Procedures for Radio in a New Boat

New boat due in 2 weeks. Will have a Radio (DSC Fixed) installed by the boat builder. What do I have to do now?

I have my passed my radio exam and have my certificate. How do I get my MMSI and call sign? How do I ensure the radio is legal to use on Day 1? How do I get my little circular licence?

Do I do things or does the boat builder?

Thanks

Bruce

PS How do I get a number plate for my new trailer with my car reg on it?

New boat due in 2 weeks. Will have a Radio (DSC Fixed) installed by the boat builder. What do I have to do now?

I have my passed my radio exam and have my certificate. How do I get my MMSI and call sign? Call the Radio Licensing Centre on 0870 243 4433 they will issue you with one along with your Radio Certificate.

How do I ensure the radio is legal to use on Day 1? How do I get my little circular licence?
If you have a Handheld then you need a handheld Radio Licence, if you have a fixed radio then you will need a Ships Radio Licence, all of which are available from the numbers I have given you. I think I applied for these online, I cannot remember the Web Address but am sure they can give you this.

Do I do things or does the boat builder?
I believe it is down to you to sort out your Radio Licence, I organised mine myself. Call the Radio Licensing Centre on 0870 243 4433.


PS How do I get a number plate for my new trailer with my car reg on it?

You need to take your Registration Document and your driving licence to a Number Plate Shop ie Halfords and they will make you one up.

Hope this helps you out. :hi:

The online application for the Ships Radio License (which includes issue of the MMSI for DSC) is here: http://www.radiolicenceforms.co.uk/ShipApplicationNotes.asp

I have applied on line for the licence. Thank you for the input and URL.

Do I now wait for the MMSI to be sent to me? Or will my new radio in the new boat have one pre-set? If it needs entering into the new radio, do I do that or does the boat builder need to do it?

Armed with my Certificate of Competance from the RYA VHF DSC exam, and with the licence which will no doubt arrive in due course through the post, it will be legal for me to use the radio? That is all I need to do?

Went to Coastguard yesterday at SBS. Now totally confused about paperwork.

Is this correct:

A. https://mcanet.mcga.gov.uk/ssr/ssr/default.asp is the Small Ships Register and is advisable. True? But what am I paying for for £12?

B. Part 1 registration is optional, expensive and unneccessary. True?

C. http://www.mcga.gov.uk/c4mca/mcga-hm_coastguard/mcga-hmcg-cg66.htm is free, a different register solely for safety and is strongly advisable True?

So all I NEED to do is C. and possibly A.. True?

Thanks

Bruce

Looking forward to seeing your new boat!

Not sure, but I think anyone can input the MMSI which will be sent to you but, IIRC, you only get one chance. If you get it wrong the set has to go back to the supplier to be reprogrammed. Have I remembered that correctly, Superradioman?

You need to display your ship's radio licence (not licence to operate) on, I think, the port side. That's all there is to it - until next year when you'll need to renew it - they will send a renewal notice to you. We always carry our licences to operate when we are on the boat (in an Aquapac bag with other important stuff).

The SSR is needed if you intend to use your boat abroad and, as far as I know, your £12 covers you for as long as you have the boat.

The CG66 is free and I can't see a reason why anyone would not fill it in.

Don't know about Part 1 registration!

HTH :hi:

Thanks, but what soes the SSR actually confer on you? The right to use the Ensign???

I have just received my licence disc in the post, I applied for it a week or so ago, the MMSI number is unique to your installation and there will be one for the fixed set and if you intend to have another DSC type handheld (and requested this on your application) you will be issued with another number. The numbers are in limited supply so they request only to issue the minimum of MMSI numbers. These numbers will have to be entered into the radios before use otherwise you will be using an unrecognisable MMSI number which defeats the whole DSC ethos. Beware depending on the radio you have the number can be set only once, be careful when doing it and you should check with the supplier on the procedure to reset this number if you ever wish to sell the set or switch it to another boat as the MMSI is not transferrable to another person or vessel.

