oldgit
Well-Known Member
It was a freezing cold day in March when we piled in to a minibus driven by the RCC Commodore himself no less and whisked off down to Medway VTS at Sheerness on the Isle of Sheppey. Despite several weeks of advance notice for reasons of security ,the man on the gate refused us entry. It took a hasty phone call to “someone in charge” and we are allowed in.
Located at the entrance to the Medway many of you will know that Sheerness is an old dockyard and going into the port you drive past one of the old perimeter walls ,which are infested with deadly scorpions according to the local press. Looked hard but did not spot a single one.
Our group split into two and one went up to the VTS control room while the other was s rounded up to visit the lifeboat and meet the coxswain Robin Castle MBE. A very interesting hour or so spent poking around every nook and cranny of the Trent class lifeboat “George and Ivy Swanson and asking questions that Robin has probably heard a hundred times before but all answered with good humour.Powered by a couple of 800 HP Mann diesels she is an all weather boat and will respond in any conditions. She was the boat that responded when the radio pirate Mi Amigo broke adrift in a storm.
Was very disappointed to discover that the summons for help is no longer a nice loud noisy maroon but a rather less dramatic text message.
A small lift takes you up past the old granite fort walls to the slightly less imposing concrete structure which houses the VTS at the very top, its panoramic windows surveying a rather damp and misty Thames estuary.The chaps in residence were all looking very busy when we finally found our way into the office.As you might expect of a modern control room,all sorts of screens dotted around the room showing positions and AIS status of marine traffic in the area. For some strange reason a lot of interest was shown in the camera system covering most of the Medway from Sheerness to a long way up river, all in uncomfortable detail.
We spent well over our allocated time at Garrison Point and were treated to an excellent and interesting day out.
Thanks to all involved
http://www.offshore-radio.de/fleet/miamigo.htm
Located at the entrance to the Medway many of you will know that Sheerness is an old dockyard and going into the port you drive past one of the old perimeter walls ,which are infested with deadly scorpions according to the local press. Looked hard but did not spot a single one.
Our group split into two and one went up to the VTS control room while the other was s rounded up to visit the lifeboat and meet the coxswain Robin Castle MBE. A very interesting hour or so spent poking around every nook and cranny of the Trent class lifeboat “George and Ivy Swanson and asking questions that Robin has probably heard a hundred times before but all answered with good humour.Powered by a couple of 800 HP Mann diesels she is an all weather boat and will respond in any conditions. She was the boat that responded when the radio pirate Mi Amigo broke adrift in a storm.
Was very disappointed to discover that the summons for help is no longer a nice loud noisy maroon but a rather less dramatic text message.
A small lift takes you up past the old granite fort walls to the slightly less imposing concrete structure which houses the VTS at the very top, its panoramic windows surveying a rather damp and misty Thames estuary.The chaps in residence were all looking very busy when we finally found our way into the office.As you might expect of a modern control room,all sorts of screens dotted around the room showing positions and AIS status of marine traffic in the area. For some strange reason a lot of interest was shown in the camera system covering most of the Medway from Sheerness to a long way up river, all in uncomfortable detail.
We spent well over our allocated time at Garrison Point and were treated to an excellent and interesting day out.
Thanks to all involved
http://www.offshore-radio.de/fleet/miamigo.htm
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