National Coastwatch Institution

[Jonathan Stuart]

When listening to the number of radio checks Solent Coastguard receives, mostly on C16, I've always thought it would make sense if the National Coastwatch Institution stations could perform such services. I read last week that last year the NCI was given its own VHF channel - 65 - and sailors can contact them for radio checks, reports on local sea and weather conditions, etc.

This is well worth knowing if you sail on the coast near an NCI station. I used the Portland station for a radio check at the weekend and they were very helpful. Given what Solent CG were having to deal with yesterday it would be good if more people knew about this.

[Peter Taylor]

I think that is a good tip... I probably don't check my radio often enough because I hesitate to call Solent CG even on channel 67 given their work load (although they are obliging when I do) . Calling NCI on 65 sounds a much better idea.
Peter

[Michael Rogers]

I hadn't heard of the NCI - it sounds remarkable, and if I lived nearer the coast I would volunteer like a shot. I find myself wondering whether the NCI station on Peveril Point (near Swanage) had anything to do with my being pulled out of the sea last July.

Don't we do things in a peculiar way in this country?! - cutbacks and 'rationalisation" leave the MCA not what it used to be, so set up the NCI with volunteers to fill the gaps. As good? - I don't know enough about it, but I'm glad they're there. I wonder what sort of 'kit' they have - it's presumably a daylight only service?

Thanks for the tip about Channel 65, Jonathan.

Michael

[David Hudson]

"Phone a friend"?

[Peter Taylor]

I wonder what sort of 'kit' they have - it's presumably a daylight only service?
Thanks for the tip about Channel 65, Jonathan.

Well I managed to avoid buying anything at the Boat Show but I got persuaded to join the National Coastwatch Institution (NCI)!  I'm presently an "Assistant Watchkeeper" - the lowest of the low and have done my first stint up Calshot Tower (photo attached for those who don't know it - you get a good view).

The NCI motto is "Eyes along the Coast" and that is a good summary.  Calshot is equipped with sets of powerful binoculars and has an overall view from the Hamble oil terminal to Cowes and from the forts in the eastern Solent to around Newtown Creek entrance.  The main emphasis is on protecting classes of water users who are unable to call for help and give their position via VHF.  For example, capsized sailing boats, wind surfers, kite surfers, jet skis, swimmers, coastal walkers, small fishing expeditions, etc.  Thus at Calshot there are at least two and, because it's a particularly busy stretch of water, usually three watchkeepers during daylight hours  keeping a continual visual watch over what's happening on the water. Certified Watchkeepers have done a training course and been examined on their abilities - its likely to be 6 months to a year before I become qualified to actually lead a watch.

With regard to VHF I attach a handout about channel 65 - using it for radio checks is certainly encouraged.  AIS transmissions can also be checked. Note that you will not get a response if you call NCI on channel 16 although that channel plus 67 and (at Calshot) channel 12 (Southampton Port VTS) are listened to. 

NCI can also receive and (under Coastguard direction) transmit on channel 0, the private Search and Rescue channel, so an NCI station can, if requested by the CG, direct a lifeboat to a casualty with which it has visual contact.  Obviously a person in the water is easier to spot from the top of a tower (or cliff) than from the deck of a a lifeboat.  However all SAR coordination via VHF is done by the CG with communication between NCI and the CG being done by telephone. The NCI role is, for local incidents,  actually being able to see what's happening!

I'm still very much a "newbie", but if anyone has queries about the NCI I'm happy to try to answer them,
Peter

p.s. the Calshot Tower web site is (unsurprisingly) http://www.nci.org.uk/calshot . You can phone the tower to ask the current weather conditions (023 8089 3562) but they can't give a forecast.