Introduction
This Notice serves to clarify and confirm for mariners, the Search & Rescue (SAR) co-ordination arrangements currently in place in the Port of London.
Thames Coastguard
Thames Coastguard based at Walton-on-the-Naze has responsibility for the initiation and co-ordination of all SAR operations in the Thames Estuary to seaward of Holehaven Creek (Canvey Island).
London Coastguard
London Coastguard has responsibility for the initiation and coordination of all SAR operations on the River Thames up-river of Canvey Island.
RNLI Stations
RNLI lifeboat stations are located at Teddington, Chiswick, Waterloo Pier (Tower), Gravesend, Southend-on-Sea, Sheerness, Whitstable, Margate, Ramsgate, Burnham, Clacton, Walton-on-the-Naze and Harwich.
VHF Communications and Alerts
HM Coastguard maintains a continuous listening watch for distress or urgency calls on VHF Channel 16.
The Port of London Authority does not routinely maintain a listening watch on VHF Channel 16 but has the ability to set watch on VHF Ch 16 if required.
Any SAR alert on the tidal Thames should be raised via one of the following methods:
- “MAYDAY” or “PAN-PAN” or other call on Channel 16 or the appropriate London VTS port working frequency.
- Dialling 999 and asking for the Coastguard
- Distress alert on VHF DSC
Should a distress or urgency call be transmitted on a port working frequency (Channels 14, 68 or 69) rather than VHF Channel 16, this will be acknowledged by London VTS who will immediately notify HM Coastguard. Mariners may assume that, once a distress call has been acknowledged by London VTS, that the call will be passed to the appropriate Coastguard centre.
If the initial call is made on one of the port working frequencies, there is no requirement to repeat the call on VHF Channel 16. The casualty should maintain watch on the frequency on which the initial call is made unless directed to change channels by London VTS or HM Coastguard.
If calling on VHF, mariners should be mindful of the greater likelihood of immediate local assistance being available through the utilisation of a port working frequency particularly up-river of Crayfordness (Channel 14). For similar reasons, HM Coastguard may also decide that the incident should continue to be coordinated on the port working frequency, in which case other traffic not allocated to the incident should minimise transmissions or may be directed to another frequency.
London VTS will continue to co-ordinate marine emergencies and major incidents other than SAR incidents and to mange vessel traffic not involved in, or allocated to, a SAR incident.
This Notice supersedes Section 4 of PLA Permanent Notice to Mariners P1 (2008) and the Section entitled “Search and Rescue Responsibilities and Arrangements for the Tidal Thames” on page 14 of the PLA Tide tables, with immediate effect.
It is also available to be downloaded from the PLA’s website at www.pla.co.uk.
