PQBH Marina Guide 2022 v10

Harbour Control
Poole Harbour Control is a 24/7 all year round
vessel monitoring centre providing essential
information to commercial and leisure marine
traffic. It is the first point of contact for all craft
especially in the event of an incident or accident.
The Harbour Control Officer (HCO) has a
number of resources available to keep
watch on various activities, day and night,
including Radar, CCTV, AIS, and the latest in 3D
vessel monitoring equipment. The HCO is also
assisted by a number of patrol vessels and
organisations around the harbour as well as
the harbour user. All monitoring equipment is
recordable including voice communications for
safety and training purposes and to assist in
incident investigation.
The Harbour Control Officer should be
contacted in the event of any emergency in
the harbour using:
VHF Channel 14 (or 16)
Call sign: “Poole Harbour Control”
Telephone: 01202 440230
Email: harbourcontrol@phc.co.uk
In case of an emergency
call 999 and ask for the
Coastguard
“Poole Bridge” VHF Channel 12
PLEASE NOTE
Radar, CCTV, VHF communications and
telephone conversations to Harbour
Control are recorded for safety and
training purposes and can be used
to prosecute persons in violation of
harbour bylaws.
Use of VHF Radio
If you have a marine radio on your boat,
maintain a listening watch on Channel 16
outside the harbour area but remember
this is a calling and distress frequency. It is
not a conversational channel and except in
an emergency, you must switch to another
channel when contact has been made.
In the Swash Channel and inside the harbour
it is advisable to maintain a listening watch on
Channel 14 which is the harbour operations
channel. You should not communicate on
this channel unless it is necessary for safety
reasons, but you will be able to follow and
anticipate the movements of other shipping.
All harbour patrol launches, Harbour Control,
Sandbanks Chain Ferry and the Dorset Marine
Police keep watch on Channel 14.
!
If there’s an accident
If you are involved in a marine incident or accident within
Poole Harbour and its approach channels, no matter how
minor, you must report it as soon as possible. Incident
report forms are available from the Harbour Office, or
you can submit a report online at phc.co.uk/environment/
management/report-an-incident/, but an initial report should
be made to Poole Harbour Control or to the Harbour Patrol
vessel, call sign ‘VIXEN’ on VHF Channel 14.
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