Do I need a VHF Radio to sail in the Solent?

[Sharky34]

I agree with those that recommend a mobile phone. If you have one that is toughened and water resistant, and remember to keep it charged, then anywhere along the south coast, and certainly in the Solent and vicinity you'll easily be able to contact the coastguard in an emergency. Most mobile phones have GPS and will also give you your position. You can advance your technological capabilities even further by installing chart plotter software and charts on the phone, aiding you in case of poor visibility.

To my mind, the downside of a handheld VHF radio would be that because you rarely use it, it might become discharged without you realising it. The advantage of a VHF would be that you can communicate with harbour masters and other vessels, and directly with a lifeboat if that was necessary.

If you "rarely use it", seems to prove the point 'why do you need it'?
IMO, reliance upon 'devices', might put you into a hazardous situation that prudent seamanship wouldn't allow otherwise.

 

[duncan99210]

A VHF radio, hand held or fixed, Is a sensible piece of equipment to have on board whatever boat you may have. The arguments about it not being kept charged are missing an important point: if its to be of any use other than summoning aid in an emergency, it should be kept switched on when you’re sailing. That way you can hear anyone else needing help, be warned of approaching danger and so on. I know that the Solent is almost a special case where the level of traffic is such that the noise can become an irritant but I‘d always have one on board and switched on.
Mobile phones have their place as a communications system but as others have said, they’re point to point and tend to react poorly to lots of water. I’d not want to rely on one to summon aid: I need some thing simple, where I press one button to transmit to everyone in the area, not trying to wake up a mobile, remove wet gloves to dial, can’t hear the answer because the volume of the phone is inadequate.......

 

[Sharky34]

A VHF radio, hand held or fixed, Is a sensible piece of equipment to have on board whatever boat you may have. The arguments about it not being kept charged are missing an important point: if its to be of any use other than summoning aid in an emergency, it should be kept switched on when you’re sailing. That way you can hear anyone else needing help, be warned of approaching danger and so on. I know that the Solent is almost a special case where the level of traffic is such that the noise can become an irritant but I‘d always have one on board and switched on.
Mobile phones have their place as a communications system but as others have said, they’re point to point and tend to react poorly to lots of water. I’d not want to rely on one to summon aid: I need some thing simple, where I press one button to transmit to everyone in the area, not trying to wake up a mobile, remove wet gloves to dial, can’t hear the answer because the volume of the phone is inadequate.......

The OP is talking about dinghy sized boats & how many dinghy sailors have one, even if cruising in something wayfarer/drascombe size?

 

[Lucky Duck]

You are aware the OP was almost two decades ago?

 

[oldmanofthehills]

If you call MayDay on channel 16 you get right through to CG and they put message to RNLI. If you ring 999 and you will get confused response by some call handling centre in winchester or wherever that might never have heard of the Solent and wont know who to pass matter onto. Delay delay while you drown!

Similarly a VHF handheld on ch 12 or 14 etc gives you shipping info you might need, or ability to call for assistance from other boaters.

A marine VHF is more ever built to work in marine environment. A case on a mobile reduces utility and may not even protect it as well as you hope - sure if it fails you can claim on insurance, but what if it fails when you have an emergency?

 

[JumbleDuck]

While the VHF is switched on pretty much every time we cast off, the number of times it gets used is quite small these days.

I think the last time I actually transmited with my VHF radio was calling up Ardfern Marina from Loch Craignish, which is one of the few places with a harbour but without a mobile signal, about five years ago. Otherwise I use it for the CG forecasts and that's it.

 

[Sharky34]

You are aware the OP was almost two decades ago?

No I wasn't, but why would that change the query, other than the fact that the number of boats has vastly increased in the Solent?

 

[johnalison]

Although almost all of us will be sailing with VHF and mobile phones, I don't see any reason to be critical of someone sailing the Solent in average conditions without either, providing they have the normal minimum of safety gear, which would probably include lifejackets, a torch, and some means of navigating anchoring, and preferably that someone ashore knows of their plans. I don't see that twenty years has changed the situation.

 

[Neeves]

In Australia we don't need the vessel to be licensed to carry VHF but there is still a requirement to have an operators license on board. SSB here in Oz requires both vessel and operator to be licensed. We pay an annual fee for the vessel SSB license - its nominal

We have never been asked whether we have VHF (or SSB) and have never been asked for the operators license to use either.

If the barrier to carrying a simple means of alerting 'authorities' to an emergency is/are the licenses - then something is wrong (either with the difficulty and cost of obtaining the license or the mentality of the individual - or both).

But a question

If you carry a hand held VHF and keep it charged but only listen and only use the device to transmit when life may be at stake (which in most cases will be never) - what are the penalties - in the UK.

If we sail offshore here we are required to carry an EPIRB - and in an emergency it would be our first and immediate communication device - as we would be busy doing other things - VHF would be .....later. On coastal passages on mainland Oz we would use VHF there is coverage virtually all round the island with use of repeaters but in Tasmania - HF (VHF coverage is poor)

Jonathan

What motivates someone to resurrect a 20 year old thread?

 

[lw395]

You wouldn't want too many unlicensed, untrained people chatting on VHF in your area.
So you need some sort of cert scheme for operators.
A one day course in almost anything is going to cost you more than 50 quid.

Phone coverage relies on the base station, it's frustrating to be a quarter mile from the boat you want to speak to and not have a signal.
We use VHFs quite a lot for race management. It's good to be able to talk with a group of boats.

