Informing the coast guard when you leave port

EdWingfield said:
I believe it is good practice
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Maybe in Holland, but here the MCA are on record as saying it is "not UK policy".

They are of course happy to make a note of people's plans if they wish to report them, but as others have said, they don't routinely follow them up in any way which renders it somewhat pointless in my view.

Pete
 
I don't formally lodge a passage plan with HMCG, but will always call port ops when transiting a port where there may be shipping movements to ask permission to transit. ( Generally Kings Lynn, Gt Yarmouth and Lowestoft) I generally take the opportunity to briefly inform them of my basic destination, they are generally positive and usually wish me well for the trip.

Serves as a radio check.... piece of mind check and a little part of me hopes that it may get logged somewhere.... just in case.

I often sail single handed and always leave full details with 2 onshore contacts, one the wife and the other a boaty friend. They always get informed of safe arrival and know what to do if not.
 
In my experience there is even less CG traffic in Holland than there is here. I don't think I have ever heard a radio check or a passage plan. Here (East Coast) we reckon it's only the sailing schools who get their pupils to practice by calling the CG with a passage plan - you can often hear the nervousness in their voice and the prompting in the background.
In the last 15 years, we have called the CG all of 3 times - last week for a radio check ( the radio was not working, so they didn't hear that one!), once to ask if the fog we were encountering was everywhere or just patchy ( the answer was that the CG himself couldn't see the other side of the road) and once to wish them happy Christmas, when we were out sailing on Christmas Day (friendly response)!
 
EdWingfield said:
Can you give a link to that please Pete
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The "on the record" was probably just someone from the MCA publicly saying as much.
However, in the MCA's guidance note to pleasure vessels there's a list of recommended practices, including:
Keep in touch – Tell someone responsible ashore where you are going and what
time you expect to return so they are able to let the Coastguard know if you are
missing;

Nowhere does it suggest that calling the Coastguard, with a passage plan or anything else, should be routine. I'm sure that if they thought that desirable, they'd have written as much.

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploa.../268868/mgn489-amendment-pleasure-vessels.pdf
 
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As prv, I usually call NCI Gosport or Calshot on Ch65 for a radio check when out in the Solent. By the tone of some of the replies it must make 'em jump when you call 'em!

Only done a couple of TR's in my life and then worried about not being able to report arrival so tend to rely on the current Mrs G to deal with the matter if needed.
 
dilly said:
Is it good custom and practice to inform the coastguard of your destination and expected time of arrival if you intend to not return to your port that day how meny do this?
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It is not good practice: if everyone did it it would just clog up the airwaves. In 45 years I have spoken to the CG on two days, once quick call to test a definitely suspect radio, and the other a series of calls telling them I was responding to a red flare, ending with me towing a boat in.

If a radio receives it will almost certainly transmit. As long as it gets used occasionally in transmit (eg to call a water taxi or marina) I think you can take it that it works OK: no need to call the CG every day to check this.

On the other hand the CG66 scheme is very worthwhile, especially combined with a DSC set.
 
EdWingfield said:
Can you give a link to that please Pete
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Page 47 of http://www.mcib.ie/_fileupload/Documents/reports/Inis_Mill_10_06.pdf

The "point 7.2" referred to is a recommendation by the Irish equivalent of the MAIB that "The appropriate authorities in the departure port and arrival port should be notified of all intended voyages, there [sic] expected duration and the route planned." Frankly I suspect that isn't Irish policy either but a personal invention of the report's author; the document as a whole doesn't give an impression of authority and rigour. But that doesn't detract from the MCA's position as set out in their short letter.

Pete
 
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I used to leave passage plans with the CG a long time ago but I stopped when a few times at the other end I could not make contact to record arrival and then felt under pressure to make contact somehow. On a couple of occasions I could not make contact and there was no request by the CG (I could hear them) for craft to look out for ..... I then had a conversation with a CG ( I had a mental picture of them matching up arrivals with departures) and they told me there was no such system and they only kept the passage plan on file in the event you were thought to be missing by other parties eg a relative's enquiry. I then concluded leaving a passage plan was a waste of my and the coastguards time-the CG agreed and I stopped leaving passage plans.
 
We have a CG66 form. Given the impression that it was a good idea, bit like sharing an extended passage plan.

