HF Weatherfax from Bracknell

Introduction

In order to obtain certificates of competence, whether voluntarily as in the UK, or in a mandatory sense as in France, skippers of small vessels have to be able to understand and use meteorological information including synoptic charts. This is because of the need to make decisions regarding their actions afloat for several days ahead. Such decisions can be for efficient passage planning but, more importantly - although they are closely linked - they are also for safety reasons.

This applies to those crossing the Channel, Irish Sea, North Sea, Biscay, or in the Mediterranean as much as those on longer ocean passages. These decisions will depend greatly on the weather and forecasts out to 5 or more days ahead are probably the most important consideration. To make informed decisions, such forecasts should be as weather charts of isobars for 5 or 6 days ahead. Comprehensive text forecast can be almost as good and the ideal is probably a combination of both. Forecasts of sea state over the same period or wind vectors are very useful additional information

In recent years there has been a very welcome increase in the amount of data available that can be used by the yachtsman. There are the GMDSS services of Navtex and the INMARSAT SafetyNET. There are services, such as MetFAX and Marinecall, available over telephone links. There is a comprehensive cover of MRCC/MRSC VHF/MF stations around our coasts. There are HF broadcasts (some using SSB). There are radio fax and some radio teleprinter broadcasts. Finally, of course there is the Internet with its large, some would say confusingly large, amount of weather information in text and chart format.

What info is available to yachts at sea?

For very many yachtsmen there is little problem in that while ashore they can get very comprehensive and the best available forecast advice in text and chart form. Decisions for coastal passages and the shorter (eg Channel) crossings can be made with reasonable confidence.

The problems arise when a vessel is at sea whether on passage or, even, at anchor. Beyond 10 miles offshore mobile telephones do not function and, even where they do, the band width is too small to allow much information to be down loaded. The same applies to those few with satellite phones. Beyond 25 miles or so offshore, VHF radio is unreadable. The list of available services then comes down to INMARSAT/Navtex, MF/HF radio and the radio fax/teleprinter services.

In NAVAREA I, there are no HF voice broadcasts. The UK weather broadcast on the SafetyNET is a 24 hour forecast only, with no outlook information. For NAVAREA II, the French SafteyNET is also a 24 hour forecast but with a very brief, one sentence outlook for up to 36 hours. The French also, through Radio France Internationale and Monaco 3AC, do broadcast forecasts by voice on HF and HF/SSB. The forecasts are for 24 hours. RFI do not give any outlook, I am not sure about Monaco.

The problem

When at anchor, off the French or Spanish coasts, for example, and wanting to make passages of up to 3 or 4 days Navtex and MRCC VHF broadcasts simply do not give enough information to help decision making having due regard for safety. This applies to Biscay crossings, longer Mediterranean passages or coastal passages when ports of refuge may be inaccessible due to the weather.

Forecasts in text or broadcast by voice have necessarily to be brief and invariably lack detail. It is in such situations that forecast charts become invaluable. Radio fax is, in short, the only source of information. This is evidenced by the fact that an estimate, not mine, is that some 70% of cruising yachts in the Mediterranean are equipped with HF/SSB plus laptops or dedicated radio fax equipment.

The MSA (now the MCGA) code of practice for vessels going "more than 60 miles from a safe haven" is that they should have INMARSAT and/or HF/MF radio. For most yachts INMARSAT as carried by commercial vessels is impossibly large and very costly in finance terms. . Yachts, other than the biggest, would only be able to install INMARSAT -C or -M. Still costly (ie 1000s of £), still power hungry but getting near to what is feasible on a moderate sized yacht (probably around 13 metres or larger). However, INMARSAT-C can handle text only so could be used to send and receive email type messages. INMARSAT-M does have a voice capability but, again, band width limits reception to text messages only (2 kb/sec).

It is these considerations that have led very many responsible yachtsmen to invest in HF/SSB radio with radio fax capability. At the Boat Show, manufacturers were selling equipment on the basis that existing services would continue. If Bracknell discontinues its service then we are left with UK Navy (Northwood) and Offenbach (DWD). Northwood is a good and useful service but how long will it be before RN ships come into the 20th century and use directed signals via Satcom techniques to get Met information from Northwood? The range of Northwood is, in any case inferior to that of Bracknell, GFA.

There is always Offenbach which many find to be a good broadcast. But, if a maritime nation like the UK ceases this marine service, then what incentive will there be for Offenbach to continue? In any case, we found last year that there were a significant number of occasions when Offenbach was unreadable but Bracknell was (and vice versa). Offenbach also broadcasts at an index of co-operation of 576, Bracknell at 288. This means that Bracknell charts come through at a faster rate (about half the time or less for a Bracknell chart). This minimises the need to change frequencies in mid-chart because of local interference, signal fading due to ionospheric conditions etc

From the point of view of the Met Office, which has to operate a trading fund, it is, I guess, a funding issue. SOLAS, which is concerned solely with vessels > 300 GRT, does not embrace radio fax. The MCGA, therefore, has no requirement to find the funds.

The future

No doubt, in time, mobile telephony will improve to such a state that even small yachts ie less than 13 metres will be able to download charts and texts anywhere at sea. In the meanwhile very many yachtsmen are dependent upon radio fax for the safety of their vessel and crews. As a matter of safety of many small, non-SOLAS, vessels radio fax services still come into the essential category.

I cannot offer a solution except to urge the Met Office to try to find the finance from Government on safety grounds. Perhaps costs could be reduced by making use of Northwood’s transmitters although they would need more frequencies than their current range

Frank Singleton 14/1/01