You are there of your free will.
Portuguese Maritime Ham Net (Since 1995)
14.318
USB phone contact at 13H00 UTC provided it is requested by email sent to
CT1CPS@Winlink.org.
Frequencies
of RMS Ct1cps (Dial Frq)
7044.500 10143.000
14103.50
18 107.50 21 03.500
With the advancement of technologies in the
fields of communications and weather warnings, this blog is no longer
sustainable.
After about 30 years, an era of this way of
sailing came to an end.
We will keep in touch via Winlink on the
Pactor and Vara systems.
RMS
CT1CPS
Your safety ties to dry land begin with a daily beacon.
For added security, you can send a short email of your departure and
destination.
You should know that there is someone who knows your position and the weather
conditions ahead.
Safety first.
Fair Winds and calm seas.
P.M.H.N.
********************
Movement of RMS CT1CPS between 01/01/2024 to date
INFORMATION
In the
past few days we've been witnessing a several weather events that were letal
for some yachts plus casualties due the strong winds and heavy waves!🌊🛟⚓️And again the storm that is sweeping through the Peninsula has
been felt strongly in the Balearic Islands and, specifically, on the island of
Formentera, where the Maritime Rescue Service found this afternoon a fisherman
who had been missing since ten in the morning previous day. According to
(AEMET), in Spanish: Agencia Estatal de Meteorología, AEMET! after 10 am, wind
gusts reached 86 kilometres per hour in Formentera and 89 kilometres per hour
in Ibiza.Wednesday morning nine people were injured, two of them seriously,
after their sailboat crashed into the rocks in Cala Saona.🛟🛥️⚠️
This is a
small example for that the weather can cause to the vessel and the passengers⚠️🛟🛥️
All
competent sailors need to have a good basic understanding of how to interpret a
weather forecast. They also need to be able to interpret the actual conditions
they are experiencing.
Most
weather forecasts present a general picture of what to expect in a given area
over a period of time. We rely on such forecasts to provide basic information,
but the actual weather and sea conditions we experience don’t always tally with
the general view.
This is
not necessarily the forecasters’ fault, as it is the local tides, topography
and sea breezes that interact with this basic picture and give rise to the
actual conditions we experience out on the water. To make more accurate
predictions of the weather in your specific area requires more in depth
knowledge and skill.⚠️
This
section through a depression has wind moving from left to right. High cirrus is
followed by layers of cloud which gradually become lower as the warm front
passes, bringing rain. Thick stratus cloud in the warm sector is followed by
heavy rain and eventually cumulus cloud appears, eventually giving way to
sunshine:⚠️
It is up
to the skipper to make a calculated interpretation of the available forecasts
and to decide whether it is safe for their vessel and crew to go afloat.
At the same time by studying the weather conditions they can check:
Where in
the forecast weather pattern they actually lie?⚠️
Has the
predicted front passed through yet?
The
current wind strength. Has it changed through the last few hours?
The
atmospheric pressure. Is it rising or falling?
Before
you go
Study
your charts and estimate when and where you can expect wind against tide. Are
the elements going to clash severely and if so when is this going to
happen? Will you need to avoid being in that area or will the conditions
be manageable?
Always
study the weather forecast thoroughly before going afloat in order to remain
safe and to make an efficient passage plan. Before departure, download
forecasts to cover the anticipated length of your passage. Be prepared to delay
your departure or change your destination if the weather forecast is
unfavourable.⚠️
Once
committed to going, ensure that you have the means to get regular, reliable
weather forecasts if you are at sea for any length of time. This will
allow you to change your plans and head for a safe haven if the forecast is for
stormy weather, and to take advantage of detailed weather information when
planning your route.
Tips:🛟☝🏻⚓️⚠️
Study the
Beaufort scale and use it to judge wind strengths.
Practice
how to interpret barometric pressure charts.
The
barometer is arguably the most useful forecasting tool. Keep a note in the log
to monitor change in barometric pressure.
There are three types of calls one could hear. Two of the calls are distress calls and the 3rd a call for "getting your attention" - not necessarily a ship or yacht in distress.
DISTRESS CALLS
There are two levels of distress calls, Pan Pan Pan and MAYDAY.
The third call is "Securité".
