Limehouse to Teddington

[Tam & Di]

Oh if you wave your arms, remember the convention is to wave both arms, they will just think you are a mad friendly narrowboater if you wave one. Actually I think most of the commercial traffic think we are mad to be out on the tidal Thames in a narrowboat :-) I think the other distress signals are a continuous horn blast and firing a cannon off at 1 minute intervals but I am sure someone more knowledgeable will come along soon and explain those.

 

S.O.S.? Other distress signals are to fire a red flare or to burn some oily rags on the deck! You could also fly a union flag upside down - not many people seem to know what's up and what's down now though so you might have to wait a long time to be rescued. Phone yer mum instead.

[canaldrifter]

No, you highlighted a need for training.

 

If you can compare CB radio to VHF marine radio then you should definitely get training as you obviously don't know what you're talking about.

 

Ignorant use of marine VHF is closer to driving without training than using a CB radio.

 

Edited to add: Could you point out which part of your post I deleted, btw?

 

As far as I can see I quoted it, in it's entirety.

 

Perhaps it just reads completely differently, even to you, when it's accompanied with a sensible response.

 

You did quote it in entirety. You are correct. However you changed the emphasis, and you are still labouring an unreasonable point. I've made mine.

 

Unlicensed use of a VHF is far less likely to get someone else killed than unlicensed use of a motor vehicle.

 

I'll ignore the not unexpected snide remarks.

 

Tone

[mykaskin]

I've even heard 'over and out' twice without the howls of derision that are suggested here.

 

Tone

 

They don't key the mic while they are doing it!

 

Mike

 

ps. Bet they were pleasure boats rather than "professionals" who rarely say 'out'!

[carlt]

You did quote it in entirety. You are correct. However you changed the emphasis, and you are still labouring an unreasonable point. I've made mine.

 

Unlicensed use of a VHF is far less likely to get someone else killed than unlicensed use of a motor vehicle.

 

I'll ignore the not unexpected snide remarks.

 

Tone

I changed no emphasis, it was cut and pasted..ie reproduced exactly. My following comments merely showed your post to be incorrect (if that is what you believe to be 'changing the emphasis' then I apologise).

 

I merely demonstrated that your lack of training has left you with a distorted view of the importance of VHF marine radio.

 

It is obvious that you will take these comments the wrong way as you lack the knowledge, training provides, to construct a reasoned argument.

 

They were not meant to be snide remarks, just facts.

Edited March 18, 2011 by carlt

[Steilsteven]

You did quote it in entirety. You are correct. However you changed the emphasis, and you are still labouring an unreasonable point. I've made mine.

 

Unlicensed use of a VHF is far less likely to get someone else killed than unlicensed use of a motor vehicle.

 

I'll ignore the not unexpected snide remarks.

 

Tone

 

I think that, as someone with your self proclaimed experience, you are being highly irresponsible to encourage others, who may have little or no experience, to think that they'd be perfectly safe in disregarding the law.

 

Keith

[canaldrifter]

I think that, as someone with your self proclaimed experience, you are being highly irresponsible to encourage others, who may have little or no experience, to think that they'd be perfectly safe in disregarding the law.

 

Keith

 

About as irresponsible as the PLA's harbourmaster who according to Richard told the IWA gathering:

 

Treat the tideway with respect or will it bite you. Please have a radio if only to listen to their broadcasts, please read their notices to mariners, please have your anchor actually ready to deploy, any worries use your anchor. He does not care if you have a licence or not, as far as he was concerned you can listen to the radio. I can't remember his exact choice of words but basically I got the impression that if you are in trouble no one is going to ask have you got a licence or worry that your radio etiquette is not perfect.

 

Tone

[Steilsteven]

About as irresponsible as the PLA's harbourmaster who according to Richard told the IWA gathering:

 

 

 

Tone

 

Yes, and I'm glad you recognise that fact.

 

Keith

[canaldrifter]

Yes, and I'm glad you recognise that fact.

 

Keith

 

I think I'll respect his opinion over and above yours thanks.

