CHANGES TO MARITIME SAFETY INFORMATION BROADCASTS

INTRODUCTION
Following consultation with customers and service providers the Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) can announce a series of radical changes to its Maritime Safety Information (MSI) Service which will be implemented on the 1^st February 2007.

BACKGROUND
One aspect of the existing broadcasts is that it takes four hours to make a complete cycle of broadcasts. This results in an unsatisfactory delay in receiving information in some locations especially with the second repetition broadcast. The new schedule will reduce the broadcast cycle from four hours to one hour. We will also state the allocation of VHF channels to aerials for the broadcasts.

The changes will affect both the content of the broadcasts and the transmission procedures. Throughout the planning stage, there has been close consultation with senior officials of the Royal Yachting Association (RYA) and the Conference of Yacht Cruising Clubs (CYCC).

CHANGES TO THE SERVICE
NAVTEX will be the prime means for disseminating MSI and this service remains unchanged. Radio telephony broadcasts on VHF and MF will complement this service.

Full MSI will be available on NAVTEX and by two daily broadcasts on VHF and MF. Six hours later, a new inshore forecast will be broadcast together with any gale warnings. New gale warnings, strong wind warnings and navigational warning will continue to be broadcast on receipt.

Inshore forecasts, gale warnings and any strong wind warnings from the above schedules will be repeated three hours after the initial broadcast for the benefit of those who may have missed the earlier broadcast.

Strong Wind Warnings cover Inshore Forecast Areas. They will only be issued between new inshore forecasts if the wind is forecast to reach force six or more and was not predicted when the main forecast was issued. They will be broadcast on receipt and will be included in the repetition forecasts but will be incorporated into the next new inshore forecast.

The WZ navigation warnings have historically been allotted boundaries identified by a letter. The Hydrographic Office has agreed to realign these boundaries to coincide with the Inshore Forecast area boundaries. This applies to the landward boundaries which will extend seawards in revised directions aligned with one of the eight cardinal points of the compass. Whereas the Inshore Forecast extends to twelve miles offshore, the offshore limits of the WZs will remain unchanged. This should provide the user with more focused information.

Because of the visibility of rigmoves and pipe laying operations both visually and by radar and by virtue of the fact that both activities attract local navigation warnings, we will not broadcast Rig Moves nor Pipe Laying Operations on R/T (NAVTEX remains unchanged).

To avoid ambiguity the limits of some Inshore Forecast (WZ) Areas will be redefined. The area limit currently referred to as The Wash, will be known as Gibraltar Point - the prominent headland at the northern end of the Wash. Similarly, the area limit currently referred to as Colwyn Bay will be redefined as Great Orme Head.

By international regulation, forecasts are timed in UTC (GMT) and will be issued at 0000, 0600, 1200 and 1800 UTC. We will broadcast MSI in local time such that the 'clock time' that you will receive the broadcasts will remain the same throughout the year.

Where possible, transmissions from two MRCCs will be combined to form an Area Broadcast. An example will be that Solent and Portland will broadcast simultaneously, each station broadcasting the same information thus providing slightly more information than at present. This in part allows us to reduce the broadcast cycle to one hour.

CUSTOMER BENEFITS
Customers will benefit from the revised service by:

• the introduction of two additional inshore forecasts and a new forecast area for the Isle of Man;
• the broadcast schedule will be condensed into one hour to minimise delay in delivery. Note MRCC Clyde alone will broadcast one hour after the main cycle;
• new weather information will be available every six hours and made available through eight daily broadcast schedules;
• new gale warnings, strong wind warnings and navigational warnings will be broadcast of receipt;
• broadcasts will be made in local 'clock' time throughout the year;
• details of aerials and working channels will be publicised;
• a weatherproof leaflet to carry on board detailing how seek medical advice is available.

BROADCAST TIMES
The following broadcast times will come into effect from the 1^st February 2007.

Schedule A - Full Maritime Safety Information broadcast, including new Inshore Forecast, Gale Warnings, Shipping Forecast, WZ Navigation Warnings, SUBFACTS & GUNFACTS where appropriate, three Day Fisherman's Forecast when and where appropriate.

Schedule B - New Inshore Forecast plus previous Outlook*, Gale Warnings.

Schedule C - Repetition of Inshore Forecast and Gale Warnings as per previous Schedule A or B broadcast plus new SWW.

Schedule D - Repetition of Inshore Forecast, Gale Warnings This (MF) routine is only made if there are gale warnings in force.

*Note: the new 'interim' forecast provided in Schedule B does not include an updated outlook. The previous outlook will therefore be provided with this 'interim' forecast and repetition broadcast.

MRCC TIMES AND SCHEDULE

CONCLUSION
It is believed that these changes will provide a substantially improved MSI broadcast service on radio telephony. However, all mariners who sail in non-SOLAS vessels are strongly encouraged to fit NAVTEX which provides full Maritime Safety Information on 518 and 490 kHz.

If you have any queries please email Les Snaith

THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION WILL BE BROADCAST USING THE FOLLOWING FREQUENCIES

SHETLAND

ABERDEEN & FORTH

HUMBER & YARMOUTH

THAMES & DOVER

SOLENT & PORTLAND

BRIXHAM & FALMOUTH

SWANSEA & MILFORD HAVEN

HOLYHEAD

LIVERPOOL

BELFAST

CLYDE

STORNOWAY

INSHORE FORECAST AREAS

1. Cape Wrath to Rattray Head including Orkney;
2. Rattray Head to Berwick upon Tweed;
3. Berwick upon Tweed to Whitby;
4. Whitby to the Gibraltar Point;
5. Gibraltar Point to North Foreland;
6. North Foreland to Selsey Bill;
7. Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis;
8. Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly;
9. Lands End to St Davids Head including the Bristol Channel;
10. St Davids Head to Great Orme Head;
11. Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway;
12. Isle of Man;
13. Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough;
14. Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre including the Firth of Clyde and North Channel;
15. Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point;
16. Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath including the Outer Hebrides;
17. Shetland Isles within 60 miles of Lerwick