I was told the SSR number is essential if you wish to travel abroad, don't know anything else about it.

Hope the above is of help.

I just done a bit of searching (don't you just love Google?) and as far as I can see all it does is confirm the boat's nationality. I would say that if you are sure you will never end up in France or any other country other than Britain, you probably don't need it. Don't know about the ensign bit.

The SSR does need to be renewed every 5 years but you only have to pay if the boat has changed hands.

Off to do a search on 'red ensign'...

Edit: can't find anything other than the fact that the red ensign is flown by British merchant ships and pleasure craft. The 'special' ensigns (e.g. white ensign; blue ensign) are allowed to be flown only if the right to fly them has been conferred, usually by being a member of a certain yacht club or similar. We've never been stopped by anyone and asked if we have the right to fly the red ensign.

I believe Part 1 registration refers to the Register of British Ships and is the part which covers merchant ships and also pleasure craft where ownership of the boat needs to be formally set out, e.g. boats which have been bought with a marine mortgage. Part 2 is for registering fishing vessels. You cannot be registered in Part 1 AND in the SSR.

Just another thing, if you need a number plate you have to provide the logbook as mentioned above, if, as many people, you have a leased or company car and do not have this document you have to request a letter from the body that has it to authorise a new number plate to be made ! I had a hell of a job with a contract hire vehicle some time ago. Don't know if it's relevant but it's a problem for loads of people.

Off to do a search on 'red ensign'...Hello dear... I thought this one was quite concise: http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/British-ensigns

Bruce, I think the answers are true, true and true :) - I would suggest doing A and C. Although the SSR is a confusing and poorly defined form of registration I suggest "going with the flow" as it effectively exempts you from regulation if you find yourself in foreign waters.

Just another thing, if you need a number plate you have to provide the logbook as mentioned above, if, as many people, you have a leased or company car and do not have this document you have to request a letter from the body that has it to authorise a new number plate to be made ! I had a hell of a job with a contract hire vehicle some time ago. Don't know if it's relevant but it's a problem for loads of people.

Off topic I know but:-

It makes me wonder if there should be a different style/colour for a trailer plate e.g. half white half yellow so cameras etc can still see them. Then you could just walk in and buy any number plate you required. Make it illegal to place on a car.

Who responsible for that Dept of Transport?

Good idea. I shall call my MP and suggest it http://tcwozere.co.uk/smileys/phone.gif



:p

Now I know more than I did - not especially sure if the world is a better place though :p Thx for help.

Wot size red ensign looks cool on a 6.5M rib? And where do you put it? And do you 'furl' it - getting with the jargon here! If so, how?

Bruce

Our red ensign is about 2' x 1.5'. It's attached by plastic 'jubilee clip' type things - can't remember proper name - which secure the cords to the A-frame. I think a proper little flag pole looks better though! We just wrap ours round the A-frame tube and tie cord around it - probably not the proper way but that's what we do.

... it effectively exempts you from regulation if you find yourself in foreign waters.

Go and expand on that a little please Richard.

Louise,

Can you please expand on the Jubilee Clips you use - describe in a bit more detail please?

Thanks

Louise,

Can you please expand on the Jubilee Clips you use - describe in a bit more detail please?

Thanks

I may be wrong but I believe Louise is referring to cable ties!
Nick

It's attached by plastic 'jubilee clip' type things - can't remember proper name... Tie wraps. ;) (or as Nick correctly guessed, "cable ties")

JW - If, say, a South coast based UK RIB was to cruise over to the French coast, then a UK SSR registration, an ICC and insurance certificate are the basic documents needed to comply with French regulations. Given that an ICC is quite straigtforward to obtain in the UK, this seems preferable to going through the French certification method, which is compulsory for our European neighbours.

if going foreign , you must display a courtesy flag of the country you are visiting. red duster flown between sunrise and sunset indicates the ships master is on board thats all i can remember re the flags from navy college
oh and dipping the flag as you pass a British war ship realy pees them off :D
regards Tim
www.griffmarineservices.co.uk

oh and dipping the flag as you pass a British war ship realy pees them off :D
regards Tim
www.griffmarineservices.co.uk (http://www.griffmarineservices.co.uk/)
Especially submarines (on the surface). They always seem to be looking the other way when you do.
We got them once. Very funny to see a hatch open and some poor s*d running down the hull to respond.

