The most important piece of communications equipment is the telephone, which enables us to report to the coastguard. It is our only means of communication as we are not licenced to transmit on marine VHF frequencies and mobile phones do not work along the coast.

A listening watch is kept on channels 16, 67, and 0. VHF radio reception is notoriously un-predictable and there have been occasions when we have heard a distress call which the coastguard have not which we then reported. This also allows us to keep abreast of any situations we can assist with.

Using the radio