What would you have done? Incident in the Solent yesterday.
- Thread starter z1ppy
- Start date
ShinyShoe
Well-Known Member
Have you considered what you'd have done if the Marina had been open earlier. SeaStart would then not have been just arriving at the boat. If anchoring wouldn't be an option would it become a Pan? At what point do you make a Securite message? Would a alls stations DSC call (as a Securite) have achieved what you wanted...? Will ping on every big ship, VTS, CG, and any DSC vessel with their radio on irrelevant of their current listening channel? Message would have been something like:
SECURITE SECURITE SECURITE, ALL STATIONS, ALL STATIONS, ALL STATIONS. This is Squidgy RIB, Squidgy RIB, Squidgy RIB. Securite. Squidgy RIB MMSI 12455689. Location Solent Shipping Channel in Position X & Y. I am drifting without forward power. I am a hazard to shipping using the channel. I have arranged assistance via SeaStart and do not currently require any further assistance. All vessels in the area are requested to give a wide berth. OUT.
In my experience small craft never seem to use Securite but often seem concerned that they are a hazard and that a Pan is too much...
I think the official guidance would remain that this is a conversation (if its a Securite Broadcast, or just a general contact to SCG etc) for CH16 NOT the VTS channel. VTS do listen to 16, CG don't listen to VTS. Big ships will be on both, small craft (a fellow Ribber?) may only be on 16 if they are not bothered by shipping lanes. Your passing yacht likely knew you had a problem from your call on VHF.
Did SCG move you to 67? Unless they were already working another incident, if they didn't move you they felt it was useful to be on 16 for other traffic to hear so thats where it belonged. If they moved you to 67 and didn't transmit anything themselves on 16 afterwards they didn't perceive you as a hazard to shipping beyond what VTS were doing.
For SCG to have advised they had eyes on you means NCI had to have told them that. I suspect that may mean NCI had already told them BEFORE you told them (unless there was a delay in being told that). Thats what NCI do - they watch for things that look odd and pass the info to UKCG. I suspect they may also tell VTS.
Easy in 20:20 hindsight -- but the sequence of calls seems to have been different from I'd have done. I'd have said SCG / Securite on 16, then SeaStart (my message would have been different though if I didn't have SeaStart sorted when doing Securite). But then I prefer to use an orange phone on the motorway to a mobile, even though you can barely hear a thing, because it means highways will automatically change matrixes... call the AA on your mobile and it needs the AA to pass that info to Highways which takes longer. Basically - you might take 2 minutes longer to get a recovery truck to you but the immediate danger is notified to other cars quicker. Same for the SeaStart - better that everyone knows you have a problem and it takes 2 minutes longer for the big yellow RIB to appear than the big yellow RIB appears to fish you out the water because that Gas Tanker arrived sooner than expected.
Somewhat surprised VTS couldn't hear you. I'm assuming they don't have a rubber duck aerial on their office desk but have some fairly large mast. They talk to ships out at sea (perhaps they have other remote masts for that?) - with instructions to call again when 10 miles off. Might be one for a radio check with them once you have your engine fixed.
SECURITE SECURITE SECURITE, ALL STATIONS, ALL STATIONS, ALL STATIONS. This is Squidgy RIB, Squidgy RIB, Squidgy RIB. Securite. Squidgy RIB MMSI 12455689. Location Solent Shipping Channel in Position X & Y. I am drifting without forward power. I am a hazard to shipping using the channel. I have arranged assistance via SeaStart and do not currently require any further assistance. All vessels in the area are requested to give a wide berth. OUT.
In my experience small craft never seem to use Securite but often seem concerned that they are a hazard and that a Pan is too much...
I think the official guidance would remain that this is a conversation (if its a Securite Broadcast, or just a general contact to SCG etc) for CH16 NOT the VTS channel. VTS do listen to 16, CG don't listen to VTS. Big ships will be on both, small craft (a fellow Ribber?) may only be on 16 if they are not bothered by shipping lanes. Your passing yacht likely knew you had a problem from your call on VHF.
Did SCG move you to 67? Unless they were already working another incident, if they didn't move you they felt it was useful to be on 16 for other traffic to hear so thats where it belonged. If they moved you to 67 and didn't transmit anything themselves on 16 afterwards they didn't perceive you as a hazard to shipping beyond what VTS were doing.
For SCG to have advised they had eyes on you means NCI had to have told them that. I suspect that may mean NCI had already told them BEFORE you told them (unless there was a delay in being told that). Thats what NCI do - they watch for things that look odd and pass the info to UKCG. I suspect they may also tell VTS.
Easy in 20:20 hindsight -- but the sequence of calls seems to have been different from I'd have done. I'd have said SCG / Securite on 16, then SeaStart (my message would have been different though if I didn't have SeaStart sorted when doing Securite). But then I prefer to use an orange phone on the motorway to a mobile, even though you can barely hear a thing, because it means highways will automatically change matrixes... call the AA on your mobile and it needs the AA to pass that info to Highways which takes longer. Basically - you might take 2 minutes longer to get a recovery truck to you but the immediate danger is notified to other cars quicker. Same for the SeaStart - better that everyone knows you have a problem and it takes 2 minutes longer for the big yellow RIB to appear than the big yellow RIB appears to fish you out the water because that Gas Tanker arrived sooner than expected.
Somewhat surprised VTS couldn't hear you. I'm assuming they don't have a rubber duck aerial on their office desk but have some fairly large mast. They talk to ships out at sea (perhaps they have other remote masts for that?) - with instructions to call again when 10 miles off. Might be one for a radio check with them once you have your engine fixed.
darrenw
Well-Known Member
Thanks for posting. I'm still pretty new to all this (my second year) so threads like these are invaluable.
And I've never even heard of VTS or Securite, despie having taken my VHF radio course.
And I've never even heard of VTS or Securite, despie having taken my VHF radio course.
benjenbav
Well-Known Member
Well, VTS runs the port of Southampton - someone has to!
and Sécurité is just a warning.
So, I guess you did know them but maybe not the local names.
prv
Well-Known Member
Southampton VTS probably wasn't on your radio course - but it's useful to listen to them in their area to get a feel for what's going on. You also pick up much better radio habits from the professionals than from the amateurs on 16 in the Solent
Sécurité, the pro-word for a safety message, absolutely will have been on the course though.
Pete
Gentlemanracer
Well-Known Member
Hi Z1P,
Scary time, soggy and bouncy to boot but handled well despite all that. Meanwhile: Any info regarding the motor?? Fuel blockage, fuel pump failure, over-heat, impellor faulure? Any lessons learned there??
Scary time, soggy and bouncy to boot but handled well despite all that. Meanwhile: Any info regarding the motor?? Fuel blockage, fuel pump failure, over-heat, impellor faulure? Any lessons learned there??