 

Tone

[carlt]

About as irresponsible as the PLA's harbourmaster who according to Richard told the IWA gathering:

 

His only interest is that you keep out of the way of (in his opinion) real traffic.

 

However, if the big commercial barge, that is bearing down on your narrowboat, does not understand your garbled, incorrect message (if you even transmit one) then the coroner, police, insurance company and anyone else involved in the accident may be more interested.

[canaldrifter]

His only interest is that you keep out of the way of (in his opinion) real traffic.

 

However, if the big commercial barge, that is bearing down on your narrowboat, does not understand your garbled, incorrect message (if you even transmit one) then the coroner, police, insurance company and anyone else involved in the accident may be more interested.

 

You are making one very big illogical assumption, for effect, it seems. That is anyone who has not done the VHF course is an incompetent or irresponsible boatman. That is not so.

 

It could be so in your imaginary situation but not in real life.

 

I'm not going to, but I could give you a list of my acquaintances here, all of whom are very experienced in tidal and coastal waters, who do not hold VHF licenses but know how to use them. Two who recently took the course declared it a time-waster that cost them £200. They learned nothing they didn't already know.

 

Listening in to, and using in an emergency, a VHF is not even in the same league or as dangerous as an unlicensed and untutored car driver bearing down on a pedestrian crossing full of children, for example.

 

I think you are just out for an argument to massage your own ego, so I'll leave you too it. I'm no voyeur.

 

Tone

[Steilsteven]

I think I'll respect his opinion over and above yours thanks.

 

Tone

 

Well of course you would, even though it's hearsay, because you think it backs up your opinion.

 

Keith

[carlt]

You are making one very big illogical assumption, for effect, it seems. That is anyone who has not done the VHF course is an incompetent or irresponsible boatman. That is not so.

 

 

You remind me of my Gran.

 

She never learnt to drive but she was the best back seat driver never to sit behind the wheel.

[Steilsteven]

You are making one very big illogical assumption, for effect, it seems. That is anyone who has not done the VHF course is an incompetent or irresponsible boatman. That is not so.

 

It could be so in your imaginary situation but not in real life.

nced

I'm not going to, but I could give you a list of my acquaintances here, all of whom are very experienced in tidal and coastal waters course declared it a time-waster that cost them £200. They learned nothing they didn't already know.

 

Listening in to, and using in an emergency, a VHF is not even in the same league or as dangerous as an unlicensed and untutored car driver bearing down on a pedestrian crossing full of children, for example.

 

I think you are just out for an argument to massage your own ego, so I'll leave you too it. I'm no voyeur.

 

Tone

Edited March 18, 2011 by Steilsteven

[canaldrifter]

Well of course you would, even though it's hearsay, because you think it backs up your opinion.

 

Keith

 

Hearsay? I doubt Richard would take to that accusation kindly.

 

This opinion has been verified to me verbally by the staff of ABP Goole. It is good sensible advice based upon the premise that they would rather have unlicensed VHF sets aboard narrowboats than none at all.

 

Tone

[carlt]

 

This opinion has been verified to me verbally by the staff of ABP Goole. It is good sensible advice based upon the premise that they would rather have unlicensed VHF sets aboard narrowboats than none at all.

 

That's a bit like ringing the DVLA and asking if they mind if you don't bother with a boat licence.

 

Perhaps if you rang the actual enforcing authority you may get a different answer.

[canaldrifter]

 

 

Edited to add link:

 

http://www.solentwaters.co.uk/Radio/radiopage.html

 

 

Works well with

 

http://www.ais-live.co.uk/aismap/AIS%20Maps/isleofwight.html

 

Tone

 

Then there's this:

 

http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/default.aspx?centerx=30&centery=25&zoom=2&level1=140

 

Tone

Edited March 18, 2011 by canaldrifter

[Steilsteven]

Hearsay? I doubt Richard would take to that accusation kindly.

 

This opinion has been verified to me verbally by the staff of ABP Goole. It is good sensible advice based upon the premise that they would rather have unlicensed VHF sets aboard narrowboats than none at all.