While the responses to the original question on the whole were correct I feel I should just clarify one thing.

The ship portable radio licence is ONLY required if the Hand-held is going to be used on another boat/s. The Ship Radio Licence covers both a fixed and handheld (and a RADAR as seen on some of the larger commercial cabined RIBS) on the boat in question.

Mike

Just done this...

I applied online for the SSR No. The Small Ships Register is effectively Part 3 of the UK shipping register (which includes Part 1 and 2 referred to earlier). I then applied (online) for the Radio Licence, covering my fixed DSC Radio and my hand-held (non-DSC) - for which I think you need your SSR No.

That arrived with the MMSI number - which I then programmed into the DSC set. Do it carefully - you can only do it once, and then I think the manufacturer has to reset it.

I found that you need certain bits of information, which means that you need to do it in a certain order - but appart from that it wasn't too difficult.

Cheers,

Dylan...

JW - If, say, a South coast based UK RIB was to cruise over to the French coast, then a UK SSR registration, an ICC and insurance certificate are the basic documents needed to comply with French regulations. Given that an ICC is quite straigtforward to obtain in the UK, this seems preferable to going through the French certification method, which is compulsory for our European neighbours.

Thanks for the reply, Richard. I know about, and have, an ICC. It's the SSR. I was not sure about. Is its purpose, for a foreign nation, just to confirm the country of origin of the craft?

Hi Jeff,

My research this morning leads me to believe you are correct - the SSR simply confirms the home nation of the vessel.

How's your boat building coming on? You haven't posted any pics for a while!

Hi Jeff,

My research this morning leads me to believe you are correct - the SSR simply confirms the home nation of the vessel.

How's your boat building coming on? You haven't posted any pics for a while!

Thanks Louise. The boat is coming on fine. I've a few more recent pics but I'll not hijack Bruce's thread.

I'm not sure how welcome they now are on Boatmad. :D

I think pics of boats (even RIBs) are OK - as long as you haven't painted a gigantic fairy on the side!! :D

JW
Further to Louises reply...........
it would also seem to me, with the French authorities particularly in mind, that the SSR would appear to act as "proof of ownership" to them.
I lent my boat to a mate once who took it to France. First of all they demanded the SSR (which they can also checkout!), and then, when they found out my mate wasn't the owner, they freaked out, assuming the boat to have been nicked!
Anyway for the sake of £12 or £20 or whatever it would seem well worth it. Your baby is then on an internationally checkable database which may serve you well in the future. This is all on top, of course, of the right to call upon the assistance of HM Navy in the event of "trouble".

Thankyoooo...

You need to display your ship's radio licence (not licence to operate) on, I think, the port side. That's all there is to it - until next year when you'll need to renew it - they will send a renewal notice to you. We always carry our licences to operate when we are on the boat (in an Aquapac bag with other important stuff).

The SSR is needed if you intend to use your boat abroad and, as far as I know, your £12 covers you for as long as you have the boat.

The CG66 is free and I can't see a reason why anyone would not fill it in.



Interested to read all the postings on this thread as I am just getting my head around the rules and regs.

We bought the boat secondhand, and it had already been registered with the Small Ships Registry and has an SSR number (which I will now get some stickers for to display on the boat). However, the £12 fee only covers for 5 years as far as I can tell, and I had to pay again, to change the ownership details to our name.

The CG66 is a voluntary safety database which is held by the Coastguard and keeps as much info as you can given them about the boat, description and size infor, safety equipment on board, shore contact numbers and you can even give them an image of the boat to aid ID in am emergency.

