Death on a Passage ?

[aegean adrift]

Originally Posted by daddle

Too many things can go wrong. Best have an attorney's advice up front.

No argument there!

Originally Posted by daddle

I don't think I'd ever ask crew what they want done. They don't have any choice in the matter.

So you'd disregard whatever they'd worked out (perhaps with a spouse), in favour of what their (perhaps estranged and money-grubbing) Mummy & Daddy would decide? Add that to the reasons I'd rather discuss this with a potential captain (and if needed her/his attorney) frankly before signing on.

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by aegean adrift

No argument there!

So you'd disregard whatever they'd worked out (perhaps with a spouse), in favour of what their (perhaps estranged and money-grubbing) Mummy & Daddy would decide? Add that to the reasons I'd rather discuss this with a potential captain (and if needed her/his attorney) frankly before signing on.

I was going to chip in following your previous post with a bit of thread drift (from what to do with a body) to other practicalities..........involving dead folks & families

Don't want to get in the middle of folks fighting over body / burial / bank balance. IMO if non-related crew then do the best you can and don't sweat that maybe not what the deceased / family were after (being buried under a tree ).

But if the deceased is your other half you run a very strong risk of finding out the hard way that no marriage certificate ranks you lower than his / her dog (cos' the dog is at least property - so the Estate has some £££ responsibility ).

Throw in some religion / long held family "matters" / the whiff of cash and most families have at least one member whose contributions have the prime motivator of self interest (as a directly interested party or from the sidelines advising others). Often wrapped in a cloud of self righteousness of doing "the right thing"..............

Your family home (35' 1984 Beneteau) "must be worth at least $500k - I've Googled something similar". "She / he is trying to rob you"......."must have a secret stash of cash somewhere to afford that lifestyle"......."where's my share?"........"I'm fighting for my kids / nephews share, not me "........"it's a family matter"............can be hard enough when you are / were married...........

[Capt Phil]

Most responsible couples already have their wishes and disposition of personal, financial and physical remains memorialized in some shoreside documents. When I was in the delivery business, I would not have looked favorably on a crew member showing up with a list of what he/she wanted done with their remains if they were to die aboard. I would suggest they were in the wrong line of work, quite frankly. The odds of a demise at sea due to illness are greatly reduced because most folks don't head out if they are ill unless they have chosen to pass away out there. Accidents, such as overboard at night, do occur and many times it is impossible to retrieve the body. Earlier in this thread, I mentioned we were lucky to find the remains at night. I believe if you act in a manner that is logical under the circumstances, respectful and within the bounds of what a reasonable person would do, you'll be OK.

[daddle]

Originally Posted by aegean adrift

So you'd disregard whatever they'd worked out...

Oh, I'd regard it for a little while. Then I'd do, as captain, whatever I needed for the continued health and welfare of the remaining crew and ship. Which on the tropical passage posited in this discussion would very likely mean an at sea burial within a few hours. Tough luck for those who think a dead body is worth something.

I'll keeping that gold earring as payment for the services, arrrrg!

[aegean adrift]

Originally Posted by daddle

Oh, I'd regard it for a little while.

Ah -- I'd meant giving the captain a document authorising and requesting immediate sea burial.

Originally Posted by Capt Phil

When I was in the delivery business, I would not have looked favorably on a crew member showing up with a list of what he/she wanted done with their remains if they were to die aboard..

Good to know. I'd imagined that contributing enough top-shelf spirits would outweigh the eccentricity of my relationship with Murphy, but apparently not.

Perhaps I converse more pragmatically about death than most people are comfortable with. About ten years ago, I got fed up with someone who was ill (not terminally so) using threats of death but not making any preparations. When asked directly, they said of course I would "take care of everything" when the time came. So I started researching what exactly would need to be organised, what could be done ahead of time, what decisions could be made. It felt sickening and for a few weeks I was bogged down by the process, but the more I learned, the less threatening it felt. Drew up a matrix of options and open questions, sent it to the person in question, and the threats stopped. In my presence, anyway.

If I went overboard and the captain's standard rescue efforts were to no avail, I wouldn't want costly backup called in. If I expired on board for whatever reason, I'd want to be rolled overboard immediately.

Maybe it's as simple as having the right emergency contact listed in one's passport and I'm just over-thinking this.

Originally Posted by David_Old_Jersey

But if the deceased is your other half you run a very strong risk of finding out the hard way that no marriage certificate ranks you lower than his / her dog (cos' the dog is at least property - so the Estate has some £££ responsibility ).

Or marriage certificate but different last names and nationalities.

As for the dogs, animal control was considerate enough to respect registrations in my name and not to "find buyers" as ordered.

Originally Posted by David_Old_Jersey

Your family home (35' 1984 Beneteau) "must be worth at least $500k

Well, if they were they prepared and able to broker that kind of deal ...

Thanks DoJ.