Indian Ocean Emergency Contacts for Sat Phone

There are new updates to the Emergency Contacts for the Indian Ocean.

Here is the new version..most important is SRILANKA addition.

EMERGENCY CONTACTS IN THE INDIAN OCEAN

IERCC +1.936.582.3190. This is for nonemergency at sea for SAR and MedEvac with GEOS Safety Solutions…This is for technical questions, changes of phone numbers etc. Make sure you complete registration and setup with them BEFORE you head out to sea.

For emergencies, press the SOS on the iridium GO or in the application and they will be called. You want to have completed registration and setup with them so they know who your emergency contacts are, what you phone number is, the particulars of those onboard, etc. 

Here are other numbers to program in to your contacts on your phone/application. They should be verified. Contacts can change frequently, and while MOST of these numbers have been called by me personally to make sure that they go to a person and are the right numbers to use, do NOT rely on them without your own verification. I compiled these in late 2017 with updates in early 2018.

Contacts for RedSea Passage are NOT included in this list, primarily because I decided not to go that way. If anyone has the contacts BEYOND the Seychelles and wants to forward them to me for inclusion in this list, I can do an update to the list. If you prefer to send me a link, I can include the link instead. 

I hope this list can make life a little easier for you, for I never found one anywhere when it was my time to go. Again…verify them!!! I will not be responsible when and if nobody answers on the other Ned or new numbers come in to effect. This is meant to be only a guide for the information you should look for to have the proper information to store in your phone.  Hopefully you never need any of these contacts:

SriLanka

[Feb 2019] NEVER involve the agency in your distress call, or even for a tow. The agencies in SriLanka charge exorbitant fees, such as $1000 for a 3-5 mile tow…instead call Coast Guard or Navy:

Navy: +94262220045 This # is right in Trinco) +94112210000.  +94772530934 +94112212650 +94112466236 +94112212121 +94112212151 +94112212501 +94112212311 (These numbers are in Columbo or selsewhere…try them all til you get someone)

Coast Guard: +94412260265 +94412260268 +94412260267 +94412260312 +94412260752

Also some emails that may work:

Cofn@navy.lk

Cos@navy.lk

Nhqdgo@navy.lk

Comeast@navy.lk (Trincomalee)

Australia  +61 2 6230 6811 

India west  +91 22 24316558 &  +91 22 24388065

India east   +91 44 25395017 &  +91 44 25360342 &

+91 44 25363210

Andamans +91 3192 246081

Mauritius  +230 208 8317  &  +230 208 3935 & 230 208 5950 & 230 211 0839

Reunion +262 262 434343  

Seychelles +248 4610293  OR  +248 4224616

S Africa Capetown + 27 21 9383300

AUSTRALIA- Marine Rescue Co-ordination Centre 

 

  Email: rccaus@amsa.gov.au 

Phone: +61 2 6230 6811 

——————-

INDIA- Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centres:

Email  – indsar@vsnl.net (24 hour response time)

  • icgmrccmumbai@mtnl.net.in 

  • mrcc-west@indiancoastguard.nic.in

Phone – +91 22 24316558 &  +91 22 24388065

Eastern region – MRCC Chennai

  • Email enquiry response time – never
  • Information provided by Mumbai
  • Updated:  January 2013

Email – mrcc-east@indiancoastguard.nic.in 

  • isareast@dataone.in 

Phone – +91 44 25395017 &  +91 44 25360342 &

+91 44 25363210

Fax – +91 44 25395018 & +91 44 23460405

———————————————————

ANDAMANS region – MRCC Port Blair

  • Email enquiry response time – never
  • Information provided by Mumbai
  • Updated:  January 2013

Email – mrcc-ptb@indiancoastguard.nic.in  &

  • com_cs@dataone.in

Phone – +91 3192 246081

Fax – +91 3192 242948

  Website: www.indiancoastguard.nic.in

—————————————————————

MAURITIUS- MRCC – via Mauritius Radio – 3BM

  • Email enquiry response time – within a few hours 

  • Updated: October 2015

Email: opsncghq@orange.mu or ncgo9ps.mpf@govmu.org

Phone: +230 208 8317  &  +230 208 3935

Fax: +230 212 2770

HF/SSB:  DSC watch on all DSC Distress alarm frequencies –

2 to 16 Meg – to initiate contact

Use 2-16 Meg distress frequencies to manage an

incident

VHF:  DSC listening watch 24/7

Voice listening watch on ch16 24/7

MMSI number: 006459022

INMARSAT number:  464 500096  &  464 500097

Note: HF/SSB and/or satphone to maintain contact with a

vessel in distress during an incident. 

————————————————————-

 

REUNION – MRCC – via Mauritius Radio – 3BM

  • Email enquiry response time – within a few hours 

  • Updated: October 2015

Email: reunion @mrccfr.eu or 

Phone: +262 262 434343  

Fax: +262 262 711595  

HF/SSB:  DSC watch on 2Meg DSC Distress alarm frequency

only – to initiate contact

Voice watch on 2182 only to initiate contact 

Use 2-16 Meg voice distress frequencies to manage

an incident

24/7 voice listening watch on 2182 & 8291

VHF: 24/7 voice listening watch on ch16 

MMSI number: 006601000

INMARSAT number:  422799193

Note: HF/SSB and/or satphone to maintain contact with a

vessel in distress during an incident.

