Holding a Wake Aboard

[a64pilot]

Spreading ashes and a real burial at sea are different things though. We didn't ask about my Mothers ahses, but I think maybe you ought to before you sink a body though.


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[Tientos]

After taking my father's ashes for a cruise through 4 countries of SE Asia, he is now going to the pyrotechnics to be enclosed in fireworks (permitted in Australia); that is going out with a BANG!

[Snore]

Heard an interesting/humorous story about ashes being spread at sea.

They headed out off Miami and stopped the boat in winds of 10-12 kts. Some nice words were said, they read the 23 Psalm and bid the deceased fair-well.

Not wanting to toss the plastic into the ocean the decision was made to open the top of the plastic bag and to spread (pour) the deceased into the ocean.



Did you know that at the stern of a large sport fisherman their is a vortex -- reverse air flow? A goodly amount of the deceased ended on the grieving. Heard it was taken in good spirits with plenty of spirits.





Sent from my iPhone- please forgive autocorrect errors.

[HopCar]

About thirty years ago a friend of mine died and his son Tony asked me to help scatter his ashes over Lake Ingram in Everglades National Park. I owned a Cessna 172 at the time so we decides to do an air drop. I had removed the restraint from the right side window so that it would open all the way. When we got over the lake I told Tony to hold the bag as far from the airplane as he could. During a brief excursion below minimum altitude the drop was done. Back at the airport, as I tied the aircraft down, I noticed a fine grey powder covering the tail feathers. I didn't tell Tony.

[SailFastTri]

Originally Posted by Snore

snip

Did you know that at the stern of a large sport fisherman their is a vortex -- reverse air flow? A goodly amount of the deceased ended on the grieving. Snip.

Deck wash-downs are good for a lot of things.

[Capt Phil]

Many thanks for all your helpful replies. It seems cremation is a lot less complicated than the old fashioned sea burial that has appealed to me for many years.
My apologies to trentepieds... You are correct... It is HMCS Discovery Station on Dead Mans Island in the Vancouver Harbour, not Discovery Island. In fact, the Nine O'Clock gun is on the parkway just past the island as I now recall. I don't remember an Ingrid 38 being built on the base but it wouldn't surprise me! Lived aboard an old Ingrid named Idle Wind for several years in the Fraser River. And, yes, I left the PNW for The US in 1980. So have been gone a while. Thanks again all... Cheers, Phil

[Sailorbob8599]

Originally Posted by Capt Phil

An old friend of mine who passed away many years ago was cremated and a couple of us stuffed his ashes in the barrel of the Nine O'clock gun in Stanley Park in Vancouver before they fenced the gun enclosure in with wire. You might say he 'went out with a bang'! His wife, #3 at the time, thought it was hilarious. We had a toast to him off Discovery Island in the Harbour aboard his old boat.
For those of you who are non-PNW's, the Nine O'clock gun is a fixture in Vancouver Harbour they fire off at 9:00 pm every evening. Hope they still do! Phil

Yes, they surely do keep the tradition alive.
For those who are interested, "The gun is a 12-pound[1] muzzle-loaded naval cannon, cast in Woolwich, England in 1816.[2] Seventy-eight years later, in about 1894, it was brought to Stanley Park by the Department of Marine and Fisheries to warn fishermen of the 18:00 Sunday close of fishing. On October 15, 1898 the gun was fired for the first time in Stanley Park at noon.

The 21:00 firing was later established as a time signal for the general population and to allow the chronometers of ships in port to be accurately set. The Brockton Point lighthouse keeper, William D. Jones, originally detonated a stick of dynamite over the water until the cannon was installed. The cannon is now activated automatically with an electronic trigger which was installed by the Parks Board electrical department. It is still loaded daily with a black powder charge" ... taken from wikipedia

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by Snore

Heard an interesting/humorous story about ashes being spread at sea.

They headed out off Miami and stopped the boat in winds of 10-12 kts. Some nice words were said, they read the 23 Psalm and bid the deceased fair-well.

Not wanting to toss the plastic into the ocean the decision was made to open the top of the plastic bag and to spread (pour) the deceased into the ocean.



Did you know that at the stern of a large sport fisherman their is a vortex -- reverse air flow? A goodly amount of the deceased ended on the grieving. Heard it was taken in good spirits with plenty of spirits.

