Has anyone else given up on ch16?

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Oscar24

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So, out on the boat today in Poole bay and had the radio on 16.
There must have been over 100 'Solent coastguard this is #### requesting a radio check please over'
Now I'm all for checking your comms are working, but is it really nessecery to do it on every trip?
I heard the same boats doing the same radio checks on Friday!
The NCI on ch 65 are more than happy to oblige.
Rant over, :-)
 
I thought the same, last weekend the Solent coastguard was handling a pan pan and kept being interrupted by vessels requesting a radio check, quite why people can’t call the NCI is beyond me.
 
Oscar24 said:
So, out on the boat today in Poole bay and had the radio on 16.
There must have been over 100 'Solent coastguard this is #### requesting a radio check please over'
Now I'm all for checking your comms are working, but is it really nessecery to do it on every trip?
I heard the same boats doing the same radio checks on Friday!
The NCI on ch 65 are more than happy to oblige.
Rant over, :-)
Click to expand...

Look they are poor boaters who cant afford a smart phone
 
Boat2016 said:
I thought the same, last weekend the Solent coastguard was handling a pan pan and kept being interrupted by vessels requesting a radio check, quite why people can’t call the NCI is beyond me.
Click to expand...

I think that a lot of people simply are not aware of the NCI. I was helping a neighbour in the marina repair their radio and he was about to make a radio check call on 16 - I suggested that he should call NCI instead and he asked me what I was talking about. They are not very good at publicising themselves.

It's a pity really - they love to feel useful and spend hours sitting there waiting for a call while all those leisure sailors that have never heard of them make the coastguard's lives a misery.
 
maby said:
I think that a lot of people simply are not aware of the NCI. I was helping a neighbour in the marina repair their radio and he was about to make a radio check call on 16 - I suggested that he should call NCI instead and he asked me what I was talking about. They are not very good at publicising themselves.

It's a pity really - they love to feel useful and spend hours sitting there waiting for a call while all those leisure sailors that have never heard of them make the coastguard's lives a misery.
Click to expand...

go on then who are NCI
 
Oscar24 said:
So, out on the boat today in Poole bay and had the radio on 16.
There must have been over 100 'Solent coastguard this is #### requesting a radio check please over'
Now I'm all for checking your comms are working, but is it really nessecery to do it on every trip?
I heard the same boats doing the same radio checks on Friday!
The NCI on ch 65 are more than happy to oblige.
Rant over, :-)
Click to expand...

Awareness of the NCI probably runs at about the same rate as awareness of the abilty to search for previous forum threads whinging about radio checks on Ch 16.
 
It’s annoying in the sense that the coast guard recommends radio checks be carried out between vessels on a working channel and given the amount of boats that come from and to marinas, a quick call to the marina office would be an obvious first step.
I do think that radio checks are important but the coast guard could actively push traffic to NCI, it wouldn’t take long for the change in culture and 16 would be kept clear for urgent traffic and SAR - but how would you all feel if 16 went silent for hours on end?
 
RAI said:
It seems to be a British thing. Channel 16 is much quieter elsewhere.
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I think it may be a Solent thing.

This practice does occur in our area and vhf is used all the time .
I guess using the radio regularly means it is being tested by that same use .
 
On our passages this year from Chichester to the Clyde we have called NCI stations as we have passed them or before reaching them. The National Coast Watch Institute will always respond (as long as the watch is active) and can give information about local conditions. This is particularly useful if you may be concerned about conditions at a particular point, eg: if passing Portland Bill. There is nothing quite like the mark one eyeball for gauging the sea state. They are certainly more than willing to respond to Radio Check requests.

Having visited a couple of the watch stations from the land I can say they definitely welcome a call from passing boats.

Oh and BTW, I can't remember when I last did a radio check on Channel 16. Better left for emergencies and initial calls fro ship to ship purposes.
 
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Elecglitch said:
Awareness of the NCI probably runs at about the same rate as awareness of the abilty to search for previous forum threads whinging about radio checks on Ch 16.
Click to expand...

But how would reading one of the 427 existing threads help with the OP’s need to have a moan? :p

Pete
 
Ahh, but you can't beat having a moan every now and then Pete :-)

I best not start a thread then on calling Poole Bridge control on ch12 saying that 'I'm outbound from Cobbs for their 10:30 lift'
Followed by four other boaters doing the same radio call......

Happy boating!
 
Oscar24 said:
Ahh, but you can't beat having a moan every now and then Pete :-)

I best not start a thread then on calling Poole Bridge control on ch12 saying that 'I'm outbound from Cobbs for their 10:30 lift'
Followed by four other boaters doing the same radio call......

Happy boating!
Click to expand...

Ha ha i also wonder why so many people can't work out that actually if one person has called the Bridge operator requesting a lift that there will actually be a lift. I remember one day coming in the operator after several calls to him actually said "I think we have established that there will be a bridge lift" classic
 
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