MARITIME SAFETY INFORMATION: NAVTEX 490 KHZ

March 19, 2010

Inshore Weather forecasts from Malin Head, Republic of Ireland from 1st April 2010 The UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency has been working with their colleagues in the Irish Coastguard over the winter months in trialling the broadcast of weather information from the Irish Navtex site at Malin Head. The trials were supported throughout by the United Kingdom Met Office, providing inshore weather forecasts and outlooks.

The trial has proved to be successful which will enable a full service to be operational from the 1st April 2010 .

The following inshore waters sea areas will be broadcast at 0000 then every 4 hrs. Mariners should select B1 Character A on 490 kHz .

Steve Huxley, Search and Rescue Communications Manager at Falmouth Coastguard said

The UK has very much appreciated the help given by the Irish Coastguard in using their Navtex site to fill in gaps of coverage which could not be provided by the UK infrastructure over North West Scotland.

Areas covered by Malin Head Navtex on 490 kHz:

• Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough
• Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre, including the Firth of Clyde & North Channel
• Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point;
• The Minch
• Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath

• NAVTEX (Navigational Telex) is an international automated medium frequency direct-printing service for delivery of navigational and meteorological warnings and forecasts, as well as urgent marine safety information to ships. It was developed to provide a low-cost, simple, and automated means of receiving this information aboard ships at sea within approximately 370 km (200 nautical miles) of shore.

• The MCA is a partner in the Sea Vision UK campaign to raise awareness and understanding of the sea and maritime activities. Sea Vision promotes the importance and economic value of the sector and works to highlight the exciting range of activities and career opportunities available to young people within the UK growing maritime sector. www.seavisionuk.org

The Maritime & Coastguard Agency Press Office