 

Tone

 

And I take it that they have Ofcom's sanction with this?

 

Keith

[Guest]

Works well with

 

http://www.ais-live.co.uk/aismap/AIS%20Maps/isleofwight.html

 

Tone

 

Well that's got me hooked - thanks for that... (sad or what!!)

 

Interesting the warships on the move don't identify themselves by name.

Edited March 18, 2011 by MJG

[carlt]

Well that's got me hooked - thanks for that... (sad or what!!)

 

Interesting the warships on the move don't identify themselves by name.

This one covers the UK...

Clicky

[Guest]

This one covers the UK...

Clicky

 

Cheers but no VHF on that, that I can see/hear.

[canaldrifter]

Well that's got me hooked - thanks for that... (sad or what!!)

 

Interesting the warships on the move don't identify themselves by name.

 

I think it has.

 

Try this in conjunction. You can find images of the vessels here:

 

http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/shipdetails.aspx?MMSI=234634000

 

I've been hooked all afternoon too.

 

Tone

 

And I take it that they have Ofcom's sanction with this?

 

Keith

 

 

No....but we still await an ofcom prosecution.

 

Anyway we've moved on. We're playing harbour chess now.

 

tone

[RichardN]

Steilsteven, on 18 March 2011 - 04:08 PM, said:

Well of course you would, even though it's hearsay, because you think it backs up your opinion.

 

Keith

 

 

Hearsay? I doubt Richard would take to that accusation kindly.

 

Does not worry me at all, there was a room packed full of people! and more to the point I fully agree the best thing to do is to have a vhf radio, go on a course and licence yourself and your boat. We have all that and I am mightly glad that I do.

 

The next bit is about how you maintain an effective listening watch (I think those are the words in the PLA directions), well for that I don't think you need a vhf licence though obviously it is better that you have been on a course - post above about randomly pushing buttons is apt. That said Broxbourne used to send hireboats up the tideway with a vhf radio for a listening watch and it worked. Coming out of Limehouse I have talked to VTS on my mobile as they don't hear me when I am in the lock - I have bought a new aerial to see if it makes a difference but that is another story, the point is that VTS don't mind talking to you on the phone though I am sure that they would prefer you to use vhf - I think that is in their directions.

 

The last point is about something going wrong. The Thames tideway is a fantastic trip, but the consequences if something goes wrong are not good. WJM talked of 60 seconds to hit a bridge, 60 seconds to roll over, a nice concise warning. In those circumstances no one will waste time to criticise you if you get on the radio for an unlicenced, illegal transmission. I have no argument at all that it is much better to have been on the course and use the right language.

 

That point that I am sad no one has picked up on is the Harbourmaster stressing several times: Make sure you have an anchor and throw it out when you are in trouble. Well I think he used more technical language but that was the gist and it is very good advice but be aware that you only have some of WJM's 60 seconds to do that.

[canaldrifter]

 

 

That point that I am sad no one has picked up on is the Harbourmaster stressing several times: Make sure you have an anchor and throw it out when you are in trouble. Well I think he used more technical language but that was the gist and it is very good advice but be aware that you only have some of WJM's 60 seconds to do that.

 

I do think that is a given. This thread is about VHF after all.

 

Tone

 

You remind me of my Gran.

 

She never learnt to drive but she was the best back seat driver never to sit behind the wheel.

 

Perhaps your Gran had a point.

 

Tone

[Tim]

A couple of points, if you've listened in to VHF transmissions in the PLA area you'll know that nobody, including London VTS follows the correct calling procedure as taught on the VHF course.

 

It seems it was ok for the Lea Valley hire boats from Broxbourne (RIP) to travel up the tideway with a hand set for listening in, none of the hirers were certified, well some wont have been.

 

I'm sure that the actual PLA requirement is to keep a listening watch, this being the case you wouldn't need a license, unless you were going to transmit. So in my opinion (safety etc set aside) the OP is compliant if he's listening in without a license.

 

Running for cover now.

[carlt]

 

Perhaps your Gran had a point.

 

I wouldn't know. She died before I passed my driving test.