National Coastwatch

[Iota]

Does the National Coastwatch add value or not?
http://www.nci.org.uk/

As a charity should they be supported?

no axe to grind just interested in views

 

[SimbaDog]

Yes & Yes
It's nice to know that you are been logged when battling up the coast in a big blow.

 

[lenseman]

Does the National Coastwatch add value or not?
http://www.nci.org.uk/

As a charity should they be supported?

Considering that Jenny Agutter is a Trustee, the answer is yes.

She has a very nice pair of binoculars!

 

[jonjo]

As a charity should they be supported?

I think so and have said positive things about them here before. When single handing down the Channel last September it was reassuring to pass within visual range of a few of their watch posts down in the West Country.

They are a professional bunch judging from my own visit to their Fowey watch post and some of their stations have an approved status with the regular Coast Guard which allows them to interact with the emergency services at a higher level.

Have a look at their incident log online http://www.nci.org.uk/files/u83/Report09_ray.htm

 

[Searush]

Interesting idea. Replacing what the Coastguard used to do but now considers not cost effective. Interesting stats too, approx 250 manhours between incidents & 340,000 vessels seen, almost half leisure vessels but only 700 incidents (about 1 per 500 vessels - but many incidents are shorebased; Members of Public injuries & cut-off by tide etc)

All stations based on south coast, devon/cornwall & s/east coast. Nothing in North or around Scotland or Wales.

 

[Poignard]

I visited their station in Gosport last year and I was impressed by these volunteer watchkeepers giving up some of their spare time to help other seafarers. And there was no sign of the 'we know what's best for you' attitude that some now complain of in the RNLI and MCA.

The reason for Coastwatch's existence, i.e. to remedy a glaring deficiency in the Coastguard service, seems to me to be perfectly valid. Good luck to them.

 

[Channel Ribs]

Does the National Coastwatch add value or not?
http://www.nci.org.uk/

As a charity should they be supported?

no axe to grind just interested in views

Compare and contrast with another maritime charity: www.mvs.org.uk

 

[jonjo]

Compare and contrast with another maritime charity: www.mvs.org.uk

I just did, no comparison really.

mvs.org.uk sounds like Sea Scouts for adults. Unlike the PR department of the RNLI, my hunch is that the Maritime Volunteer Service (MVS) does no harm and no doubt occasionally some good. However judging by the MVS mission statement as quoted below, Coast Watch would get my money instead.

(MVS) What We Do
Our prime objectives are to stimulate the interest of volunteers from all walks of life in maritime affairs, to provide high quality training in maritime skills to recognised standards, to be an interesting and useful spare time activity that is fun, sometimes exciting but with a strong emphasis on safety at all times, and to maintain a corps of trained volunteers capable of supporting maritime authorities ashore and afloat at maritime events or emergencies.