GMDSS Sub-Forum of “Maritime Topics”

This is a cross post from the “Maritime Topics” forum. I noticed that GMDSS doesn’t have a forum to itself. I’d like to suggest that GMDSS be added as a Sub-Forum of “Maritime Topics”. My earlier suggestion kicked off a rather vigorous discussion about GMDSS. I think that this suggests, GMDSS deserves a Sub-Forum of its own.

Best,

Robert

This probably belongs up a level in the gCaptain forum. It doesn’t really have to do with the blog. Sorry about that.

Best,

Robert

[QUOTE=rbc;139945]My earlier suggestion kicked off a rather vigorous discussion about GMDSS. I think that this suggests, GMDSS deserves a Sub-Forum of its own.[/QUOTE]

in that earlier thread, GMDSS was being derided as a useless joke of a nuisance on the bridges of ships everywhere and does not deserve a sub forum of its own…

maritime communications maybe but not GMDSS

thank you

[QUOTE=c.captain;139948]maritime communications maybe but not GMDSS

thank you[/QUOTE]

Fair enough.

[QUOTE=c.captain;139948]in that earlier thread, GMDSS was being derided as a useless joke of a nuisance on the bridges of ships everywhere and does not deserve a sub forum of its own…

maritime communications maybe but not GMDSS

thank you[/QUOTE]

CC this is not directed at you, just in general-

Maybe I’m just showing my age, but the components of GMDSS will save your behind in an emergency even if you are unconscious. I was sailing when CW (Morse) and VHF were the only ways to send out emergency comms. I was sailing around the time the SS MARINE ELECTRIC sank off the coast of NJ- DE. Wireless and radio only work as well as the operator, or power available, or weather and conditions (actually all of the above) permit. A SART or PLB or EPIRB will tell the Coasties or whoever comes for you where you are down to the foot. SS MARINE ELECTRIC had an EPIRB which did not work, never activated, due possibly to a switch issue. The new ones are much better. Thank the many dead and the few who survived for that.

Want to be chilled to the bone? Listen to the emergency CW from SS MARINE ELECTRIC the night she sank and yes, the radio operator who sent that SOS died in the cold Atlantic before he could be rescued. His name was Albion Lane.

From the time Al Lane sent that SOS and traded dits and dahs with the Coasties and a couple of local ships, to the time he died, was just a couple of hours. You can listen to the audio recording and sense the urgency in that interchange- that is hard to put into words, but something we all inherently understand.

Sorry if I sound a bit hyperbolic, but I get a little peeved when people get irritated about real safety stuff that other people had to lose their lives for.

73 to all of you.