Problems with over the drink limit skippers.....

[Guest]

I've noticed a couple of stories lately about accidents or incidents involving captains being over the newly introduced blood / alcohol limit for fitness to command. Is this now , or has it ever really been , a common problem in the merchant fleet ??.

I know that in the days of the trawler fleets out of Hull , Grimsby and Aberdeen there were several ships lost due to the crews being drunk but never really heard about it in merchant service ( I was never in the merchant marine so only got anec-dotal stories to go by ).

Ship's captain fined after crash Baltyskiy 202
Warning as drunken skipper fined
New air and sea alcohol testing
Captain 'smelled like alcoholic'

Davie Tait

[Matt Ruscher]

over here in the states i dont believe you can have any alcohol of any sort when in united states waters. about a year ago the captain of the small general cargo ship 'General Lee' was bannished from the port because of two beers he had the night before when he and some of the crew polished off a 6-pack. next day customs inspectors borded the boat while anchored off Wilimington,North Carolina. I believe the boat is not allowed back in the US for 2-3 years now. he wasnt drunk but they smelled it on him from the night before. so i dont think your allowed to have any at all here.