Jools_of_Top_Cat
New member
It\'s a DSC thing - still not cleared up. LONG
This was discussed recently on PBO and in my opinion never cleared up or even clarified. It has reared its ugly head again in the non compliance extortion racket, AKA Penalties for not carrying a VHF ships license.
How do you call another ship when you do not know their MMSI number. Mike Martin (MM) has declared that you could put out an all stations or even an urgency alert on DSC. He has in the past declared that ch16 should not be used to voice call.
So a couple of things here,
1. If you do put out a DSC call how will the vessel know you are trying to attract Her attention. It could result in 200 vessels all trying to respond. More likely though it will result in 2000 miffed skippers travelling to the VHF to shut the damn thing up!
2. From what I understand, an urgency message can only be cancelled be a shore station, such as the CG. This means every ship in the area is either going to wait for a response by HMCG or come steaming over to 'help'. The intention of calling the other vessel will be lost, at best he will totally ignore your calls.
3. A quick call on 16 at low power such as,
Sailing yacht off Brighton Pier this is xxx, you appear to be experiencing problems, do you require assistance. OVER.
Xxx this is yyy, yes we were but it is back under control now, thank you, OUT.
Or of course move to a working channel once contact was made. The only people disturbed, possibly the CG, a few people close enough to hear a 1W broadcast on 16.
Bang this out on the DSC and people on shore start panicking and readying big orange boats and waving bits of paper in the CG centre. Hundreds, if not thousands of vessels have to silence their radios, people in the Solent or Thames on a clear day wondering what all the fuss was. Half the French fleet wondering what the damn ‘Roast Beefs’ are up to now!
4. I was motoring into Porthmadog one morning and a vessel I had been alongside in Barmouth had dropped his anchor in the Porthmadog channel. His impellor had shredded. I did not know his MMSI and if he had one, probably would not have. I knew the name of the vessel and called him as we passed, on learning his peril, was able to offer a tow. This all took place in about 15 seconds on Ch 16, all low power and very few people were disturbed. Problem solved. In MM scenario the whole of Tremadog bay would be disturbed!
5. If we all start using a DSC all stations to try to contact another vessel we see and require communication with it will be worse than the radio checks at weekends or the same vessels calling their mates every hour. I can at least lower the volume so this does not drive me nuts. But you cannot really lower the alarm can you.
6. If it all goes this way I might dust off my K flag and have it ready to hoist, bit tricky at night though.
MM, are you really sure this is the way forward, seems like a backward step to me.
***Disclaimer*** I do not chit chat on the radio, so far this year I have called harbour masters and once the CG to relay some safety information. But occasionally I need to contact another vessel.
<hr width=100% size=1>Julian
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.topcatsail.co.uk>
</A>
This was discussed recently on PBO and in my opinion never cleared up or even clarified. It has reared its ugly head again in the non compliance extortion racket, AKA Penalties for not carrying a VHF ships license.
How do you call another ship when you do not know their MMSI number. Mike Martin (MM) has declared that you could put out an all stations or even an urgency alert on DSC. He has in the past declared that ch16 should not be used to voice call.
So a couple of things here,
1. If you do put out a DSC call how will the vessel know you are trying to attract Her attention. It could result in 200 vessels all trying to respond. More likely though it will result in 2000 miffed skippers travelling to the VHF to shut the damn thing up!
2. From what I understand, an urgency message can only be cancelled be a shore station, such as the CG. This means every ship in the area is either going to wait for a response by HMCG or come steaming over to 'help'. The intention of calling the other vessel will be lost, at best he will totally ignore your calls.
3. A quick call on 16 at low power such as,
Sailing yacht off Brighton Pier this is xxx, you appear to be experiencing problems, do you require assistance. OVER.
Xxx this is yyy, yes we were but it is back under control now, thank you, OUT.
Or of course move to a working channel once contact was made. The only people disturbed, possibly the CG, a few people close enough to hear a 1W broadcast on 16.
Bang this out on the DSC and people on shore start panicking and readying big orange boats and waving bits of paper in the CG centre. Hundreds, if not thousands of vessels have to silence their radios, people in the Solent or Thames on a clear day wondering what all the fuss was. Half the French fleet wondering what the damn ‘Roast Beefs’ are up to now!
4. I was motoring into Porthmadog one morning and a vessel I had been alongside in Barmouth had dropped his anchor in the Porthmadog channel. His impellor had shredded. I did not know his MMSI and if he had one, probably would not have. I knew the name of the vessel and called him as we passed, on learning his peril, was able to offer a tow. This all took place in about 15 seconds on Ch 16, all low power and very few people were disturbed. Problem solved. In MM scenario the whole of Tremadog bay would be disturbed!
5. If we all start using a DSC all stations to try to contact another vessel we see and require communication with it will be worse than the radio checks at weekends or the same vessels calling their mates every hour. I can at least lower the volume so this does not drive me nuts. But you cannot really lower the alarm can you.
6. If it all goes this way I might dust off my K flag and have it ready to hoist, bit tricky at night though.
MM, are you really sure this is the way forward, seems like a backward step to me.
***Disclaimer*** I do not chit chat on the radio, so far this year I have called harbour masters and once the CG to relay some safety information. But occasionally I need to contact another vessel.
<hr width=100% size=1>Julian
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.topcatsail.co.uk>
