MMSI number on New (to us) boat

[z1ppy]

Sorry for the run of stupid questions coming up....

The boat we are buying has DSC Radio hooked up to the plotter. It obviously has an MMSI number installed to the radio. does this number relate to the boat of the owner of the boat?

Do we need to change the MMSI when we own the boat or can we simply declare the number when we apply for our VHF licence?

the current owners have plastered the MMSI number all over the console which in theory is a good idea but in practice, has been done badly.

thank you.

 

[AAF]

Sorry for the run of stupid questions coming up....

The boat we are buying has DSC Radio hooked up to the plotter. It obviously has an MMSI number installed to the radio. does this number relate to the boat of the owner of the boat?

Do we need to change the MMSI when we own the boat or can we simply declare the number when we apply for our VHF licence?

the current owners have plastered the MMSI number all over the console which in theory is a good idea but in practice, has been done badly.

thank you.

The MMSI number relates to the owner of the boat. When you go onto OfCom website and enter your details you will almost certainly get a new MMSI number. The Call Sign of the boat stays with the boat. OfCom will ask you for that (and other personal and equipment details) when you register your equipment, which is free of charge. You will then need to change the MMSI number loaded in your equipment. In my case it meant that I paid £20 for the "expert equipment service engineer" to short 2 pins together to remove the existing number from memory. The software then allowed a new number to be entered as it believed the device had just come new out of the box. Of course, he was an expert as he had the manual telling him which 2 pins to short together....

 

[maby]

That's not correct. The MMSI goes with the boat - when you apply for the Ship's Radio Licence, there is space on the form to enter the MMSI if one is already allocated - only if you leave this blank will a new MMSI be issued. I'm not sure if it is permissible to move a programmed radio from one boat to another - applying for a new licence and quoting the MMSI programmed into the radio would have that effect, but there would be a risk that the MMSI would be left associated with the original boat as well.

 

[Bat21]

The Radio call sign and MMSI number are allocated to the boat, if you move a radio from one boat to another, the radio would need to be re programmed with the new boats MMSI number.

 

[AAF]

Then I am corrected. Not having had a DSC before I certainly left the "your existing MMSI" field blank as I did not have one. Perhaps that is why I got a new number

 

[Cardo]

We bought our boat 3 years ago. Came with a DSC radio. When I applied for a new licence on the OfCom website, I put in the existing MMSI and the new licence came with the same MMSI.

So, MMSI travels with boat, but you still need to obtain a new licence (which will have the MMSI transferred over).

 

[z1ppy]

Thanks Everyone, to be clear, im not changing the VHF, just buying a boat with one installed. will have a look when we apply for the licence but sounds like MMSI travels with the boat which would make life a lot easier.

i have heard of people having to have sets reprogrammed and and really wanted to avoid that!

 

[Cardo]

Thanks Everyone, to be clear, im not changing the VHF, just buying a boat with one installed. will have a look when we apply for the licence but sounds like MMSI travels with the boat which would make life a lot easier.

i have heard of people having to have sets reprogrammed and and really wanted to avoid that!

Just make sure you fill out the section of the new radio licence application where it asks about previous ownership and existing MMSI. People have fallen foul where they haven't filled this out thinking it related to themselves, as opposed to the boat, and they've been issued a new MMSI.