Ship Manager - I in no way implied that you were an OIM or that you went ballistic. However I can assure you that certain OIMs are really not happy when the A/c Commander refuses to fly due to sea state with the prospect of only a Dacon Scoop type recovery.
I would ask you the question: Why do some oil companies stop flying ops in these conditions? Remember we are talking about short sector shuttling here.
I am also not suggesting that the SBV crew be exposed to rescue via the scoop initially. My point is that the Ships Master would probably not want to expose his DC/FRC crew to the risk of trying to recover the DC/FRC in such conditions.
I am not aware of the number of hands onboard the average SBV, however if DC/FRC recovery did go wrong, then I guess the DC/FRC crew might need to be 'scooped'. If these are the same guys who operate the Scoop, as you rightly point out, they would not then be well placed to reach the crane controls! Indeed they could not rescue themselves let alone anyone else.
Has the scoop ever been used/demonstrated in such conditions? How many people have been rescued (with or without further injury) by it? Surely this is type of rescue is WELL tried and tested in 5m+ seas. I'm sure we wouldn't risk using it in conditions in which it hasn't been comprehensively proven. Would we?
What do people really think of the Dacon Scoop?
By the way my research lead me to believe that the SBV and its DC/FRC act best in unison, and that best practise is to transfer people from water/lifeboat via DC/FRC to SBV. Maybe you could put me right if I'm wrong
Fly safe
Red