Latest Coastguard consultation

[CalicoJack]

Whats the view on this?

I am concerned about the distance from Dover to the Humber and the lack of coverage. One look at AIS shows the amount of commercial movements there are in and out of the Thames Estuary. Then there are all the sandbanks, swatchways etc.

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

Yep... One off the uk's busiest and most dangerous bits of water, and no local coastguard presence!!!!

I might be belligerent when it's implemented and ask for Solent coastguard whenever I use ch16

 

[Cobra]

Yes, I can see the benefits of filing a passage plan with Holyhead Coastguard...shortly after doing a radio check with Stornoway CG.

Absolute bloody madness, but I guess that it allows the mandarins of Whitehall to say to their paymasters "Look we have saved some money, haven't we done well!"

Thank god we still have our Lifeboat stations!

 

[Mariner69]

All the ships radiating on AIS are also under the major ports Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) so their positions are well known and their cargoes listed; so they do not rely on the Coast Guard for local assistance.

In fact, there has been quite a bit of duplication in efforts over the years so as long as the RNLI remains to provide the local knowledge then the CG can be based virtually anywhere.

Maybe the Coast Watch volounteers will move into the empty buildings?

 

[Cantata]

Whatever we all think of the latest proposals, remember that the local CG teams (I am a member of one of them) will still be present on the coast as they are now. That is where most of the real local knowledge is invested, and the remaining CG MRCCs (or whatever they end up being called) will have to rely ever more heavily on them.
Can't see any point in Coastwatch moving into the two empty buildings at Walton and Gt. Yarmouth. Not a lot to see out there anyway!

 

[Yeoman of England]

Cantata - Got it in one.
However when we take the initial call we still need that basic local knowledge within the Ops Rm to determine which team to send to that particular Stone Point, Horse Shoal, which buoy etc.

The initial decison is taken in the Ops Room then we rely on your troops on the ground to sort the problem out.

This knowledge problem and the thought of a "Mumbai approach" will not work.

Reaction time will be severely reduced. And as to the thought that you will get extra managers

Yeoman

 

[Cantata]

I totally agree with you, Yeoman, I was just concerned that the OP didn't realise there were teams on the ground.