Yachting Monthly – May 2018

TO THE FUTURE
‘The improvements in safety technology
over the past few years for those that spend
time on the water have been a real game
changer,’ says Commander Carson. ‘EPIRBs
and PLBs are something we now strongly
advise people carry, as what they can do for
the money is just brilliant. We’re investing
heavily in the technology to process the
signal from the new generation of EPIRB and
it will mean we can find people even quicker,
without the delay for the first signal to reach

HM COASTGUARD

HELICOPTER SERVICE

O10 bases nationwide

O20 aircraft in the fleet

OSikorsky S-92

OAgusta AW189

OFlying endurance over four hours

● UK COASTGUARD

OPERATIONS HELICOPTER

BASES

With responsibility for this service now
handed to HM Coastguard and with the
new helicopters somewhat controversially
operated on a private contract, many have
publicly questioned how the lack of military
support has affected capacity and the UK’s
ability to respond to yachtsmen in distress.
Still, some SAR helicopters in the UK have
been privately operated for many years.
Commander Carson is keen to explain
the reality of the now-established privatised
helicopter service. ‘We now benefit from two
state-of-the art types of helicopter that can
carry more people, stay airborne for longer
and fly in worse conditions than before.
We fly when other services, such as the air
ambulance, are not permitted to. This is also
how the military helicopters operated. We
can deliver more in an emergency than we
could before, that’s the bottom line,’ he says.
Bristow, an international helicopter
company responsible for many offshore
rig operations, now operates the fleet of
aircraft, and many crew are former Royal
Navy or Royal Air Force personnel, both
flying and in the back of the aircraft.’

REDUNDANCY
The new HM Coastguard infrastructure
was most prominently criticised for closing
down many Coastguard stations, including
switching its main operations base to
Hampshire. However, built into the move
has been an increased emphasis on
dependability and redundancy. Whilst
before, each Coastguard station was
relatively independent, today, every
aspect of each Coastguard station has
redundancy up to and including completely
switching the operation of one station to
another geographic location.

1 Sumburgh

2 Stornoway

3 Inverness

4 Prestwick

5 Humberside

6 Caernarfon

7 St Athan

8 Manston

9 Lee on Solent

10 Newquay

● COASTGUARD STATIONS

us. Combined with an AIS-based device, we

can find people in distress at sea even faster

and coordinate an appropriate response.’

To deliver such a high standard of service,

the Coastguard continues to recruit and train

new team members in the same structured

tradition as it always has. The training,

though, is a thoroughly progressive affair.

‘The initial training course lasts over a year

and a half, covering a lot of technology as

well as chartwork,’ explains Commander

Carson. ‘That element takes the form of

the RYA Yachtmaster Theory course. At the

NMOC, we have a simulation room split in

two so we can play out rescue scenarios in

full. It’s highly realistic and means that when

officers become operational, they have

proven they can perform under pressure.’

Hidden away from pubic view, it would be

easy to view the reformed search and rescue

infrastructure as being a shadow of its former

self; an institution that had a more physical

presence across the UK. In reality, its reduced

coastal station footprint simply echoes the

reality facing anyone out on the water; today,

it is technology that is likely to save you.

Old letters of thanks adorn the walls of the

NMOC corridor and the superlatives one

imagines they have always included remain

the same; gratitude, professionalism and

speed are recurring themes.

Seeing the possibility of the new-

generation EPIRB technology at the NMOC,

I would never go to sea without one. In the

next few years, signals will be received

almost instantaneously, making them

relevant for even more people out on the

water. As for the tangible response HM

Coastguard can deliver, a track record

of rescues in appalling conditions since

the privatised helicopter contract came

in speaks for itself. Put simply, carry

an EPIRB. They cost under £250. If the

worst happens, even outside UK waters,

you will have a world-class operation at

the other end ready to help.

Bob Sharples /

Alamy

THE KNOWLEDGE

The Coastguard’s new

helicopter fleet is state

of the art

NMOC Commander

Carson talks to his

colleague at Dover

Coastguard by video link

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1 Aberdeen
2 Belfast
3 Shetland
4 Stornoway
5 Falmouth
6 Holyhead
7 Milford
Haven
8 Dover
9 Humber
10 London
11 National
Maritime
Operations
Centre
Fareham