Pay the crew to avoid OFCOM

Reading ‘Radio Waves and Health’ (June: Ask the Experts) I noted the following point:

‘For the purposes of enforcement, OFCOM has included family and friends to be members of the public. The owner, skipper, radio operator and any paid crew of a vessel are covered by alternate legislation and are excluded from these provisions.’

It occurs to me that you could therefore remove the ‘public’ from the equation by paying family and friends to come sailing with the excluded Captain? Would £1 cover it? Or would a meal be sufficient? David Peters, via email