While somewhat tangential, for information I was a coastguard for four years, operational lifeboat crew with the RNLI for ten years, and a launching authority for the RNLI for a further two years. The coastguard requested the lifeboat to launch with full disclosure of the material facts. The decision was based on the nature of the problem as well as weather, etc. Not once in my 16 years SAR experience (handling approx 100 calls per year) was the offer declined, in fact in many cases the response was strengthened with a "both boats" launch to provide what could be regarded as the equivalent of "top cover".