Drunk Ryndam passenger faces 20 years in prison after dropping the anchor!

[rich_cathybrock]

is that the idiot owns a 50' boat. Imagine the damage he could do with that:eek:

 

We spend every summer at our Marina in the Great South Bay, and the bigger the boat, the bigger the drunk that's driving it. It absolutely amazes me that as few people have been killed coming back from Fire Island at beer o'clock in the morning.

 

I hope they sieze the thing on him to pay the fine! He could have killed everyone on board. What an ass!

 

That's why the strongest thing I tipple anymore is coffee!

[jcrandle]

I've got to sympathize with him. After all, he is an American on a Dutch flagged ship. He had every right to expect that the button would be labeled "DROP ANCHOR" in Dutch, but when it was in English. how could he resist? OK, I realize that he was American and the labeling was in English, but wasn't it Shaw that admitted that we were separated by a common language?

[TiogaCruiser]

Being it has been almost 10 months ago that this incident occurred, does anyone know the status of this case?

 

Has it gone to trial? Hearing? If so, anyone know the outcome?

 

 

There was quite an interesting discussion about this right after it occurred....

[shandryl]

The article says "A cruise passenger could face 20 years in prison after releasing an anchor off the Caribbean coast" I doubt very much he will do any real time. But we'll see..........I can't wait to hear the final verdict LOL

[Lady Chew]

I think there was a thread several months ago, that mentioned his lawyer was trying to have the charges dismissed because of something to do with jurisdiction. Haven't heard anything since.

[Davidson Duo]

He pleaded guilty last Friday and is awaiting sentencing. Here is a column discussing his recent court appearance.

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/20/cruise-passenger-drops-anchor_n_932083.html

[world~citizen]

...but wasn't it Shaw that admitted that we were separated by a common language?

 

It has been attributed to Shaw by others in the 1950's but with no source identified.

 

From Oscar Wilde's short story The Canterville Ghost published in the late 19th century we read: ‘We have really everything in common with America nowadays except, of course, language’.

 

So for my money it was Wilde.:D

 

As far as sentencing the fellow who dropped the anchor is concerned, would a 20 year sentence make for a more just punishment or practical example than a 10 or 5 or 2 year sentence? What about a big fine with a lot of community service?

 

These are the kinds of decisions I am glad I don't have to make.

 

Smooth sailing...

[KirkNC]

I hope gets some time, he could easily have caused serious injuries or worse.

 

Kirk

[onthegogirl]

Just an idea of how chaotic an uncontrolled anchor drop is:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAcfaMDcY68:eek:

 

That is terrifying.

[whogo]

Although I think somebody in the employ of HAL will surely be revising their security protocols very soon. Stuff like anchors should not be accessible to passengers under any circumstance.

I agree. The mechanism should be under lock and key.

[luxurysailer]

Obviously it never entered the minds of the safety/security experts at HAL that anyone would be stupid enough to do something like this. Wonder what they're doing to prevent a recurrence?

 

Being "under the influence" of whatever should not be a mitigating circumstance calling for diminished punishment. It should, IMHO, be a mitigating circumstance calling for increased punishment tacked onto all the other charges. So, give him the max and then tack on thirty days at the end.

[cmdchiefthom]

I would have been appropriate if he dropped it on his foot!:rolleyes:

[bcd2010]

I don't think it makes him look any less selfish and thoughtless to say he was drunk. Nor does it negate the potential for serious damage and harm to everyone on the ship. For me, being drunk never excuses bad behavior.

 

I keep reading that he said "the cruise ship's anchor system was similar to the system on his own 50-foot boat." So? Is that a mitigating circumstance? The reason it should be okay to do it? Are we supposed to say "Ooooh, well then, that explains it"?

[Typhoon1]

It takes all kinds.

[whogo]

It is genetic. Men have to push buttons, turn cranks, work levers and flick switches. Post a warning sign near a button. "Danger: Do Not Push Button!" See how long it takes for some man to push the button.

[world~citizen]

It is genetic. Men have to push buttons, turn cranks, work levers and flick switches. Post a warning sign near a button. "Danger: Do Not Push Button!" See how long it takes for some man to push the button.

 

You are kidding, right?

[RaceAddict]

Some more details in this article:

 

Anchor Dropper Agrees to Plead Guilty

[twodogmom]

Some more details in this article:

 

Anchor Dropper Agrees to Plead Guilty

 

After reading this, I hope he doesn't get a slap on the hand. He knew what he was doing, and it wasn't just an easy thing to accomplish. I believe a few years in prison would do him some good,, and prevent others from doing similar things for a lark.

[broberts]

I would have thought that an alarm would have light somewhere monitored by security or crew when the door was opened.

 

Putting HALs ineffective security aside, the fact remains that this person committed an act that his knowledge & experience as a large boat owner would have told him endangered the ship and its passengers.

 

While it's unlikely death or serious injury might have resulted, it is quite likely the ship might have lost all or part of its quite expensive stern anchor system. It's also likely that at least minor injuries may have resulted had the ship executed an emergency stop in response to the anchor release alarm.

 

So from one perspective this man committed a drunken prank. In reality he, with certain knowledge of the potential consequences, committed an act that endangered a vehicle underway, worth tens possibly hundreds of millions of dollars and carrying some 1,800 people. Twenty years may seem harsh, but some jail time certainly seems reasonable.

[NordicPrince]

It is genetic. Men have to push buttons, turn cranks, work levers and flick switches. Post a warning sign near a button. "Danger: Do Not Push Button!" See how long it takes for some man to push the button.

 

It has been my experience that among my married friends it has been the women that know how to push "buttons" much more than their husbands.

 

As for the idiotic offender in this case, the judge will have to take into consideration if he is a first time offender and the amount of damage that was actually caused then rule from there. IMO a term of 2 years plus 2 years probation will probably be assessed. Hopefully that should be enough of a deterent for anyone else to try this. With good behavior this offender will probably serve half of the actual jail time.

[peaches from georgia]

I think agreeing to plead guilty was part of a deal to avoid jail time. That's the way these things usually work. I think he'll get probation and a hefty fine.

[DiploTraveler]

I think agreeing to plead guilty was part of a deal to avoid jail time. That's the way these things usually work. I think he'll get probation and a hefty fine.

I agree.

[world~citizen]

It is an interesting case.

 

The defendant's lawyer says actually, no law was broken. :eek:

 

Nevertheless there will be a guilty plea. I would agree there will be a fine and some sort of probation or community service.

[AZNative2000]

Nevertheless there will be a guilty plea. I would agree there will be a fine and some sort of probation or community service.

And, PLEASE, a lifetime ban from HAL cruising!:eek:

[Seavoyage]

Along with jail time, they should also make this AS+++++ handwrite personal letters of apology to each of the passanges and crew members. Very lucky nothing serious happened..