(iii) Shore GMDSS facilities/Alternative facilities
The A 11 A2 areas on leaving Las Palmas cover the Spanish SRR
(for our route north). ALRS Vol. 5 (VHF DSC/MF DSC Coast Stations
sections - figure 1.1) shows VHF IMF DSC stations covering the start
of our route to be Las Palmas (MMSI 002240995) and Tenerife (MMSI
0022410(7). At the other end of the voyage, in the Iceland SRR, the
A2 station is Reykjavik (MMSI (02510100).
For the A3 area (Portugal and UK SRRs), ALRS Vol. .5 (In mars at
Satellite section 'Land Earth Station Operators, Contacts and
Services' and 'Inmarsat-A/B and C Service Providers and Access
Codes') identifies Inmarsat-C stations in both Portugal and the United
Kingdom - so we can send Distress, Urgency and Safety messages
direct to the Maritime Rescue Coordination Stations (MRCCs) in both
countries using Inmarsat-C and we can receive Distress Relays from
both countries using the Inmarsat-C Safety NET service.
HF DSC could also be used to cover this part of the route.
ALRS Vol. 5 (HF DSC Stations for Sea Area A3/A4 - edition 20001
- includes a map of the HF DSC stations, world-wide (part shown
here as figure 3.2).
Figure 3.2 indicates that Portugal has plans to operate an HF
DSC station from Horta, in the Azores (operating on 4MHz, 6MHz
and 8MHz). Once operational, the station will be able to receive HF
DSC Alerts and provide subsequent voice communications, long
range, to cover the Portuguese SRR. Until then the only long-range
GMDSS facility for the Portugal SRR appears to be the Inmarsat-C
station, Sintra, in Portugal. If we want voice communications, we will
have to contact the Portuguese RCC through another country (using
either Inmarsat-B or HF radio).
There are no HF DSC Coast Stations in the United Kingdom,
but that country's Inmarsat station offers an Inmarsat-B service (and
other Inmarsat services), allowing our vessel to have direct voice
communications with the MRCC in that country, using satellite rather
than radio communications.
(iv) Ship Reporting Systems
Our route takes us through the SRRs of Spain, Portugal, the
UK and Iceland. Of those four countries, ALRS Vol. 1 (Ship Reporting
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