Vhf notifications when crossing Channel

[stu9000]

Hi
Cross Channel trip being planned.
I'm based in the river Medway and will be heading up to Harwich and then across to Scheveningen.

Should I notify Thames Vts as I'm leaving the Medway?
Nipping up to Harwich seems a small thing to be bothering them with.

Should I inform Harwich port control as I leave for Scheveningen?
It seems sensible to let someone know. Friends and family have a copy of passage plan.
Port control won't know whether I have arrived at my destination will they or will they track me on ais?

I was told by a Dutch chap I should call in on channel 3 if I approached the MAS. Is this correct and what is the procedure for this call?

I did try to call Thames vts but the number I got from the Web seems not to be active.

Thanks once again

S

 

[LadyInBed]

I take it that you don't have an AIS transceiver.
A call to the CG with a passage information message never hurts, and it acts as a radio check

 

[Leighb]

Harwich VTS really don’t want to know about small craft, except in exceptional situations such as enquiring if it is safe to cross the shipping lane in poor visibility or you should be unlucky enough to be without power or sail in the shipping lanes. I would imagine that Thames is similar. Don’t know about the other side.

 

[johnalison]

Although I have in the past called the CG before a North Sea crossing, I think that in these days of mobile phones it is as good or better to be in touch with someone ashore, who can then alert people if they don't receive your call by a certain time. Nowadays, our contact (daughter) follows us on AIS anyway.

 

[VicS]

Hi
Cross Channel trip being planned.
I'm based in the river Medway and will be heading up to Harwich and then across to Scheveningen.

Should I notify Thames Vts as I'm leaving the Medway?
Nipping up to Harwich seems a small thing to be bothering them with.

Should I inform Harwich port control as I leave for Scheveningen?
It seems sensible to let someone know. Friends and family have a copy of passage plan.
Port control won't know whether I have arrived at my destination will they or will they track me on ais?

I was told by a Dutch chap I should call in on channel 3 if I approached the MAS. Is this correct and what is the procedure for this call?

I did try to call Thames vts but the number I got from the Web seems not to be active.

Thanks once again

S

You will be using the RYA SafeTrx scheme, which replaces the old CG66 scheme, presumably ?

Always a good idea to monitor the Port radio or VTS even if not required to contact them so that you are aware of shipping movements

This https://www.boatingonthethames.co.uk/assets/RUG_Outer.pdf maybe of interest and some relevance but you are probably aware of it or its content anyway

 

[FulmarJeddo]

Although I have in the past called the CG before a North Sea crossing, I think that in these days of mobile phones it is as good or better to be in touch with someone ashore, who can then alert people if they don't receive your call by a certain time. Nowadays, our contact (daughter) follows us on AIS anyway.

Dover Coastguard still seem interested to take details. I crossed to Vlisengen in company of 3 other boats in May, and one of the others called Dover who took all the details down that they did previously for the 4 boats. They did ask if we were Safetrax or CG66 registered. The boat that called in did say that he was going to activate safetrax.

 

[Cantata]

Should I notify Thames Vts as I'm leaving the Medway? NO. Not remotely interested.
Nipping up to Harwich seems a small thing to be bothering them with.

Should I inform Harwich port control as I leave for Scheveningen? NO, as above.
It seems sensible to let someone know. Friends and family have a copy of passage plan.
Port control won't know whether I have arrived at my destination will they or will they track me on ais? NO, nor will the Coastguard.

I was told by a Dutch chap I should call in on channel 3 if I approached the MAS. Is this correct and what is the procedure for this call?

I did try to call Thames vts but the number I got from the Web seems not to be active. As above, they are not interested.

Thanks once again

S

The advice to give the CG a passage plan, either by VHF or via SafeTrx, is good. However the CG will not come looking for you if you go missing unless others e.g. family report you as missing.

 

[stu9000]

Thanks all.
I was still a bit unsure of best practice so I gave the Coast Guard a call.
The advice given was to call Dover c/g on ch16 just before I depart.
I was told plenty of people do call in a plan for a hop up the East Coast but I personally feel this isn't necessary to provide that level of detail on a route that does not have much shipping.
I will call it in as I depart for Scheveningen though and will telephone them to confirm I have arrived at my destination.
I was asked to do this so they don't come looking for me (although presumably, they could look me up on AIS).

Dover c/g is the one to call for the whole area now. Apparently, Harwich was closed.

I won't call in a plan on the hop down the coast from Schev to Blankenberge but will phone it in when Im about to hop over to Ramsgate.

I have shared a detailed passage plan with several family members.
Thanks for the tip on using an AIS website.
Myshiptracking seems good and includes a "show track" option.
MyVesselFinder also seemed good but I wasnt sure whether it updates in real time.