Phones are useful too.
I wouldn't absolutely rely on either. It's the ocean, you have to look after yourself.

 

[Aeolus]

What motivates someone to resurrect a 20 year old thread?

Coronavirus lockdown ennui

 

[Lucky Duck]

In Australia we don't need the vessel to be licensed to carry VHF but there is still a requirement to have an operators license on board. SSB here in Oz requires both vessel and operator to be licensed. We pay an annual fee for the vessel SSB license - its nominal

We have never been asked whether we have VHF (or SSB) and have never been asked for the operators license to use either.

If the barrier to carrying a simple means of alerting 'authorities' to an emergency is/are the licenses - then something is wrong (either with the difficulty and cost of obtaining the license or the mentality of the individual - or both).

But a question

If you carry a hand held VHF and keep it charged but only listen and only use the device to transmit when life may be at stake (which in most cases will be never) - what are the penalties - in the UK.

If we sail offshore here we are required to carry an EPIRB - and in an emergency it would be our first and immediate communication device - as we would be busy doing other things - VHF would be .....later. On coastal passages on mainland Oz we would use VHF there is coverage virtually all round the island with use of repeaters but in Tasmania - HF (VHF coverage is poor)

Jonathan

What motivates someone to resurrect a 20 year old thread?

In respect of the query in bold - absolutely nothing. Unlicensed individuals are permitted to operate the equipment in the event of an emergency.

 

[Neeves]

In respect of the query in bold - absolutely nothing. No licensed individuals are permitted to operate the equipment in the event of an emergency.

I had to read that a number of times

I assume the final sentence reads

UNLICENSED individuals are permitted to operate the equipment in the event of an emergency.

So carry a handheld, waterproof, charged VHF and phone (the latter if you so desire).

Jonathan

 

[Neeves]

Coronavirus lockdown ennui

I did wonder

J

 

[Lucky Duck]

I had to read that a number of times

I assume the final sentence reads

UNLICENSED individuals are permitted to operate the equipment in the event of an emergency.

So carry a handheld, waterproof, charged VHF and phone (the latter if you so desire).

Jonathan

Indeed, post duly edited

 

[dancrane]

What motivates someone to resurrect a 20 year old thread?

Presumably the same interest that motivated you to reply?

I thought the rarity of individuals who are without their own phone today, may have increased new sailors' sense of independence, and reduced their sense of need for VHF, rightly or wrongly.

The simplicity and ruggedness of a VHF that broadcasts to everyone who may be near enough to benefit or assist, is clear.

Unfortunately it's much clearer than any signal I've encountered when using one. Maybe it's especially bad in the Solent?

In the sailing club RIB a mile offshore, we often give up using the VHF and phone a mate in the race box.

 

[cherod]

I have a Juno 560, 18' lift keel trailer sailer. I used to sail (with my wife and three young boys) from Itchenor and generally around Chichester Harbour, occasionally venturing to Priory Bay when the forecast was settled.

We have recently moved to Warsash and will now be sailing in even more congested waters.

I have always resisted buying a VHF radio as I think of my type of sailing as just 'Big Dinghy Sailing' and not 'Proper Yachting'

I am only really interested in safety so: How much safer would I be with a VHF radio and is it worth the cost of the radio and the annual license?

i do wonder how you have been getting on ,, did you get one , did you use it , were the doom and gloom mongers right , or wrong ??

 

[david_bagshaw]

My old analog mobile phone would work most of the way to France, by which time I could pick up the French signal. These new fangled digital ones run out of steam only a few miles offshore.

Interesting, my analog mobile, on didnt roam, however my first digital did. That said with the old analog I could get the uk in calais, where as the new digi immediately locked on to the french network, with higher charges.

 

[Tomaret]

We Solent sailors all know that a radio check is absolutely mandatory as soon as you enter the Solent. How would you do that with a mobile phone? Or, 20 years ago were radio checks optional?

Oh to be in a situation where incessant radio checks were mildly irritating again?

 

[oldharry]

If you "rarely use it", seems to prove the point 'why do you need it'?
IMO, reliance upon 'devices', might put you into a hazardous situation that prudent seamanship wouldn't allow otherwise.

How often do you actually use you LJ's or PBAs? I carried a VHF for 30 years in the Solent and only ever used it to find out if anything big was on the move via Soton VTS and QHM. No that you can really miss a VLCC coming at you! I had it so I listened to it occasionally, when not driven mad by the radio Check calls! (I never have made one, and the set is still working!)

Then one day not so long ago, heading to a favourite anchorage everything ground to a halt. I was totally and inextricably snagged in a large fish net. After 40 minutes in the water trying to cut things free, I was getting cold and tired, and realised I was heading for the much more dangerous scenario of hypothermia etc. So for only the second time in my sailing career I called the CG for help. (The first time was in the Irish Sea with a child having a bad asthma attack. I would never sail with children aboard without a sure means of calling for help fast) . Yes I could have used a mobile, but could not have then warned the IRB that he too was about to get caught in the net as he came up!

FYI the net had been stretched right across the popular Priory Bay anchorage on the IoW, and was marked by a very small white float at each end much like the normal minim floats used for pots.- nothing in the middle! The IRB crew were pretty certain they knew which idiot (their words) had laid it there. Unmarked, they told me, because it was illegal anyway.