VHF Short Range Radio Course

I attended the VHF course run by Sea-Craft in the Motor Yacht Club in Dún Laoghaire on Thursday 27 November 7.30 pm – 10.00 pm and Sunday 30 November 2008 9.00 am – 4.30 pm. This was followed by exam on SOLAS (Safety of Live at Sea) amd an exam on Regulations and Procedure, followed by practical test / interview.

Finished at 8.30 pm.

The cost was €204

• €204
  • Course fee and notes €125
  • Examiners fee €35
  • Department of Transport charge €44

Coffee and tea were supplied on Sunday, and there was a bar.

Certificate

On successful completion of the course, the Department issues a “Radio Operators Short Range Certificate of Competance”.

This means that the holder may use VHF DSC equipment on a ship entitled to fly the flag of the country which issues the certificate, in my case Ireland.

Licence

Once you have the certificate you may apply for a Ship Station Licence from Comreg, and if you have bought a second hand boat, the licence can be transferred for €30.

The licence will include:

• Name of boat
• Date of Issue
• The boat’s call sign e.g. EI 9999
• If you have DSC, a MMSI number is included, e.g. 250 123 456
• Name of Licensee
• The Accounting Authority Indicator Code

If a vessel is sold, the call sign and MMSI are cancelled.

The licence lasts for the lifetime of the . If a boat is sold, you can transfer a licence for €30 using this form, and previous owner also have to send a form to the Department of Transport.

How to transfer a ships radio licence

You can transfer a boat’s radio licence by filling in the form on this page:

http://www.transport.ie/viewitem.asp?id=10775&lang=ENG&loc=2058 

It costs €30. Your boat must have a licence. You must have a certificate of competency.

I am doing a course for a short range certificate of competency from the Department of Transport run by Seacraft in the Dún Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club right now.

Next class is all day Sunday, and there are no DARTs north of Connolly because of engineering works at Howth Junction. A few railcars will stop, though.

Visit to Knowth

Knowth

Drove from Heuston Station to Brú no Bóinne, via the Dublin Port Tunnel, under the 14,000 marathon runners… and onto the M1. Still managed to get lost.

Facinating site, Who were those people, and what does it all mean?

Excellent guides.

Nice lunch in the visitors center.

Knowth Stone

GNR Bus

GNR Bus

 This Great Northern Railways bus had the unique distinction of being the only international double decker bus when it ran between Dundalk and Newry in the 1950s.

The bus was on display at Dundalk railway station for the steam excursions from Belfast and Dublin, and is maintained by hte Transport Museum in Howth, Dublin.

No. 186 moves to Dublin

done

Locomotive No. 186 was transferred from Belfast to Dublin on 28 September 2008, while No. 4 went from Dublin to Belfast.

No. 186 was built in 1879 by Sharp, Stewart & Co., Atlas Works, Manchester for the Great Southern and Western Railway. She was withdrawn in 1964.

Locomotive No. 186 in Dundalk

 

Locomotive No. 186 in Dundalk

Oireachtas – Flash Webcasting

A new broadband Flash Webcasting service is now available on the Houses of the Oireachtas Web site.

This is in addition to the Oireachtas Live Windows Media Player, MPEG2 and MPEG4 services already available.

Dry Bag

Sealine Dry Bags

I bought a See Bag 10 (dry bag) from Viking Marine, Dún Laoghaire for €22.00.

Its capacity 10l and it weight is 280g. I hope that it will keep my stuff dry!

The address on the package is Middleton, County Cork, Ireland. By the way, the railway from Glounthaune to Midleton will be restored soon.

Yachtmaster Coastal Shorebased Course Attendance Certificate (Sail)

The Yachtmaster Coastal Shorebased Course page on the Irish Sailing Association site gives details of courses run by various providers in Ireland.

VHF Radio Operators’ Certificate

Cobra Marine MR F75 EU+ VHF Radio

A Cobra Marine MR F75 EU VHF Radio was fitted to the yacht that we purchased.

According to the user manual the radio includes the following features:

• 1 or 25 watt power (for near or distant calling).
• Instant access to channel 16 for emergency situations.
• Waterproof – Meets JIS7 standards; Submersible for 30 minutes in one meter deep water.
• Tri-Watch Monitors three (3) channels at once — Channel 16, and two (2) user selected channels.
• Digital Selective Calling (Class D DSC) allows sending a distress message at the touch of a button as well as specific station to station calls.

In order to use a VHF radio in Ireland you must have an operator’s license or a Certificate of Competency from the Department of Transport. This can take various forms:

• The most basic is “The Restricted Certificate in Radiotelephony (VHF only),” which is achieved by passing Module 1 of the SRC (Short Range Certificate) exam. This certificate entitles you to use a standard voice only ( not DSC, see below) VHF. This is what many boats are currently fitted with.
• Should your boat have a digital calling radio (DSC) and be capable of using the safety equipment under the new GMDSS, then you will be required to complete both Module 1 and Module 2 of the SRC, thereby acquiring the full Radio Operators Short Range Certificate.

While ComReg is is usually in charge of radio licencing, ships radio licensing is the responsibility of the Department of Transport. There is a list of course providers on the Department of Transport Web site.

Donegal trip

Flew up to Donegal for a few days… saw Mount Errigal, visited Glenveigh Castle, the County Donegal Railway at Fintown, the flax museum, Glebe House…

Donegal railway at Fintown

Mount Errigal, Donegal

Glenveigh Castle

Donegal railway at Fintown

Glebe House

Ards Friary

Flax and Corn Mill

Boarding the ATR at Dublin Airport