On the subject of jubilee clips, we've got our RIBnet burgee fixed onto the A frame with a metal jubilee clip, like are used to hold pipes together on a car engine etc, and that seems to work fine.

Assuming we can fly a [red?] ensign, which side should we put the ensign and which side the ribnet burgee? Or does it matter :D

the £12 fee only covers for 5 years as far as I can tell, and I had to pay again, to change the ownership details to our name.


Hi Janet - it looks like they may have changed the rules in 2003. Thanks for bringing it to our attention. :thumbs:

Wow something that is easier to do in Australia than the UK

Out here you:

a: register the boat at the transport office

b: register the trailer at the transport office

c: do a safe boating course (one day, $130) and then get the endorsement added to your drivers license at the transport office. ($30 AUS for a once off life time license)

(you can do all of the above at the same time, takes 40 minutes)

D: Do a ship radio operators course (1.5 days, $135) and get license for radio

E: install Radio. VHF are covered by a class license out here and require no registration as ship stations and incur no fees. MF and HF set require ship station licenses and associated fees.

If you choose to use a 27 Meg set in a boat out here, you do not need a license at all for the user or the unit.

Both 27 meh and VHF are monitored by all limited coast guard stations, but they are pushing for people to go to VHF.

Apply for MMSI online for free and get it sent to you. Enter into radio.
MMSI is not well supported out here, there is no consistant monitoring of DSC on VHF, only HF frequencies, so not much use to small boaties

Total cost is once off $30 fee for boat license, and yearly rego fee for trailer and boat of $240 for mine but depends on size.

All legal and set to go

Above is valid for QLD rego boat rego. NSW is a bit different

P.S my new Gemini 5.5 RIB with Evinrude 135 hp was delivered last week, fit out this weekend and hopefully sea trial to follow. Photos to come after that :D :thumbs:

Matthew

Hi Matthew

Some of the regs only apply if you want to take your boat abroad - esp. France!!

For use in the UK only then.......

a. No need to register your boat anywhere!! (I never have!)

b. No need to register your trailer - just get a licence plate made the same as your car

c. No need to do any courses or get a licence (although a RYA powerboat course is highly recommended!!)

d. OK - you need a radio licence - 1.5 day course - only if you want to use the radio - you can carry one and use it for emergency use (Mayday, PAN PAN etc) without a licence (but how would you know how to do that properly)

e. Install radio and get "Ships radio licence" - This gives you a callsign, MMSI and RADAR, EPERB registration etc all for £20 a year (but they hope to scrap the yearly registration soon and make it free)


So there you go - if you only going to use the boat in the UK then its just the £20 for your radio licence a year.

Nothing at all for the actual boat / trailer!!


Wow something that is easier to do in Australia than the UK

Out here you:

a: register the boat at the transport office

b: register the trailer at the transport office

c: do a safe boating course (one day, $130) and then get the endorsement added to your drivers license at the transport office. ($30 AUS for a once off life time license)

(you can do all of the above at the same time, takes 40 minutes)

D: Do a ship radio operators course (1.5 days, $135) and get license for radio

E: install Radio. VHF are covered by a class license out here and require no registration as ship stations and incur no fees. MF and HF set require ship station licenses and associated fees.

If you choose to use a 27 Meg set in a boat out here, you do not need a license at all for the user or the unit.

Both 27 meh and VHF are monitored by all limited coast guard stations, but they are pushing for people to go to VHF.

Apply for MMSI online for free and get it sent to you. Enter into radio.
MMSI is not well supported out here, there is no consistant monitoring of DSC on VHF, only HF frequencies, so not much use to small boaties

Total cost is once off $30 fee for boat license, and yearly rego fee for trailer and boat of $240 for mine but depends on size.

All legal and set to go

Above is valid for QLD rego boat rego. NSW is a bit different

P.S my new Gemini 5.5 RIB with Evinrude 135 hp was delivered last week, fit out this weekend and hopefully sea trial to follow. Photos to come after that :D :thumbs:

Matthew