My only grey area now is whether I should be calling it in on Ch3 if I approach the MAS.

 

[Ohlin Karcher]

What would be the gain to anyone, from informing the CG of a yacht's movements?
I do not disagree neccessarily, just ignorant about the actual benefits.

 

[Daverw]

We would use safetrx and let VTS know as we navigated the estuary and letting them know we were going out to sea and crossing shipping channels but not sure why the need to then let coastguard know

 

[johnalison]

We would use safetrx and let VTS know as we navigated the estuary and letting them know we were going out to sea and crossing shipping channels but not sure why the need to then let coastguard know

It is a hangover from the days when trying to telephone from faraway places was often unreliable and not always possible. Contact with a CG at each end of the journey was one way of improving safety, even for coastal trips. In the days before electronic aids, when we Neanderthals ruled the waves, arrival could not always be assured, or its position.

 

[Plum]

What would be the gain to anyone, from informing the CG of a yacht's movements?
I do not disagree neccessarily, just ignorant about the actual benefits.

If you use Safetrx app to log your passage/track then not much benefit of informing CG of your passage plan. If you don't use the app and If you think there is even a slight chance of a person ashore calling the CG with a concern over your late arrival or being out of contact for too long, then tell the CG.

www.solocoastalsailing.co.uk

 

[bluerm166]

https://www.portofrotterdam.com/sites/default/files/vhf-communication-procedure-vts-hcc-9-january-2017.pdf?token=0HFy0Fge
gives the Maas reporting rules.These confirm the use of channel 3 if you are crossing North South at the mouth where there is a very clear small craft crossing 'box' shown on the chart.I recall being held by control when passing in one direction as about 3 fast ships appeared and cleared.English is the primary language for the inshore sector,so not hard to do.

 

[Rocksteadee]

What would be the gain to anyone, from informing the CG of a yacht's movements?
I do not disagree neccessarily, just ignorant about the actual benefits.

As mentioned it acts a radio check. It is the belt to SafeTrx braces and should something go wrong they have an idea of where to start looking.
I had an instance where I entered a safetrx on the phone on starting and then phone died, radioed in my arrival and told them of the safetrx. Cancelled when phone came back on

 

[stu9000]

https://www.portofrotterdam.com/sites/default/files/vhf-communication-procedure-vts-hcc-9-january-2017.pdf?token=0HFy0Fge
gives the Maas reporting rules.These confirm the use of channel 3 if you are crossing North South at the mouth where there is a very clear small craft crossing 'box' shown on the chart.I recall being held by control when passing in one direction as about 3 fast ships appeared and cleared.English is the primary language for the inshore sector,so not hard to do.

Thankyou for this

 

[LadyInBed]

What would be the gain to anyone, from informing the CG of a yacht's movements?
I do not disagree neccessarily, just ignorant about the actual benefits.

A 'Passage Information Message' to the CG will give them a head start if you later put out a Mayday or the like. It also serves the function of a Radio Check.
The 'PIM' need only include (callsign if you have a non DSC VHF and maybe MMSI if you have AIS Transceiver ), Depart Time, Destination, ETA and Number of people onboard.
Nothing more detailed is necessary.
They assume you arrived ok unless they receive anything to the contrary.

 

[Cantata]

We would use safetrx and let VTS know as we navigated the estuary and letting them know we were going out to sea and crossing shipping channels but not sure why the need to then let coastguard know

Because the CG role is Search & Rescue and all London VTS do is control shipping movements! VTS is not interested in you crossing the Estuary unless you get in the way, which of course you won't, will you.
I did call them once when I reached the Princes Channel, before the days when I had an AIS receiver, in poor visibility and asked them if I was all clear to cross, and they were very obliging.

 

[Daverw]

Don’t know about London VTS but Humber VTS are happy for leisure vessels to call with destination and yacht details, when a couple of years ago we we stuck with thick fog they gave us position updates and other vessel movements until we cleared the fog.

It’s reassuring to know that someone is watching.

 

[stu9000]

https://www.portofrotterdam.com/sites/default/files/vhf-communication-procedure-vts-hcc-9-january-2017.pdf?token=0HFy0Fge
gives the Maas reporting rules.These confirm the use of channel 3 if you are crossing North South at the mouth where there is a very clear small craft crossing 'box' shown on the chart.I recall being held by control when passing in one direction as about 3 fast ships appeared and cleared.English is the primary language for the inshore sector,so not hard to do.

Having read through this carefully I believe I need to inform Rotterdam VTS on ch 1 when I am about to cross the TSS Maas Northwest and TSS Maas North. The guide suggests I should notify them when I have cleared the TSS as well.