The Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) will launch a new and improved Maritime Safety Information (MSI) service on February 1st.
The main benefits of the new service will be:
- Two additional inshore forecasts and a new forecast area for the Isle of Man
- New condensed one hour schedule to reduce a delay in delivery
- New weather information updated every six hours available in eight daily broadcasts
- New gale warnings, strong wind warnings and navigational warnings to be broadcast as soon as the Coastguard receives them
- Broadcasts to be made in local time so that you receive the broadcasts at the same clock time throughout the year
These changes should 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 by automatic broadcast on 518 and 490 kHz.
New Inshore Forecasts (IF) will now be provided four times per day (twice previously) and these forecasts together with any gale warnings, and strong wind warnings will be repeated three hours after the initial broadcast for the benefit of those who may have missed the earlier broadcast. All broadcasts will be preceded by an abbreviated announcement on channel 16.
Strong Wind Warnings cover Inshore Forecast Areas. They will only be issued between new inshore forecasts if the wind is forecast to reach force 6 or more and was not predicted when the main forecast was issued. They will be broadcast on receipt by the MCA and will be included in the repetition forecasts and will be incorporated into the next new inshore forecast.
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.
For greater detail about changes to the MSI service including the broadcast schedules please see the MCA website: www.mcga.gov.uk/c4mca/msi
Advice will also be available from the MCA stand (N178) at the London Boat Show.