When on extended [days] trips offshore I have advised the CG at our departure port , our objective and estimated arrival.

The reasonsing was that if HiD got worried and called the CG, they would have some idea of when & where we left and where we were expected. Therefore narrowing the search field rather.
Dutifully call in if we have changed plan or when we arrive.

All terribly pessimistic, but have wondered if it is 'rolly eyes' time at the other end.
 
Spyro said:
I have done occasionally on long solo passages. But I now carry a PLB so don't bother calling the CG as others say, not much point as they won't report you missing if you don't call in.
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probably even more use now filing a plan as if you set of your PLB they would be able to tie in your plan to the location - they then would implement rescue rather than trying to phone a friend to ask if they know of your location
 
I have done so once, when making a passage from Bull Hole (opposite Iona) to Tobermory in conditions that were challenging for the crew aboard. I shall probably do so when bringing Capricious south on the exposed east Coast part of the route, as we will be doing long passages.

As others have noted, the response from the CG is that they ask you to report when you reach your destination; however, not reporting doesn't raise an immediate alarm (I suspect too many people forget to report back!). Naturally, it is good practice to have a shore contact who you also notify of your plans, so they can raise the alarm if you don't appear. If I was in a situation where a shore contact wasn't feasible (e.g. out of mobile coverage, on a passage where you don't have contacts at the arrival port), I'd discuss that with the CG when speaking to them.
 
I have never - except on a sailing school boat - called the CG with a passage plan. I do usually let friends know roughly where we are going and when, but as we often go off pottering around the East b Coast for 4 or 5 weeks at a time it could be some time before we are missed.

With regard to radio checks, I do use the radio to call marinas, usually on 80, and the various harbour authorities that require it such as Southwold on the appropriate working channel.

However to say that "if a radio receives it will transmit" is incorrect. An aerial fault will often cause poor transmission but adequate reception. Also an internal fault could develop between one trip and the next to cause a failure, possibly only on certain channels. We had just that last year. On passage from Harwich to Chatham we could hear Harwich VTS clearly on 71 as we left, 16 was strangely silent, and we began to wonder if there was a problem when we failed to hear any of the routine forecast broadcasts, we heard nothing of London VTS on 73, but on entering the Medway picked up Medway VTS on 74 just fine, and we were also able to talk to Chatham Marina on 80 on arrival - fortunately!! After arrival I tried to call Thames CG for a radio check on 16 and also using DSC but got no response.

It turned out to be an internal fault with the set, and interestingly a telephone call to Thames CG revealed that they had received our transmissions on 16 and using DSC, but we could not receive their response.

A new radio solved the problem. We were not happy to carry on up to St Katharine Docks a splanned without a functioning VHF, but fortunately a local firm were able to fit a replacement the same day.
 
dnickj said:
probably even more use now filing a plan as if you set of your PLB they would be able to tie in your plan to the location - they then would implement rescue rather than trying to phone a friend to ask if they know of your location
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Possibly but if an Epirb is set off giving a position lets say somewhere in the middle of the Irish sea then that's where it is going to be why would they need to call anyone to ask my location?
 
Gwylan said:
We have a CG66 form. Given the impression that it was a good idea, bit like sharing an extended passage plan.
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I have a CG66 lodged too - if they ever do need to try to find us, the details and the photo will be useful.

As for actually raising the alarm, whenever I cross the Channel I let my mum know my plans and then call in when we arrive. Nothing like a mother for keeping tabs on you :). She's a sailor so can make a sensible judgement about whether we're actually overdue, delayed by light winds, gone somewhere else due to wind direction, etc.

Pete
 
Piers said:
Ch 12? Forgive my ignorance, but why Ch 12?
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Southampton VTS. Quite common to monitor them when in Southampton Water and the central and eastern Solent, as Jac will be, to keep abreast of impending ship movements.

I don't think he was expecting to hear passage plans on that channel, just listing all the ones he monitors.

Pete
 
prv said:
Southampton VTS. Quite common to monitor them when in Southampton Water and the central and eastern Solent, as Jac will be, to keep abreast of impending ship movements.

I don't think he was expecting to hear passage plans on that channel, just listing all the ones he monitors.

Pete
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Perhaps it is worth noting that you wouldn't hear a passage plan on 16. It is a routine call, so the CG would move to a working channel before continuing. The CG usually observe correct VHF protocol!
 
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