Coastguard ‘areas’ - definitive guide?

[Sticky Fingers]

Hi folks, I’m in the early stages of planning a passage from my Hamble base in the Solent to St Katherine's Dock in London. In the Solent if I needed to call the Coastguard it’s ’Solent Coastguard’; on my way I’ll be passing Dover and then into the Thames so I guess (possibly wrongly) that I would use ‘Dover Coastguard’ and ‘London Coastguard’. But where do the area boundaries change? The Coastguard website is depressingly uninformative on this topic. And is there a definitive list of all of the UK Coastguard areas and where their areas / boundaries are?

 

[Boathook]

According to my Reeds Channel Almanac, Dover CG is Camber Sands to Reculver Towers. Solent is Camber Sands to River Exe.

 

[Sticky Fingers]

Great thanks, I don’t have the almanac to hand, that’s an obvious source

 

[Plum]

Hi folks, I’m in the early stages of planning a passage from my Hamble base in the Solent to St Katherine's Dock in London. In the Solent if I needed to call the Coastguard it’s ’Solent Coastguard’; on my way I’ll be passing Dover and then into the Thames so I guess (possibly wrongly) that I would use ‘Dover Coastguard’ and ‘London Coastguard’. But where do the area boundaries change? The Coastguard website is depressingly uninformative on this topic. And is there a definitive list of all of the UK Coastguard areas and where their areas / boundaries are?

The areas are no longer fixed and can be varied to manage the workload of each MRCC. If in doubt, call "UK Coastguard" and note who answers.

 

[Sticky Fingers]

Thanks that’s a good tip

 

[lustyd]

We heard Falmouth, Solent, guernsey and France coastguards on a single sail recently from Salcombe to Plymouth there’s a lot of bleed between them. They’ll respond on the antenna you come in on regardless what you call them.
I believe most comms come from Lee on Solent anyway since they consolidated so in theory Solent covers the UK

 

[Plum]

I believe most comms come from Lee on Solent anyway since they consolidated so in theory Solent covers the UK

Lee on Solent is where one of the Coastguard Rescue Helicopter bases is., it is not an MRCC.

 

[lustyd]

Lee on Solent is where one of the Coastguard Rescue Helicopter bases is., it is not an MRCC.

Lee on Solent is where the CG “call centre” is based and has connectivity to all UK antennas. I spoke to several of the people who set it up when I worked at NATS doing a similar project.

 

[wonkywinch]

Lee on Solent is where the CG “call centre” is based and has connectivity to all UK antennas. I spoke to several of the people who set it up when I worked at NATS doing a similar project.

Most wouldn't be aware that Luton and Stansted airport radar approach controllers are nowhere near the airport but in the centre at Swanwick.

Sounds like a similar set up for CG

CG Locations

 

[Juan Twothree]

I believe most comms come from Lee on Solent anyway since they consolidated so in theory Solent covers the UK

There are nine MRCCs, plus London. Under normal circumstances, each MRCC will cover its own area, but any station (often, but not necessarily Solent) can cover another area through the network.

Sometimes the other station will take the entire area, but often they will just handle routine calls, to allow the local station to concentrate on SAR, for instance.

This usually happens if one MRCC is short staffed, or is busy, but they also do it routinely from time to time to prove it works, and to gain local knowledge.

Last month for example, Humber were covering Dover's SAR for around ten days, whilst Dover covered somewhere else.

 

[Juan Twothree]

Lee on Solent is where the CG “call centre” is based and has connectivity to all UK antennas. I spoke to several of the people who set it up when I worked at NATS doing a similar project.

Lee on Solent is the airfield, and CG training centre.

The "call centre" is just off the A27 near Titchfield.

 

[Plum]

Lee on Solent is where the CG “call centre” is based and has connectivity to all UK antennas. I spoke to several of the people who set it up when I worked at NATS doing a similar project.

Sounds like you are referring to the National Maritime Operations Centre, also called the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre, at Fareham, which is the hub of the 10 MRCCs

Edit. Sorry Juan Twothree, I duplicated your post

 

[lustyd]

There are nine MRCCs, plus London

And the JRCC at Lee which connects to them all.

Yes the details were fuzzy it was a long time ago

 

[Juan Twothree]

And the JRCC at Lee which connects to them all.

Yes the details were fuzzy it was a long time ago

The JRCC (formerly called the NMOC) is at Kite's Croft, just off the A27 near Titchfield/Fareham.

It was originally built as one of John Prescott's regional fire service control rooms, but was never used, and had been sitting empty for years before the MCA took it over

The ARCC is now co-located there, plus other stuff too.

 

[MoodySabre]

I’ve heard the CG answer with one moniker and then correct himself when he realised where the caller was situated.
I still miss the Thames CG finishing the weather forecast with “looking out of the window here at Walton it’s a lovely day”

 

[Juan Twothree]

I still miss the Thames CG finishing the weather forecast with “looking out of the window here at Walton it’s a lovely day”

I still miss Thames Coastguard, full stop.

There was a huge amount of local knowledge and expertise that was lost when it was closed down, and they were a really nice and friendly group of people.

 

[lustyd]

I’ve heard the CG answer with one moniker and then correct himself when he realised where the caller was situated.
I still miss the Thames CG finishing the weather forecast with “looking out of the window here at Walton it’s a lovely day”

The NCI gave a lovely detailed weather observation this morning here in Falmouth. Although the poor chap twice said “on channel 65” he was transmitting for several minutes continuously on 16 quiet day so I don’t think it caused an issue and did remind me of their weather observations which is useful

 

[OCuea]

As Plum said, it changed years ago - I won’t say for better or worse- my view would simply be to call out ‘ coast guard, coast guard, coast guard, this is … ‘ give position as quickly as possible via co- ords and distance off any prominent known position etc etc to give even more and perhaps better info and then proceed as per MIPDANIO ( stands for Mayday, ID, position, danger, etc etc) . I would appreciate polite replies if anyone disagrees with this proposal that I or others developed after coast guard changes some years ago.

 

[Sticky Fingers]

As Plum said, it changed years ago - I won’t say for better or worse- my view would simply be to call out ‘ coast guard, coast guard, coast guard, this is … ‘ give position as quickly as possible via co- ords and distance off any prominent known position etc etc to give even more and perhaps better info and then proceed as per MIPDANIO ( stands for Mayday, ID, position, danger, etc etc) . I would appreciate polite replies if anyone disagrees with this proposal that I or others developed after coast guard changes some years ago.

For a Mayday you wouldn’t address the CG directly, it starts with Mayday Mayday Mayday this is … etc. But yes take your point.

 

[DJE]

Solent is Camber Sands to River Exe.

Maybe they should be called Channel Coastguard.