CG66 rename?

[EastYachty]

Good morning,

I wonder if you can help me with a bit of feedback? I am the National CG66 Liaison Officer and am looking for opinions on the ‘CG66’ moniker.

The issue of renaming CG66 has been raised. I am curious to know whether you think that might be a good or bad idea and why? Also, whether there might be a better label than ‘CG66’?

I’m not looking for feedback on the system itself at the moment, just a general poll for feelings on the current name that we use for this voluntary SAR database: ‘CG66’.

Thank you


Bev
National CG66 Liaison Officer
Bev.allen@mcga.gov.uk

 

[ChrisE]

Good morning,

I wonder if you can help me with a bit of feedback? I am the National CG66 Liaison Officer and am looking for opinions on the ‘CG66’ moniker.

The issue of renaming CG66 has been raised. I am curious to know whether you think that might be a good or bad idea and why? Also, whether there might be a better label than ‘CG66’?

I’m not looking for feedback on the system itself at the moment, just a general poll for feelings on the current name that we use for this voluntary SAR database: ‘CG66’.

Thank you


Bev
National CG66 Liaison Officer
Bev.allen@mcga.gov.uk

Something like Coastguard Boat Safety Form? Whatever is decided, a name that describes the purpose of the form must be better than CG66....

 

[ianfr]

Hi

As most boat owners (I hope ) know what the CG66 is, then perhaps changing the name might possibly be counter productive.

Regards


Ian

 

[EastYachty]

Thank you - keep them coming, just what I'm looking for!

 

[Gordonmc]

Stating the obvious, but how about "SAR Database" (?)

 

[r_h]

While many existing boat owners know about the form, and therefore there may be sense in retaining a reference to the existing name, I worry that a lot of new owners don't know of its existence.

Borrowing ChrisE's suggestion - he also makes a very valid point - what about:
Coastguard Boat Safety Form (CG66)?

 

[Sandyman]

Have always wondered where the CG66 moniker came from ? Seemed a daft name to me for a safety scheme.
No ianfr I don't believe most owners are aware of it. Maybe the OP could tell us how many peeps are registered.
I would think something along the lines of Coast Guard Safety Registration Scheme
CGSRS would better fit the bill.

 

[Evadne]

Hi

As most boat owners (I hope ) know what the CG66 is, then perhaps changing the name might possibly be counter productive.

Regards


Ian

+1 Many boaters are aware of what CG66 is, so that ought to be part of the new name, if there is one.
Adding a descriptor such as "CG66 small boat SAR details" would help new boat owners, but only if accompanied by regular publicity. The main reason that some people don't know about it is that nobody has told them!

 

[prv]

My vote is for keeping the name the same.

It's becoming known by that name, changing it will just cause confusion. People will still call it by the old name, and the new name, will think it's a different scheme, etc.

Changing the name won't help people find it. They already have to be told of its existence (by word of mouth, publicity, whatever) so it's no problem to tell people its name at the same time.

It's unambiguous - if you changed it to something like Chris's "Coastguard Boat Safety Form", people would misremember it, mix it up with similar words, etc. Noone accidently calls a CG66 anything else.

It sounds businesslike, something a professional mariner might use (even though they don't ). Come up with a focus-grouped fluffy name and you may turn off some people who don't identify with what you come up with.

As a comparison, consider the E111 European health funding form. Everyone knew what that was, there was never any suggestion of giving it a friendlier name, and that was aimed at the wider public rather than a specific (hopefully slightly more knowledgeable) community. (Yes, it then became the EHIC, but that was a wholesale change to the scheme, not just a rebranding.)

Pete

 

[Sandy]

If it ain't broke don't fix it.

Please don't change it just for the sake of change.

Not long a go we had Road Traffic Accidents (RTAs) now we have Road Traffic Collisions (RTCs). While RTC might be a more accurate description we all wander about thinking whats a RTC?

 

[Boomshanka]

I too have never understood where the CG66 thing came from (must have been an exciting meeting, or is it just the sixty-sixth form/scheme to have been developed in the CG).

I can see the benefit of changing for greater clarity, especially for new boaters, but it always helps if the shortened name can trip off the tongue and/or mean something:

CGSOS
CG999

Erm... not feeling very creative today

 

[EastYachty]

Have always wondered where the CG66 moniker came from ? Seemed a daft name to me for a safety scheme.
No ianfr I don't believe most owners are aware of it. Maybe the OP could tell us how many peeps are registered.
I would think something along the lines of Coast Guard Safety Registration Scheme
CGSRS would better fit the bill.

CG66 actually originates from the early days when it was a form number ie Coastguard 66.

The title needs to be short and snappy for when used on VHF ie "Do you hold a CG66?" or "Do you hold a blah blah blah blah?"

 

[prv]

what about:
Coastguard Boat Safety Form (CG66)?

If it were to change, I like including the old number in its official title. But I don't really like "Boat Safety Form" as it's too vague. Safety covers a wide range of things, and arguably "knowing what you look like in order to help rescue you" isn't even near the centre of that range.

I wonder if it's worth including "voluntary" in the title to counter the kind of paranoid fears of big-brotherism that tend to get brought up when it's mentioned.

My first thought might be "CG66 Voluntary Search and Rescue Registration", except that that could be misread as volunteering to help with search and rescue

Pete

 

[EastYachty]

Have always wondered where the CG66 moniker came from ? Seemed a daft name to me for a safety scheme.
No ianfr I don't believe most owners are aware of it. Maybe the OP could tell us how many peeps are registered.
I would think something along the lines of Coast Guard Safety Registration Scheme
CGSRS would better fit the bill.

As of today there are 22,220 CG66's on the system.

 

[Tradewinds]

SeaGSix-Six

There - that's a lot more sexy

 

[prv]

I too have never understood where the CG66 thing came from (must have been an exciting meeting, or is it just the sixty-sixth form/scheme to have been developed in the CG).

Lots of things get referred to by form numbers in government and military organisations.

FMT600 - military driving license
MoD90 - Army ID card
G1098 - locally-issued equipment

The Civil Service do it too, though I can't think of any examples.

The aforementioned E111 euro health form that we all used to take on holiday.

etc

The title needs to be short and snappy for when used on VHF ie "Do you hold a CG66?" or "Do you hold a blah blah blah blah?"

Definitely.

Pete

 

[A1Sailor]

I would suggest still calling it CG66, but with a title as well. The problem you have, of course, is what to call it; since it is applicable to fishing vessels, yachts, power boats, even dinghy's and canoes!
"The Coastguard Vessel Safety Notification Form/CG66"?

 

[bazobeleza]

Please don't change it, I know what it is, and and am now approaching that age where befuddlement means I still say e111 though its called something else.

Call it something else and I'll have no chance

 

[EastYachty]

I would suggest still calling it CG66, but with a title as well. The problem you have, of course, is what to call it; since it is applicable to fishing vessels, yachts, power boats, even dinghy's and canoes!
"The Coastguard Vessel Safety Notification Form/CG66"?

The official title is:

CG66 - The Voluntary Safety Identification Scheme

 

[Stork_III]

If it ain't broke don't fix it.

Please don't change it just for the sake of change.

Not long a go we had Road Traffic Accidents (RTAs) now we have Road Traffic Collisions (RTCs). While RTC might be a more accurate description we all wander about thinking whats a RTC?

+1