You aren't meant to just chuck the plastic box over the side.... open and shake is SOP..... but blowback is often an issue...

Small boat stopped on a calm day is the way to do it.

[JayCall]

Cap't Phil-as one poster mentioned, the Navy still does a formal burial at sea. My Dad was a Naval Academy grad and a retired Marine General officer, when my Mom passed away, we arranged for the Navy, out of Mayport, FL to have a burial at sea. Done using a pretty traditional looking shroud. It was done from a DDS off the coast of the Dominican Republic. The Navy sent us a beautiful video, showing a full watch on deck in summer dress whites, the ceremony, the words from the Chaplain, and Taps. It was very moving and the Navy did a wonderful job.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by HopCar

About thirty years ago a friend of mine died and his son Tony asked me to help scatter his ashes over Lake Ingram in Everglades National Park. I owned a Cessna 172 at the time so we decides to do an air drop. I had removed the restraint from the right side window so that it would open all the way. When we got over the lake I told Tony to hold the bag as far from the airplane as he could. During a brief excursion below minimum altitude the drop was done. Back at the airport, as I tied the aircraft down, I noticed a fine grey powder covering the tail feathers. I didn't tell Tony.

Your very lucky most first timers on this get it all inside of the cockpit.
You can fashion a suction tube from a piece of PVC if you ever need to do it again. It will form a slight vacuum and suck the ashes out but it will still get some on the airplane.
Best similar story I have like that is from a ferry pilot friend flying a small airplane to Europe over water. His stomach is upset and has to do his business in a plastic bread bag. Now he is sick so it's well watery. Then of course throws it out of the window. When he arrives proud owner is there to accept his new airplane
That the whole back end is covered in sh**


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[HopCar]

Here is the story of an illegal burial at sea that was witnessed by Federal agents. It took about twenty years for them to file charges.
Was ex-wife dumped at sea? Trial begins for man accused of 1994 murder | Miami Herald

[pete33458]

Originally Posted by Capt Phil

Any thoughts on who or where this time honored events can be accomplished?

I can't tell whether the OP is serious or not, but if so, here is one resource

Burial at Sea South Florida & The Treasure Coast

I haven't spoken to them yet, only been on my to-do list for a decade or so, hopefully I will get around to it before I need it... Pete

[Sailorbob8599]

It would appear it is only illegal to bury a body at sea if the "people in the business" are not making money from it.
OK, I can see the requirements to prove it was a natural death and NOT a murder, and I can also accept the authorities want to control sea burials when within territorial waters BUT, surely if you have a death certificate, and one travels beyond the territorial limit, one should be able to hold a sea burial without the aid of Funeral Homes or Directors or interference from USCGS or other authorities.
I kind of laughed a little when i saw the requirement for a wood coffin ... and probably equipped with a mast and sails? ... This would allow the deceased to return to shore if they change their mind about burial at sea?

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by Sailorbob8599

It would appear it is only illegal to bury a body at sea if the "people in the business" are not making money from it.
OK, I can see the requirements to prove it was a natural death and NOT a murder, and I can also accept the authorities want to control sea burials when within territorial waters BUT, surely if you have a death certificate, and one travels beyond the territorial limit, one should be able to hold a sea burial without the aid of Funeral Homes or Directors or interference from USCGS or other authorities.
I kind of laughed a little when i saw the requirement for a wood coffin ... and probably equipped with a mast and sails? ... This would allow the deceased to return to shore if they change their mind about burial at sea?

Since I guess I won't get a Long Ship and a pyre. Any outgoing tide will do.

[pete33458]

Originally Posted by pete33458

I can't tell whether the OP is serious or not, but if so, here is one resource

Burial at Sea South Florida & The Treasure Coast

I haven't spoken to them yet, only been on my to-do list for a decade or so, hopefully I will get around to it before I need it... Pete

OK, so this spurred me to get the job done, and it was pretty simple. For $2600 they will collect my corpse from wherever I manage to drop dead, and as quickly as paperwork can be processed will load me into a wooden box, place it onto a boat, head out through the Jupiter Inlet to the Gulf Stream to a position chosen by me (within a set range), and unceremoniously heave what's left of me over the stern, where I will hopefully manage to nourish some deep-dwelling bottom scavengers and disappear without a trace. No embalming, no service, no delays, no tears, just warm, deep water. My kind of ending. Pete