Mike_Martin
New member
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
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
