DSC Pan Pan and Coastguard territories

DanTribe

DanTribe

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I recently heard Humber CG repeatedly trying to contact a yacht without success, and later asking for information about it regarding a Pan Pan received by DSC.
I didn't know that Pan Pan could be sent via DSC, but on reading my radio manual I see that it is possible. On my SH GX 1600 an Urgency message can be sent but is quite complicated and deep in the menu. Unlikely to be used in an urgency situation.
Apparently the message was sent from the Deben area, is this covered by Humber CG now? :confused:
 
I've heard this several times over the past few weeks. Two or three times i've heard Humber CG calling a vessel that's been reported overdue.
 
And it would seem either Dover or Humber will respond to Calls to "Thames" depending on whose aerial picks up the call judging on the increasing number of radio checks occurring.
 
Habebty said:
And it would seem either Dover or Humber will respond to Calls to "Thames" depending on whose aerial picks up the call judging on the increasing number of radio checks occurring.
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The one good thing I've heard over the last few weeks, is when CG is not responding, another vessel responds to confirm the Radio Check... Isn't that a good idea!
 
Habebty said:
And it would seem either Dover or Humber will respond to Calls to "Thames" depending on whose aerial picks up the call judging on the increasing number of radio checks occurring.
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That is correct in that either one (or also the 'call centre' at Fareham which seems to call itself Thames on occasion) will pick up the call according to which is monitoring which aerials. The aerials don't really 'belong' to any one centre any more, it's all networked so in theory any centre could respond. When I was out for a couple of weeks recently between the Swale and the Deben, I mainly heard Dover, with occasional responses evidently using the call centre (the NMOC, National Maritime Ops Centre, I think it stands for). The scheme is designed to freely allow workload sharing, where the old system had one local centre per area and the tech allowed one other hard-wired centre to load-share.
And I'm only a messenger, no shots fired this way thank you.....
 
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The weekend before last when it got busy with the decent weather, it seemed noticeable that calls to Dover Coastguard got a quicker response to those for Thames CG. When Calls to Thames were answered it seemed they were emphasising that it was in fact Dover rather than Thames. Wheras last year when Thames first closed who ever were answering seemed to be pretending to be Thames and often tripping up and getting confused as to who they were.

Confidence and experience does seem to have improved since last year, in fact when I got involved with a Mayday relay, the lady I was talking to seemed to be totally in control of the situation, prompting me when required. I have noticed a couple of times when they have been busy, that they possibly don't have enough people to handle all the calls. I have heard lifeboats calling on 16 trying to report launching and being told to standby due to incident working. One was trying to report launching for an incident and seemed to be struggling to get instructions.
 
FulmarJeddo said:
The weekend before last when it got busy with the decent weather, it seemed noticeable that calls to Dover Coastguard got a quicker response to those for Thames CG. When Calls to Thames were answered it seemed they were emphasising that it was in fact Dover rather than Thames. Wheras last year when Thames first closed who ever were answering seemed to be pretending to be Thames and often tripping up and getting confused as to who they were.

Confidence and experience does seem to have improved since last year, in fact when I got involved with a Mayday relay, the lady I was talking to seemed to be totally in control of the situation, prompting me when required. I have noticed a couple of times when they have been busy, that they possibly don't have enough people to handle all the calls. I have heard lifeboats calling on 16 trying to report launching and being told to standby due to incident working. One was trying to report launching for an incident and seemed to be struggling to get instructions.[/QUOTE][/I]


Yes that was us , very frustrating
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FulmarJeddo said:
The weekend before last when it got busy with the decent weather, it seemed noticeable that calls to Dover Coastguard got a quicker response to those for Thames CG. When Calls to Thames were answered it seemed they were emphasising that it was in fact Dover rather than Thames. Wheras last year when Thames first closed who ever were answering seemed to be pretending to be Thames and often tripping up and getting confused as to who they were...................
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Last year responses from 'Thames' were always from the NMOC, because Dover was not then linked to the new network. Probably there were times when individuals were switching identities, hence perhaps stumbling at times.
There are plenty of old hands at the centres and some at the NMOC, and if you get one of those you do notice the difference.
I'm just surprised that these days it does usually seem to be Dover taking the load for the Thames area. Dover always was a very busy station, handling the Channel Navigation services plus Sunk Pilot as well as all the other stuff, and yet we hardly ever hear Humber responding.
 
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A few weeks ago I needed a long range radio check on a customers (and forumites)VHF set due to concerns about transmission range. Called Thames Coastguard three times over a five minute or so period, no response. Called Dover Coastguard and got an immediate reply.

There's a lack of clarity about who should be called and what areas are covered by whom which is confusing even technonerds like me!
 
There is a lack of clarity because the MCA is not good at PR! I talked to them earlier this year and explained they should be doing press releases about the impact of the changes to the yachting press and to the RYA.
The RYA does talk to them regularly and in the most recent RYA magazine there is an article explaining who you're gonna call.
Basically if you are unsure which area you are in (and there is no Thames CG any more so don't call Thames) then you call 'UK Coastguard', and then carry on the conversation with whoever answers, be it Dover, Humber, or wherever.
Originally there was to be a Dover/Humber dividing line, roughly just S of the Blackwater, but it seems not to be the case now. Anyway it doesn't matter, just call 'UK Coastguard'.

YM, PBO, you can usefully fill a page with this stuff, go and talk to the MCA please!
 
One day last week we saw what appeared to be a red flare let off around the vicinity of the Roach. Did a Mayday relay but there was no respose from anyone.

Anyone know what we should expect when we send a Mayaday relay? Od course it could have been already reported and dealt with.
 
Burnham Bob said:
One day last week we saw what appeared to be a red flare let off around the vicinity of the Roach. Did a Mayday relay but there was no respose from anyone.

Anyone know what we should expect when we send a Mayaday relay? Od course it could have been already reported and dealt with.
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Unless another vessel called a Mayday i can't see how you could do a Mayday relay Bob. I'd have though you should have just called the CG and reported the sighting.
 
PaulRainbow said:
Unless another vessel called a Mayday i can't see how you could do a Mayday relay Bob. I'd have though you should have just called the CG and reported the sighting.
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Nope, Mayday Relay is the correct response to sighting a red flare, this has been discussed before

(The vessel or person in distress has signalled their distress by one of the approved methods. You are relaying their distress signal)
 
Burnham Bob said:
Anyone know what we should expect when we send a Mayaday relay? Od course it could have been already reported and dealt with.
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You would expect, at least, a response from the Coastguard. However, I've noted that VHF transmission / reception with the CG can be iffy around the Roach (geography I suspect)

If I heard nothing on the VHF in that situation I'd dial 999 if I had a mobile signal

Failing that I'd get back on the VHF and make another Mayday Relay call to All Stations requesting onward transmission of my message to the Coastguard

Failing that, well I don't know to be honest!
 
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