Are you planning to go ? The show is on from the 15th to the 24th September.
If you do attend, please take a minute or two to drop by the NCI stand. Watchkeepers from various stations will be manning the stand during this ten-day period; on the 19th it’s watchkeepers from NCI Gosport. They will be very happy to meet you, swap stories with you, give out information (and perhaps some goodies!), and have some safety tips to share.
Looking back over our records, it’s interesting to note that engine failures and groundings consistently make up almost half of all the incidents that we in NCI Gosport record in our official log. In 2021, there were 9 were engine fails or groundings out of 19 logged incidents. In 2022 the figures are 16 out of 36. For this year so far the figures are 10 out of 21. These events – which mainly ought to be avoidable – usually put an end to a good day’s sailing or boating. It makes you stop and think. How do you avoid falling foul of them ?
In the case of groundings, the short answer is to know your position, understand the charts, and understand the effect of tides. A GPS-based navigation system and a depth sounder are a big help, but to keep it simple, if you don’t stray into shallow water you wont get stuck on the bottom.
For engine failures, she short answer here is maintenance and fuel. We cant know how many of these reported engine failures were actually caused by running out of fuel, but it’s simplicity itself to check the levels of fuel and lubricants, and do any of the other routine checks recommended for your vessel, before casting off.
You may not be mechanically-minded, but it makes a lot of sense to have a qualified mechanic service your engine, change filters etc, at the recommended intervals. Well maintained engines and fuel systems are much less likely to fail.
You may think of these items as just nuisances that you have to go through before you can enjoy yourself, but in reality they are important safety checks.
If you do have the misfortune to go aground, or have an engine failure there are two other important safety items that will help you whilst in difficulties - a lifejacket and a means of communication. Make sure the former has been serviced and that the latter is working correctly. The lifejacket is literally a life saver, because whatever your skills and type of vessel you never know when you might end up in the water, and in what condition.
The communication device is a means of summoning help, but for yachtsmen and motor boaters there an important issue to consider. Mostly these vessels have a radio built-in. All fine for routine chat. Not so fine for a yachtsman who loses his mast or capsizes, putting the antenna into the water. Not so fine for anyone sinking or on fire and needing to speedily evacuate; there won’t be time to get the tools and rip out the radio and battery, so they will go down with the ship. The answer is to have a second means of communication (such as a cell phone or a handheld radio) conveniently to hand, in a waterproof pouch. Maybe it’s a good idea to keep it with or near your life raft or tender. Maybe keep your flares with it too, so you can pick them up easily in case of an emergency. In fact, why not put an emergency kit together, with these plus some extra necessities (eg a first aid kit) that you can keep handy ‘just in case’.
Coastal safety received an extra boost this summer with the official launch of ‘Stay Safe Along The Coast’ from National Coastwatch.
As well as their traditional task of keeping a lookout for vessels and persons in distress on the sea and along the coastlines, NCI Watchkeepers will be taking a more proactive role in promoting coastal and water safety.
NCI stations which are public facing will offer practical safety support, distributing wrist bands for children to carry their guardian’s contact details so they can be quickly reunited, waterproof phone pouches, and stickers for owner’s contact details for paddleboards and personal watercraft.
The charity’s volunteer watchkeepers will also provide information on local sea and tidal conditions, and local weather.
Stephen Hand, National Coastwatch Chair said:
“We’ve been active in promoting coastal safety for some time but the official launch of ‘Stay Safe Along the Coast’ is an important step forward. We also work closely with all our search and rescue partners including the RNLI and HM Coastguard as we all share the same aim of keeping people safe at the coast.
"The help and encouragement we’ve received from HM Coastguard and the RNLI has been fantastic and to them we say a big thank you. We are also indebted to Trinity House for their generous funding which has helped to get this important initiative off the ground. Finally, huge thanks must go to our amazing volunteers, for their time, work and great enthusiasm in making National Coastwatch Coastal and Water Safety happen.”.
Of course, locally we also acknowledge the work and commitment of the rescue services, especially GAFIRS !
How can you stay safe when out on the water ? There are some simple rules…
Keep your vessel and engine well maintained
Wear a suitable lifejacket or buoyancy aid at all times
If your craft has a kill cord, wear it at all times.
Carry a means of communication – radio or phone in a waterproof pouch – and ideally carry a backup.
Ensure you have enough fuel on board
Tell someone where you are going and when you plan to return
Check the weather forecast and tide times.
In an emergency, make a Mayday call on VHF channel 16 or dial 999 on your phone and ask for the Coastguard.
Some of these rules also apply if you are on the beach or swimming, but in addition…
Choose a lifeguarded beach and swim withing the flagged area
Be aware of rip currents
Do not use inflatables… save them for the swimming pool
Keep a close eye on your family – both ont the beach and in the water -and do not ally a family member to swim alone.
Whether you are in, on, or near the water this summer, do enjoy yourselves – and stay safe !
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Our station was visited today by a lovely couple – Derrick and Linda - who very kindly presented us with a substantial donation, having made a collection for NCI at their recent Golden Wedding celebration. We were delighted to see them (and to accept donation) and in return were very please to present them with our ‘Thank You’ certificate.
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Keen sailors, the couple have a catamaran in one of the local marinas; they always call Gosport NCI to do their radio checks, and promise to always give us a wave as they sail past our lookout. Congratulations on their Golden Wedding Anniversary and we look forward to hearing their calls and seeing them !
Derrick later posted this on Facebook...
"At our Golden wedding anniversary we told our friends and family that we did not want any presents but if they wanted to make a donation we would donate it to a worthy charity and in our view the National Coastwatch institution fits the bill admirably.
If you regularly shop online with big name stores such as John Lewis & Partners, Expedia, Amazon, Argos, and Just Eat (and up to 7500 others), you can donate to NCI Gosport at no cost to yourself ! You shop, they donate, it's that simple ! It's all explained here... https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/
To sign up to support Gosport, just go here...
https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/ncigosport/
In addition, if you sign up before 21st August, you will help increase our chances of winning an extra £10 donation prize... again at no cost to yourself.
Many thanks ! Your support means a lot to us.
Just to let you know that yours truly will be interviewed on
air by presenter Chris Pearce for Express FM on Thursday 17 August at 8.30pm, the
topic being NCI in general and NCI Gosport in particular. Hopefully this
should give us some positive publicity; please cross your fingers that it all
goes well ! Please do listen in, this should be a great opportunity to learn more about what we do, how we do it, and why we do it.
Express FM is available on DAB and 93.7FM