Elizabeth Taylor in National Velvet with those riding outfits and black hats. Like a scene from Downton Abbey and all that English foxhunting stuff. Tally Ho.

[Badsanta]

They make a water soluable box that you put the ashes in (done in a windfree ) toss the whole box with flowers on top. The box desolves leaving nothing. No stray ashes.

For myself there is a service that takes your ashes and mixes it with concrete and makes a large wiffel ball with it. It is then dumped a sea as part of an artifical reef. I get to stay in one place and also a home for the fish.

[meridian28]

The US Navy will give a burial at sea for any veteran from any branch of service. Unfortunately, your family and friends cannot be present.

[perchance]

Originally Posted by Seaworthy Lass

Yes, an alternative for the "Greenies" who prefer not to be buried is the Buddhist Sky Burial. I personally would prefer to have a little fuel wasted on me (maybe in lieu of not having heating on board?).

Buddhist Sky Burial? I'm a bit too squeamish for that but it works for some Tibetans (sp?). "I'd rather have them cut me up and pass me all around" form John Prine's please don,t bury me.

[Sam Plan B]

My mother opted for burial at sea. She had been in the USMC during WWII and had known fellows who went that way though at the time it was a matter of necessity and not necessarily their choice. The Navy will scatter ashes at the veteran’s request. So that's how it went.

As for me, if I was lost at sea I suppose being fish food would close the loop, so to speak; return to the biosphere and all that. On the other hand, it would be nice to be buried in the family plot to that future generations would know that I at least existed. And there is the opportunity for an epataph: Here lies sailor Sam, a pickled lump of spam, no more to sea, aground stays he, t'was ever thus his plan.

[Seaworthy Lass]

Originally Posted by perchance

Buddhist Sky Burial? I'm a bit too squeamish for that but it works for some Tibetans (sp?). "I'd rather have them cut me up and pass me all around" form John Prine's please don,t bury me.

Thankfully, being squeamish isn't a concern once you reach the stage when disposing of your remains is necessary .

[micah719]

Originally Posted by kthoennes

Micah - I'm with you. I'm certain You Know Who can pull scattered bits and fragments back together if he has to, but no need to give him more work to do when the time comes. See you then, we'll high-five and go for a sail on a crystal sea.

Well....imho it's not a matter of making it "easy" for Him, it is showing proper respect for His creation and faith in His promises. Burning this temple like rubbish would be an insult, though being burnt in it on His account like so many have been would be an honour. For example, Nero lighed his garden parties with burning Christians that refused to deny The Lord Jesus Christ. The marketplaces of just about any town around these parts very likely featured a similar event at some time or other. Just getting caught with a Bible was enough...makes people's antipathy to religion understandable, doesn't it? One should discern between different kinds. Not every fruit is a crab-apple...

[Blue Crab]

Originally Posted by kthoennes

Shortly after I first met my wife, she got thrown from a horse and cracked her coccyx (tailbone). Hobbled around for a while. I thought it was a very upper-crust, high class injury, kind of sexy actually, like young Elizabeth Taylor in National Velvet with those riding outfits and black hats. Like a scene from Downton Abbey and all that English foxhunting stuff. Tally Ho.

Steady as she goes Cap, Liz was 11. I think that's a no-no even out on the res where you are.

Hey, and Saucy, nobody took Jackson's death harder than Liz herself. Wonder how she was able to see past the little boy stuff?

And now Lindsay Lohan playing Liz in a Lifetime (Non US CFers read estrogen) Channel movie? Nuh uh, Liz was classier, tho that was a low bar setting.

And since religion has killed a bunch of people, I say if we can't talk guns and fun stuff, religion ought to be off the table; not with high-fiving in "Heaven".