Solent Coastguard

markc

markc

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It's about time, but Solent Coastguard have decided to crack down on craft asking for a radio check to maintain the integrity of C16 - what a bloody relief!!! We spent all weekend out and about in the Solent and I could leave 16 on and there were minutes upon minutes of silence!!! It was great! boaters who had real problems could even get to speak to the CG! I could also hear Portland CG too.

There were however a few funny moments - as usual, many folk just turn on the VHF and broadcast without listening and hence missed the frequent 'do not use C16 for radio checks' broadcast by CG. One CG was getting miffed and was telling offenders to "call the AA"

M

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It used to drive me up the wall when I was in the Solent. How the CG put up with it for so many years with mostly good grace, I dunno. If these people really want a radio check, why dont they call a marina, or a mate, or Sunsail from whose boats most of these calls seem to emanate

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It was funny hearing Solent CG telling everyone off. I tend to use the local harbour master or marina for a radio check.

There was a moment when some one had accidently tripped their DSC off and my radio started blasting at me. First time this has happened to me. Wondered what the hell had happened. Thought a warning was coming from the engine originally! Scared the s..t out of me at first until I realised it was from the radio!

What I couldn't figure out is you have to press the distress buttton twice (and hold it down) for a DSC call. How the hell could it have tripped accidentally??

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The CG were definatley clamping down, I was out all day sunday and there was almost coplete silence apart from the repeated message from the CG asking small craft not to use CH16 for radio checks, very different to a few weeks ago!

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There was a genuine DSC call yesterday at about 3.30pm albeit a bit misguided - a raggie had engine failure in Gunard Bay and did not have sufficient wind to sail against the tide so he hit the red button and issued a Pan Pan. The coastguard asked what his 'grave an iminent danger was' and didn't sound too impressed with the answer!!

M

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We were around Poole & Lulworth on Sunday and it appears that both Solent & Portland CG are clamping down. There were quite a few calls for radio checks between 0700 and 0800 then the message went out and most people obeyed. You still get the odd mindless fool who calls for a check every time he switches on the radio. Not really necessary if it is kept in good condition. We were able to hear both Solent and Portland clearly.

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Being my 1st proper year of boating, with a few exceptions most boats that are embarking on a journey emanate from a marina, so why is a marina radio check not sufficient?

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Oh for the 1960s when only commercial vessels and very few private boats had VHF and a few of us also had MF. We knew that it isn't necessary to constantly check our signals and clutter up 16 (or 2182). On the hour and every quarter radio silence was maintained for 3 minutes by law. There again Yachtsmen in those days tended to be considerably more professional themselves, they had to be the only navigation aids were the compass, echo sounder and Sextant. RDF! RADAR! etc. were too expensive. The Coastguard too were more prevelent with Lookouts located everywhere all manned by full timers and/or auxiliaries.

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