Incidents aside, watch keeping is a routine business and much the same at all NCI stations; each day commences with a check of equipment and formal “logging on” protocol - a courtesy call to the Coastguard and initial weather / sea state observation for the visible area - to be gone through.
We ask that watch keepers on the afternoon - “B” - watch arrive on station at least 15 minutes before commencement of their watch for a smooth hand over during which off-going watch keepers brief their replacements as to issues and incidents. Whilst “A” Watch is required to “log-on” with the MCA, “B” watch keepers are expected to “log-off” with the Coastguard and to provide them with a closing weather / sea state observation. The greatest variation in “routine” is probably the nature of the area surveyed and the potential hazards therein; the area viewed from the lookout at Caister is limited only by horizon and coastal contours; onshore we can see the shoreline from as far as an area just short of California Cliffs to the beach below the old Coastguard lookout at North Denes in Gt. Yarmouth. Approximately three miles long; potential hazards include extensive sand dunes (which, at various, points obscure our view of the shore), a number of corroded groynes, at least one semi-submerged wartime pillbox and – in the summer – several caravan sites full of sun, sand and sea loving holiday makers! Out to sea we survey an area 9-10 miles distant that includes a wind farm and variety of natural hazards such as notorious shallows and sandbanks (and the resulting tidal variations and currents). In addition to watching the coastline and shore for potential problems, taking regular weather observations and monitoring marine VHF channels, we record detail of all shipping within our area. Using a point defined as the mid-Caister buoy as a visual reference we maintain a written log of all craft passing the lookout and the date / time at which it passed. This includes all vessels operating within the wind farm or passing the lookout inshore of the turbines. Having established interference from the wind farm effectively prevents our using radar, vessels are identified by a combination of binoculars, AIS (Automated identification System) software and local knowledge. Due to their increased vulnerability small craft - local fishing boats and leisure craft such as yachts, jet skis, the occasional wind surfer - attract greater scrutiny than do passing offshore vessels and we take care to log information such as number of persons seen on board, identifying marks and, on occasion, visible safety equipment. Whilst we don’t routinely record vessels operating beyond the wind farm, it’s not unknown for us to report unusual activity to the Border Agency or for them to act on our information. In addition; with the exception of a few tractors permitted onto the beach to launch local fishing boats, we also log details of any motor vehicle using the beach in breach of local by-laws. |
What Can We See ?The above map is a live feed of the coastal shipping that can presently be seen by watchkeepers at Caister-on-Sea (and from our sister station at Gorleston). All shipping movements past both stations are recorded and logged.
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National Coastwatch Institution Registered Charity No. 1159975