MMSI Directory

[Mike_Martin]

The words below are from the draft of the next Airwaves newsletter due to go out to licensees in August. However, as the consultation has already begun I thought Forumites might like to get in first.

Mike

Quote
In response to requests made by the RYA and some pleasure boat users the Agency and the MCA have been investigating the possibility of producing a Directory of UK vessels with MMSI numbers. It has been decided that MCA is better placed (due to its emphasis on Sea Safety) to take such a project forward and it is now looking into the viability of producing one. To this end, a consultation exercise has been set up in order to judge how useful such a Directory would be and who will buy it if it is produced.

The Directory would be unlikely to carry any personal detail other than the surname of the vessel’s owner and would focus on visual identification of the craft. It is therefore not going to be open to abuse by “direct marketing”companies etc.

However, it is only fair to mention that there have been concerns raised by Maritime professionals as to the realistic usefulness of such a publication in a safety or a collision situation. Issues have also been raised around how often such a publication would need to be up-dated (as Digital Selective Calling (DSC) equipment becomes more commonplace on pleasure craft) and how expensive the updates will be.

I would very strongly urge everyone either carrying or ready to upgrade to DSC equipment to participate in the consultation by visiting the MCA Website at http://www.mcga.gov.uk/aboutus/Comms_Innov/mmsi.htm in order to ensure that your opinion is taken into account. As the general mood seems to be in favour of such a resource, “no feedback” will be assumed to indicate assent.
End quote


<hr width=100% size=1>Manager,
Aeronautical & Maritime Services Section,
Radiocommunications Agency

 

[tome]

Mike

I 've completed this. I think they may be disappointed with how much I'd be prepared to pay as they set the minimum level at £10 - £20 a year. I selected 'Other' and wrote 'very little'.

Thanks for bringing this to our attention
regards
tom

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[martinb]

Is it not allready available on-line here? <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.itu.int/cgi-bin/htsh/mars/ship_search.sh>http://www.itu.int/cgi-bin/htsh/mars/ship_search.sh</A>, or am I missing something?

Martin

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[Birdseye]

I tought that you wanted us to use DSC rather than channel 16. If so, why should we pay at all. BT doesnt charge for the phone directory - its free to encourage us to use the phone. And we've already paid for you through our taxes, let alone the license fee. Lets have something for that money before you start asking for more!

And who are these "Maritime Professionals" who do not think that emergency / collison situations would be helped if the chit chat that vhf is actually mainly used for is going on privately rather than on ch16.

Incidentally, being in the coastguard is not a profession, any more than the police are. Pedantic, I know, but we are rapidly getting to the stage where a plumber becomes a "domestic hydraulic maintenance professional". Usually means that the half educated can attempt to lay down the law to the general public in an area that is really a matter of common sense.

signed - choleric of croydon

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[philip_stevens]

Well said.

Our £20 licence fee should be enough to get an annual MMSI Directory - unless all our money has been swallowed up in inflated civil service salaries (and pensions) for doing what (I believe) the USA do for no licence fee.

And I have just paid out another £20 for that little paper disc.

<hr width=100% size=1>regards,
Philip

 

[BrendanS]

I'd keep quiet. If everyone asks for a directory, the cost of the licence will go up dramatically, to pay for it.

We don't pay for calls, so there is no subscription base to pay for such a directory. At 20 quid, the licence probably barely pays for the cost of administering the scheme.

The US allow a free licence, but it will be paid for somehow somewhere in taxes. TANSTAFL.

<hr width=100% size=1>Err, let me know if Depsol enters the forum, I'll go and hide

 

[Birdseye]

Yes we do pay for calls! We buy the sets - and there is no other cost to pay for apart from the electricity the set uses. And as for paying through taxes, thats the whole idea of taxes ie to pay for the operation of central government. But we are now paying twice - taxes and license fees.

Ask yourself, just what do the RA do for your £20.

I think the US example is a good one. They have the (naive) view that the government is bought and paid for by the taxpayer, so what it produces belongs to the taxpayer. Hence no equivalent of crown copyright - you can photocopy govt docs including charts just as much as you want.



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[Mike_Martin]

Hi birdseye,

I'm not going to re-hash what has already been discussed here as a search of the Forums will find you all of the answers.

However, have a look here http://www.radio.gov.uk/topics/maritime/maritime-index.htm for a bit of a background to what actually pays for what. However, the Agency is a "net running costs" Agency it actually helps to reduce your taxes as it is funded by the radio industry and any surplus is returned to the Treasury.

As to the situation in the US there is also a recent thread which addresses it.

Mike



<hr width=100% size=1>Manager,
Aeronautical & Maritime Services Section,
Radiocommunications Agency

 

[Mike_Martin]

Quote " BT doesnt charge for the phone directory - its free to encourage us to use the phone."

This is a bit of a naive argument. Of course we pay BT for Directories it's part of our "service charges" and the commercial entries are paid for by the companies involved. No-one gets ought for nought.

Quote "And who are these "Maritime Professionals" who do not think that emergency / collison situations would be helped if the chit chat that vhf is actually mainly used for is going on privately rather than on ch16."

I'm not sure what you mean here.


Quote "Incidentally, being in the coastguard is not a profession, any more than the police are. Pedantic, I know, but we are rapidly getting to the stage where a plumber becomes a "domestic hydraulic maintenance professional". Usually means that the half educated can attempt to lay down the law to the general public in an area that is really a matter of common sense."

I'm not sure that the personnel of HMCG would agree with you there. As to common sense, I agree entirely, unfortunately a lot of people don't apply it so there needs to be someone to give them some direction.

Mike


<hr width=100% size=1>Manager,
Aeronautical & Maritime Services Section,
Radiocommunications Agency

 

[Mike_Martin]

Quote " BT doesnt charge for the phone directory - its free to encourage us to use the phone."

This is a bit of a naive argument. Of course we pay BT for Directories it's part of our "service charges" and the commercial entries are paid for by the companies involved. You don't get ought for nought.

Quote "And who are these "Maritime Professionals" who do not think that emergency / collison situations would be helped if the chit chat that vhf is actually mainly used for is going on privately rather than on ch16."

I'm not sure what you mean here.


Quote "Incidentally, being in the coastguard is not a profession, any more than the police are. Pedantic, I know, but we are rapidly getting to the stage where a plumber becomes a "domestic hydraulic maintenance professional". Usually means that the half educated can attempt to lay down the law to the general public in an area that is really a matter of common sense."

I'm not sure that the personnel of HMCG would agree with you there. As to common sense, I agree entirely, unfortunately a lot of people don't apply it so there needs to be someone to give them some direction.

Mike


<hr width=100% size=1>Manager,
Aeronautical & Maritime Services Section,
Radiocommunications Agency