VHF Calling

[Paul&Ness]

Hi, we are planning a trip from Southampton to Falmouth for mid July, subject to favourable weather. All our boating since buying our boat has been in the Solent with the exception of the Ancasta Cruise in Company to the CI's back at the end of May.

I have a VHF question that I'm hoping that someone can help me with: In the Solent area we call "Solent Coastguard"! Who do we call outside of the Solent area and when/where does the call on VHF change from 'Solent..." to something else?

Thanks

 

[Sticky Fingers]

Falmouth?

 

[prv]

Until last year, you'd have passed from Solent Coastguard into Portland Coastguard's patch, then Brixham, then Falmouth. However, all those except Falmouth have now been closed, and replaced by a call-centre in Fareham which also covers other large swathes of the country. They still respond to the old names, hence you've been getting an answer from "Solent Coastguard" even though the Solent ops room no longer exists. Falmouth is the exception because as well as its local VHF patch it also has a special responsibility for long-range coverage out into the Atlantic and for helping British vessels in distress anywhere in the world.

Who to call if you have trouble on your way west? Well, in practice anything with "Coastguard" will get an answer. They're talking about switching to a single national callsign of "UK Coastguard", but I don't know if that's official yet. Or you could call the old name corresponding to roughly where you are - it doesn't really matter if you get it quite right as it'll be the same people answering anyway for most of the way!

It's also worth being aware of the NCI locations you'll pass, they're always happy to pass on things like weather info or tell you what the sea-state looks like below their lookout.

Pete

 

[Paul&Ness]

Thanks for the reply's. Now it makes sense NCI's... good call. I will make a note of all the relevant tel no's and VHF ch's.

 

[Nigelpickin]

It was interesting to hear a yacht call Falmouth CG for an HF radio check last month. I had believed that they monitor MW / HF frequencies and offer radio check but the RO on the FCG vhf denied the requested stating that they no longer offer the service...

Still for the op, you will hear FCG being called up from Portland and westward, I would check in with them before crossing Lyme Bay and give them an eta in Falmouth; they will probs ask you for call sign and so on and ask you to check in on your arrival.

Have a great trip!

 

[Paul&Ness]

Good advice., thanks. I had thought about checking in at the start of each leg: Yarmouth - Weymouth, Weymouth - Brixham, Brixham - Plymouth etc.

 

[Nigelpickin]

Good advice., thanks. I had thought about checking in at the start of each leg: Yarmouth - Weymouth, Weymouth - Brixham, Brixham - Plymouth etc.

I think that's wise, they are pretty helpful.

 

[superheat6k]

Is there a list of NCI stations / look out points somewhere ?

What channel do they use ?

 

[Paul&Ness]

I did a search on G**gle and theres a pretty comprehensive amount of detail:

http://www.nci.org.uk/stations/lyme-bay-qavs

 

[prv]

Is there a list of NCI stations / look out points somewhere ?

On the NCI website, although they are also marked on Imray charts (don't know about Admiralty) and I believe in Reeds.

What channel do they use ?

Channel 65. Callsigns are eg "NCI Calshot" or "NCI St Albans" - they use "NCI" rather than "Coastwatch" on the radio to avoid any confusion with the Coastguard.

Pete

 

[prv]

It was interesting to hear a yacht call Falmouth CG for an HF radio check last month. I had believed that they monitor MW / HF frequencies and offer radio check but the RO on the FCG vhf denied the requested stating that they no longer offer the service...

Commercial ships are required to periodically test their MF/HF stations, and I have heard it suggested that they sometimes struggle nowadays to find a shore station to test with. Oostend Radio are apparently popular because they continue to offer such traditional functions, and I remember reading something about a radio equipment servicing company in the southeast getting a shore station license purely in order to offer MF/HF checks as a sort of public service (and no doubt because it boosts their image).

Pete

 

[Plum]

Hi, we are planning a trip from Southampton to Falmouth for mid July, subject to favourable weather. All our boating since buying our boat has been in the Solent with the exception of the Ancasta Cruise in Company to the CI's back at the end of May.

I have a VHF question that I'm hoping that someone can help me with: In the Solent area we call "Solent Coastguard"! Who do we call outside of the Solent area and when/where does the call on VHF change from 'Solent..." to something else?

Thanks

If in doubt, just call "UK Coastguard " and you will get a reply via the closest aerial site.

Www.solocoastalsailing.co.uk

 

[Sandyman]

Hi, we are planning a trip from Southampton to Falmouth for mid July, subject to favourable weather.

''I would check in with them before crossing Lyme Bay and give them an eta in Falmouth; they will probs ask you for call sign and so on and ask you to check in on your arrival.''

Why bother the CG at all ? Fine Wx. Mobo speedy speedy across Lime Bay.

 

[Nigelpickin]

''I would check in with them before crossing Lyme Bay and give them an eta in Falmouth; they will probs ask you for call sign and so on and ask you to check in on your arrival.''

Why bother the CG at all ? Fine Wx. Mobo speedy speedy across Lime Bay.

Engine failure - caught pot - wind over tide = mobo slowy stoppy across Lyme Bay, best to give FCG a call to at least give them the heads up that you are crossing. If no one uses them and their log books are empty, that will give even more reason for the bean counters to close them altogether....

 

[prv]

Engine failure - caught pot - wind over tide = mobo slowy stoppy across Lyme Bay,

So then call them if any of those things actually happen.

best to give FCG a call to at least give them the heads up that you are crossing.

By all means do so if it makes you happy, they're quite willing to log the call. But I've never understood what it's supposed to achieve, they won't come looking for you if you don't call back

Pete

 

[Nigelpickin]

So then call them if any of those things actually happen.



By all means do so if it makes you happy, they're quite willing to log the call. But I've never understood what it's supposed to achieve, they won't come looking for you if you don't call back

Pete

Erm...don't want to labour the point but it might not be the boat skipper calling, it might be a friend or family member wanting to know where their friend or loved one has gone, it's then clearly a way of establushing an SAR box. Not wanting to be too dramatic and I agree that 99.99% of the time it's just procedural but it is good practice and we are lucky that there is an establishment overseeing leisure boat safety of sorts; I think that we should use them. IMHO