Flares and france

[oldmanofthehills]

If you are out of range for VHF communications, you are out of range for a flare being visible.

Certainly not true. I have sailed down the Irish Coast and heard tractors in the field atop the cliffs, but no VHF forecasts or any marine traffic to be heard, so I doubt anyone would hear us. Also pressed DSC alert off Cornwall coast and Coastguard never got our message, though fortunately I was able to talk to local harbour master on VHF, who obtained assistance for the casualty. And all this is within a few cable length of folks ashore who would have seen a flare - not 60 miles off France as we will be in May.

We have replaced the antenna with one that gives higher gain supposedly, but having the VHF on does not mean it connects to anyone unless they respond to your call. The snare of technology, a bit like my wife sending me texts to put oven on etc or even more urgent stuff which dont get to me until after she has walked in the door

 

[AngusMcDoon]

If you are out of range for VHF communications, you are out of range for a flare being visible.

There are holes in coastguard VHF coverage around the UK. I'll give you an example: Enard Bay...

Enard Bay - Wikipedia

There are settlements on the land with inhabited houses overlooking the sea, but no coastguard VHF coverage close to the shore in places.

 

[rotrax]

Certainly not true. I have sailed down the Irish Coast and heard tractors in the field atop the cliffs, but no VHF forecasts or any marine traffic to be heard, so I doubt anyone would hear us. Also pressed DSC alert off Cornwall coast and Coastguard never got our message, though fortunately I was able to talk to local harbour master on VHF, who obtained assistance for the casualty. And all this is within a few cable length of folks ashore who would have seen a flare - not 60 miles off France as we will be in May.

We have replaced the antenna with one that gives higher gain supposedly, but having the VHF on does not mean it connects to anyone unless they respond to your call. The snare of technology, a bit like my wife sending me texts to put oven on etc or even more urgent stuff which dont get to me until after she has walked in the door

First Mate and I sailed almost 1800 NM's last year, from Littlehampton to Londonderry and back, up Irelands East Coast, exploring Loughs and Islands en route.

We heard plenty of Irish Coastguard routine weather reports and off Kilmore Quay were called up by the Irish Coastguard who thought we had missed St. Patricks Bridge. We replied that it was not us - we were safely through - but a French flagged vessel who left five minutes after us. Local fishermen were chatting away on 16 too. The area is NOT like the Solent and it is refreshing not to hear " Yacht Scaredy Cat asking for a radio check please" every five minutes.

I use the NCI or a Marina/Harbourmaster to see if the kit is working OK.

The NCI always like a chat, lovely people.

As an aside, we often pick up Joberg Traffic while sailing the South Coast. I dont know our Transmit range, but we recieve well over 60 NM's.

 

[boomerangben]

I was told by a CG watch officer about an instance where a weak unreadable, radio call was repeatedly heard, no DSC but they knew which aerial had received it so they deployed the local lifeboat to investigate. After much searching they found a yacht aground, mast at a very unjaunty angle. If your aerial is at an odd angle it might not work as you’d hoped.

Another pretty remote instance of tech not working and of course an EPIRB or PLB would have raised the alarm. But something to support a well stocked “tool box”

 

[oldmanofthehills]

First Mate and I sailed almost 1800 NM's last year, from Littlehampton to Londonderry and back, up Irelands East Coast, exploring Loughs and Islands en route.

We heard plenty of Irish Coastguard routine weather reports and off Kilmore Quay were called up by the Irish Coastguard who thought we had missed St. Patricks Bridge. We replied that it was not us - we were safely through - but a French flagged vessel who left five minutes after us. Local fishermen were chatting away on 16 too. The area is NOT like the Solent and it is refreshing not to hear " Yacht Scaredy Cat asking for a radio check please" every five minutes.

I use the NCI or a Marina/Harbourmaster to see if the kit is working OK.

The NCI always like a chat, lovely people.

As an aside, we often pick up Joberg Traffic while sailing the South Coast. I dont know our Transmit range, but we recieve well over 60 NM's.

Its the unknown that catches you. We were by Dunmore East when we had no reception 4 years ago and slightly unnerving it was. Now with different boat I look at AIS screen on radio so we can tell if we go into VHF dim spot and on our trip from Plymouth sound to The Inner Hebrides there seemed plenty of then - not that there was many folk visible on the shores of the sea lochs. Lovely crinkly coast that would have pleased Slarty Blartvast but in many ways as remote as 100 miles offshore