Boarded by UK Border Force

[Lucky Duck]

Off the border force topic but re calling up on the radio - DO give Brighton Marina a quick call on VHF ch 80 before entering at the moment- there's quite a collection of 'big boats' here including dredgers, barges, jack-up rigs, tugs etc etc and they leave precious little room when in the entrance channel and fairways. Or keep a keen listening watch on ch 80 or 37 - the marina are making announcements for every movement and to say which is the safe side to pass.

Hopefully they have improved their listening watch as in the past its been almost impossible to raise them by VHF

 

[steve yates]

Other places - Belfast City which is understandable, Ramsey IoM, Mallaig has introduced it, Stornoway, Kinlochbervie - but no one does.

Mallaig may have introduced it, but there was no one listening or answering when I went in. Tried once, then listened with amusement to a yacht called visions of johanna calling desperately every few mins as they approached.
I had realised it was a Sunday, and 6pm, so quite prob no one there, despite the one ferry about to leave and the big one coming up from the south.
They were still calling as I tied up and was heading to the pub.

 

[Bob Stay]

I don't know why either, I've been in there a couple of times and it would never have occurred to me to make any sort of radio call on entry. A call to the marina for a berth once inside, by all means, if choosing that option. But not to the harbour office, no more than I'd call the Lymington harbourmaster on entering the river nor the Port of Poole while passing the chain-ferry.

Out of interest, what did they say when you called?

Pete

I call Dartnav and say something like, "coming past the lower ferry, looking for a visitors buoy near town" and a young person in a boat will come out, show me a buoy, and even tie me on to it.
But I admit that I like talking on the radio just for the sake of it, I sail an awkward, heavy wooden craft and am usually a bit fraggled on arrival so tend to take advantage of any help available, each to their own.
To answer your question, it would be something like, ' yes I see you, I'll be there in a jiffy to show you a buoy'.
When you call Dartnav, VHF 11 IIRC, you speak to the small boats circulating for the very purpose of assisting visitors, so why not?

 

[fisherman]

Back to UKBA. A lot of their busts are the result of intelligence, as well as a few lucky hits. Current skipper of the cutter round here, name Chesters (??) once boarded a big old wooden boat in Durgan, Helford, just a general suss. Found nothing, back onboard and said he felt uneasy, told to go back and turn it over. Half a ton of cannabis.
Local electronics supplier had a visit from a very suspicious UKBA bunch: "what's your association with XXX?"
"No idea, don't know him". Produced a photo with a flourish:
"Well here's a pic of you loading his transit van" After getting the date of the pic and a lot of trawling through paperwork found the sale of a set of electronics, he had just carried it out to the van, later used on a boat bringing in drugs. Would have thought the UKBA could have worked that one out without being so aggressive, they took the pic at the showroom.

In Newlyn, a beamer from Plymouth came in, police on the quay, stingers on the roads, they went hard astern to find the cutter parked across the gaps and several men with firearms looking at them. One of the crew tried to escape by swimming, what larks. They had dredged up the stuff that had been dropped for them, but they were already under surveillance from prior intelligence. Jail all round.
My mate was until recently skipper of an oil rig support ship. He was calling a target that was very close to the rig, strictly verboten. In the end the UKBA ship answered and complained that the FV they were hiding from had by now chucked all the stuff overboard.

This lot is interesting, they were seen chucking a string of bags overboard in Freshwater bay, they said it was rubbish accumulated during the trip. If you were inclined to chuck your rubbish overboard you would do it as and when, not bag it up for later.
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