MARITIME AND
COASTGUARD AGENCY News Release (23.45) issued by The Government News
Network on 29 June 2008
This evening
(Sunday) a yacht in the English Channel was unknowingly
broadcasting continuously on VHF Channel 16. The signal was
effectively jamming all emergency communications in mid Channel
and affecting the ability of Portland Coastguard, Brixham
Coastguard, Solent Coastguard, CROSS Jobourg (France) and Guernsey
Coastguard to handle emergency traffic.
The approximate position of the yacht was found from Direction
Finding bearings from both sides of the Channel. After an hour of
jamming and attempts to contact the vessel, Portland Coastguard
scrambled the Coastguard Helicopter 106 to find the yacht using
its on-board direction finding equipment. The helicopter circled
the yacht, attracted the skipper's attention and eventually
was able to make contact to stop him broadcasting on Channel 16.
Nic Lonsdale, Watch Officer at Portland Coastguard says;
"It is not only irritating to have the Maritime Distress
Channel blocked by what the yacht crew thought was a private
conversation but a danger to all other vessels. Eventually we were
forced to deploy a helicopter to silence the transmissions.
Shortly afterwards a different vessel broadcast a Mayday which
would not have been heard had the yacht still been transmitting.
All users are urged to be aware of this increasingly common
problem. If you cannot hear any radio traffic in a busy area it is
probably because you are continuously transmitting."
Details of the incident have been passed to the Maritime and
Coastguard Agency Enforcement Branch.
ENDS
Press releases and further information about the Agency is
available on the Web at http://www.mcga.gov.uk