The two missing Scottish fishers story is reading like a comedy of errors. Although they may have made mistakes, once the fishermen realised they were in the schum, they seemed to do ok - that they are alive is testimony to that. One of them had 62 years experience on the sea, hardly a novice. Boat looked ok for what it was for - inshore work.
The UKs search efforts seem pretty poor on the face of it here. Flight Deck Helmet on, but I mean at the end of the day they were off the coast of East Scotland, in an area within range of land based helicopters, offshore support vessels, blooming uncle tom cobley....still couldn't find them. I find that hard to fathom.
After all that, reads as though the Montrose lifeboat actually sank the fishing boat when it had in tow going back in.
BBC News - Missing fishermen 'survived on two biscuits'
If there is a way back to ever getting a UK MPA, I don't think the RAF will get it now anyway. Will be given over to another agency, watch and see, it may happen after all of this. Face saver. Some sort of enquiry and something will be lashed up again for use. Incidentally the photos...I just wanted to google and see what we still have to improvise in a search role other than the yellow seakings...and I'm talking about looking for people 50 miles off our own coast. Hardly gives me confidence.