75Volunteer watchkeeping for the NCI
Monitoring and logging
The function of the NCI stations is to
monitor and log what is happening within
each station’s range. Positive identifi cation
of passing vessels is of course vital wherever
possible. The station log may be examined
and included in the offi cial reports of any
incident, for example by the Marine
Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB).
Stations liaise closely with the local
Coastguard Marine Operations Centre
(MOC) and inform them immediately of
any ongoing or potential incident, either at
sea or along the coast. The decision to call
the MOC is taken by the senior
watchkeeper on duty, and the MOC will
decide whether to call on the available
assets, for example RNLI lifeboats and the
coastguard helicopter. Most NCI stations
have, or are working towards, Declared
Facility Status (DFS) from the Maritime and
Coastguard Agency (MCA); this involves
satisfying the MCA’s criteria as appropriate
for Search and Rescue organisations, and
passing an annual inspection.
Equipment used varies for each station,
and each has a ‘wish list’ of additional
equipment they would like to acquire. At
Swanage our equipment includes a radar/
chart plotter with AIS reception, a large pair
of binoculars on a stand, a telescope and
extra pairs of binoculars. We also have fi ve
VHF radio sets: one is tuned ‘Dual Watch’
to the emergency channel 0 and the
general distress and calling channel 16,
while a second set scans channel 14 (Poole
Harbour Control) and the local coastguard
working channels: we are only permitted to
transmit with the express permission of
HMCG. The third set is tuned to Channel
- We are licensed to transmit on this
channel, and use it to liaise with the local
sailing club when they are organising races:
also, some of the local dive boats inform us
of their destination and the number of
persons on board when setting out from
Swanage, with their probable time of
return. NCI stations may also use Ch65 to
give information on local facilities such as
charted anchorages and availability of
moorings and water-taxis. They may also
choose to make regular broadcasts of local
weather and sea state conditions, but
excluding forecasts. The channel can also
be used for exercises. There are also two
hand-held sets, one tuned to the ‘ship’
channel for the Duplex Ch65 and one to
Ch37 used to communicate with local
sailing and sea rowing club.
At Swanage, we also use a laptop to
identify vessels which only transmit their
MMSI number (Marine Mobile Service
Identity), generally yachts, in their AIS data,
via ‘particulars of ship stations’ (www.itu.
int/online/mms/mars/ship_search.sh). We
log in every day to http://www.metoffi ce.gov.uk/
public/weather/marine-inshore-waters/
#?tab=map for the local inshore waters
forecast, and we can connect to http://www.
marinetraffi c.com/ais/home, which in the
local area largely duplicates the information
on our own AIS receiver, but can also show
photographs of vessels (very useful for
identifi cation purposes), and of course
extends outside our own immediate
locality. We also have a digital weather
station so we can log the local weather
every two hours. Outside the lookout, an
information board gives tidal and weather
information for the public, and the old
concrete building below has been outfi tted
as an information centre: it proudly
displays our Queen’s Award for Voluntary
Service together with information about the
locality. We also have a fl agstaff where we
fl y a Union Flag when the station is open.Vessel identifi cation
A typical watch in winter can be very quiet,
but in the summer it is very different: we
can have over 100 entries, and when the
Fastnet Race goes past as well it can get a bit
manic! We try to identify all vessels byname if possible: a name on the dodger of a
sailing yacht is very useful. Sail numbers are
also recorded, although an increasing
number of yachts do not seem to display
these. A name on the transom is often not
legible because of the narrow aspect of the
transom while the vessel is close enough to
read it. Power cruisers are often particularly
diffi cult to identify, especially if they have
an infl atable stowed across the transom.
Failing a positive identifi cation we note
any signifi cant features, ie ‘defaced blue
ensign’, or ‘red sprayhood’, together with
hull colour and approximate length. (To
compensate, an increasing number of leisure
vessels now fi t AIS transmitters which give
positive details.) A kayak group disappearing
around Durlston Point will be reported by
phone to the adjacent NCI station,
St Alban’s Head, who will return the
compliment on the kayakers’ return. Some
kayak groups now carry a handheld VHF
and issue passage reports to Portland
Coastguard, and this practice can only be
applauded. However, we are always aware
that our function is not mere ‘trainspotting’
and priority is always given to monitoring
more vulnerable water users.
Members of the public are always welcome
to call into the station, so long as there is
no incident in progress. At Swanage, we
have a good working relationship with
Solent NMOC, the local coastguard mobile
team and Swanage RNLI Lifeboat Station.
Incidents can vary from a dog falling over
a cliff to loss of life: the NCI website
(www.nci.org.uk) gives details of the many
incidents NCI stations have been involved
in. My personal involvement has included
a pair of divers lost by a dive boat, a
Personal Water Craft (PWC) driver thrown
off and injured, broken-down yachts, boats
breaking away from moorings, and an
exhausted but luckily unharmed windsurfer.
As is well known, the MCA has been
subject to an ongoing review of its budget,
and further reorganisations have taken
place. Our own MRCC, Portland
Coastguard, closed on September 15 last
year and its functions have been taken over
by Solent National Marine Operations
Centre (NMOC), which has responsibility
for most of the South Coast, from Beachy
Head in East Sussex to Topsham on the
River Exe in Devon. This whole area is
subject to intense maritime activity, and it
remains to be seen whether the replacement
‘mega-MRCC’ will cope satisfactorily.
However, the fi rst year of operation has
seen the development of a working
relationship. (The loss of the Portland
Coastguard Helicopter, Rescue 106, in 2017
is another issue entirely.)
There is no indication at present of the
future development of the relationship
between the NCI and the MCA: however, it
can hardly diminish the NCI’s role. I would
urge anyone interested in watchkeeping
and not too far from the coast to seek out
their nearest NCI station and ask about
volunteering. The NCI website shows the
locations of all current stations with
contact details.Peveril Ledges lie to the east
of the NCI Swanage lookoutThe senior watchkeeper decides whether a
potential incident warrants a call to the MOC,
and the MOC in turn will decide whether
to call upon available assets such as RNLI
lifeboats and the coastguard helicopter