Passage of English Channel day 2 at sea

South Pacific Familyadventure 2008
Claes Brodin
Mon 14 Aug 2017 19:40
This has been a very comfortable day at sea with a flat ocean and blue sky.
Now coming closer to Boulogne and Dover Strait traffic is clearly intensifying and as we understand from latest forecast there will be heavy rain when making landfall in Boulogne around 04.00hrs.
A pnenomenon noticed on this passage of the Channel is the increased frequency of distress calls on the VHF. There has been a number of DSC distress calls with alarm sounding all over the boat and allthough mainly pan pan messages there was also a mayday call taken care of by British Coastguard.
Compared to sailing here in the eighties there´s of course a huge difference but also compared to 1999 when we brought Tarita home from Lymington.
Of course it`s good with a well developed marine rescue organisation but there´s a downside.
After to many alarms waking the off watch crew up from sleeping there´s a considerable risk of choosing to brake marine regulations and switch the VHF radio off.There are similarities with modern accident organisation where almost every car accident drafts a traumaunit with firetruck,ambulance and policecars.
I cannot resist thinking this is also a timespecific symtom of "hysteric west"