All above words are derived from French words or expressions.
Let's handle the calls one by one.
PAN PAN PAN.
A Pan Pan Pan call is used when there is no immediate threat to the vessel concerned, although assistance is almost always going to be required. As an example! A vessel that may have lost power or a mast and may be drifting with no means of control. Man overboard is another situation where Pan Pan Pan is generally used.
Your formal response to a Pan Pan Pan call is:-
"Pan Pan Pan (vessel name)" - repeated three (3) times;
"This is (radio station XYZ), received your Pan Pan Pan"
Confirm reception and signal report.
The questions that need to be asked after making contact with the vessel are handled under MAYDAY, as this set of questions applies to both situations.
MAYDAY.
Let me stress at this point - a MAYDAY call is a very - very serious call and a
very serious situation!
The MAYDAY distress call is used when the vessel or aircraft concerned are in grave and imminent danger, and require immediate assistance.
Your formal response to a call MAYDAY is:-
"MAYDAY (vessel name)" - repeated three (3) times;
"This is (radio station XYZ), received your MAYDAY"
Confirm reception and signal report. Once confirmation of a good contact has been acknowledged, the following procedures should follow:-
Establish the following:
1. Vessel name/type/description - e.g. size, motor driven or sail, ski-boat etc. If a large maritime ship - the IMO number - i.e. the International Mar i time Organisation number. If necessary, get the spelling of the name of the ship or yacht phonetically to ensure accuracy.
2. Location - Latitude/Longitude. Be very careful to get an accurate position!
3. Nature of problem. What is the nature of the current situation!
4. Last port of departure. Also where is the vessel headed!
Should you require backup communications or assistance, you may wish to call Alistair Campbell, ZS5MU, on 039-684-6421. Alistair runs the South African Maritime Mobile Net starting on 14.316 kHz followed by 7120 kHz at 06:30 and 11:30 UTC daily.
Alternative call is Graham Griggs ZS2ABK at 046-648-1071 (Cell 083-756-0288) or Francois Botha ZS6BUU at 083 585 3847 or Graham Hartlett ZS6GJH at 082 441 6989.
At this time it is best to contact the Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre (MRCC) on
021-938-3300 for further instructions. Alternatively, use the number 082911.
Additional information, which may be useful in the event of a maritime rescue, but which should only be asked for as required by MRCC, is:
1. Name of skipper/master; it is essential that the name of the person who makes the final decisions, name is available and known!
2. Intentions of the skipper/master; Very, very important. The Master or skipper of the ship or yacht must very clearly to state their intentions in no uncertain terms!
(Those "intentions" meaning - "we are about to abandon ship and need your assistance" - or "we have a rescue tug on its way and need you to stand by" - or "we have instructions to remain on board", etc.)
3. How many persons on board;
Availability of life jackets, life rafts , flares, portable or fixed VHF radios and a
EPIRB beacon - and if possible, the EPIRB NUMBER.
4. Weather conditions and the known proximity of other vessels in the immediate area.
All communications with Maritime stations ought to be kept short, concise and factual as operating conditions almost always preclude lengthy QSO's.
Lastly, the SECURITé call.
This could be from 2 sources - a ship at sea or from a station on land indicating a warning to all shipping.
From a ship at sea the call could go to all other shipping in a specific area that there are containers that fell off a ship and floating in shipping lanes that could cause damage to other shipping. Or even logs that have been washed out to sea and in a normal shipping lane.
Alternatively, the call could come from land based shipping monitoring radio stations with a warning of severe weather in an area that Skippers or Masters should be aware of.
Finally, should you ever become involved with ANY shipping emergency and you feel you need assistance; don't hesitate to call for assistance. Above all, know what you are saying and par ticularly, ensure what you are hearing and have to convey to a third party, is accurate and clearly understood.
I would go so far to say, that if you need to convey (patch) an emergency message via phone, cell phone or from someone on the ship via amateur radio - even if this person is not a licensed amateur radio operator - you will not be taken to task; PROVIDED you submit a FULL AND DETAILED report on the incident to the SARL who will inform ICASA.
NEVER make assumptions. You could be the cause of loss of life at sea and the legal consequences are something you don't even want to have a nightmare about!
Source: Hamnet KZN