———————————————————————————

 

SEYCHELLES- MRCC via Seychelles Radio – S7Q
– Email enquiry response time – within 24 hours
– Updated: June 2011

Email: mrcc.seycoast@email.sc   OR   shipshore@cws.cwpls.com 

Phone: +248 4610293  OR  +248 4224616

HF/SSB:  No DSC alert service 

Voice listening watch on 2182 & 7696 ONLY 

Prefer email communication for incident management

VHF:  NO DSC listening watch

Voice listening watch on ch16

INMARSAT C: 466499997

—————————————————————-

SOUTH AFRICA – MRCC Cape Town 

  • Email enquiry response time – Immediate 

  • Updated: January 2013

Email – MRCC SA: mrcc.ct@samsa.org.za

Phone – MRCC SA: + 27 21 9383300

Email – Cape Town Radio: maritimeradio@ixmail.co.za 

Phone – Cape Town Radio: +27 21 5510700

Fax – Cape Town Radio: +27 21 5513760

 

HF/SSB:   DSC watch on all DSC alert frequencies to initiate

contact

Voice listening watch on 2182 via coastal network of

11 sites

Voice listening watch on 4, 12 & 16 Meg distress
freq (not 6 or 8 Meg)

Uses 2-16 Meg distress frequencies to manage an

incident

VHF:  NO DSC listening watch

Voice listening watch on ch16 via a coastal network of 27

sites

——————————————————

USCG Regional Emergency Numbers 

ATLANTIC Area SAR Coordinator

Commander

U.S. Coast Guard

Atlantic Area

Portsmouth, Virginia

Overall responsibility for areas covered by RCC Boston, RCC Norfolk, RCC Miami, RSC San Juan, RCC New Orleans and RCC Cleveland plus a portion of the North Atlantic Ocean out to 40 degrees west longitude.

(757)398-6700

PACIFIC SAR Coordinator

Commander

U.S. Coast Guard

Pacific Area

Alameda, California

Overall responsibility for areas covered by RCC Alameda, RCC Seattle, RCC Honolulu and RCC Juneau.

(510)437-3701

RCC Honolulu

(operated as JRCC with DOD)

Commander

14th Coast Guard District

Honolulu, Hawaii

Hawaii, U.S. Pacific Islands and waters of Central Pacific Ocean assigned by international convention (extending from as far as 6 degrees south to 40 degrees north latitude and as far as 110 west to 130 east longitude).

(808) 535-3333

Sector GUAM

(coordinates SAR under RCC Honolulu)

Commander

SectorGuam

Guam and other U.S. territories and possessions in the far western Pacific Ocean.

(671)355-4824

RCC USA

Boston

Commander

1st Coast Guard District

Boston, Massachusetts

New England down to and including a portion of Northern New Jersey plus U.S. waters of Lake Champlain.

(617)223-8555

RCC Norfolk

Commander

5th Coast Guard District

Portsmouth, Virginia

Mid-Atlantic states including the majority of New Jersey down to the North Carolina / South Carolina Border.

(757)398-6231

RCC Miami

Commander

7th Coast Guard District

Miami, Florida

Southeast states from the South Carolina / North Carolina border around to the eastern end of the Florida panhandle plus a large portion of the Caribbean Sea.

(305)415-6800

RSC San Juan

(Sub-Center of RCC Miami)

Commander

Sector San Juan

 San Juan, Puerto Rico

Southeast portion of the Caribbean Sea

(787)289-2042

RCC New Orleans

Commander

8th Coast Guard District

New Orleans, Louisiana

Southern states including the Florida panhandle to the U.S. / Mexico border in Texas plus the inland rivers including the Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio and tributaries.

(504)589-6225

RCC Cleveland

Commander

9th Coast Guard District

Cleveland, Ohio

U.S. waters of the Great Lakes, their connecting rivers and tributaries.

(216)902-6117

RCC Alameda

Commander

11th Coast Guard District

Alameda, California

California and Eastern Pacific Ocean waters assigned by international convention off the Coast of Mexico.

(510)437-3701

RCC Seattle

Commander

13th Coast Guard District

Seattle, Washington

Oregon and Washington

(206)220-7001

RCC Juneau Alaska

Commander

17th Coast Guard District

Juneau, Alaska

Alaska, U.S. waters in North Pacific Ocean, Bering Sea, and Arctic Ocean

US offices that may or may not help.  At least they may be able to look up the right number or contact the right person for you, and speak english

(757)398-6700

(510)437-3701

(671)355-4824

(617)223-8555

(757)398-6231

(305)415-6800

(305)415-6800

(504)589-6225

(216)902-6117

(510)437-3701

(206)220-7001

 

Sailboat vs Tugboat: We prepare for a passage to Zanzibar, East Africa

 

What Worked, What Didn’t, Year 10

This is what appears in the October issue of Blue Water Sailing Magazine. We had no idea when we left Rhode Island that we would still be cruising after 10 years. Now, there really is no reason to quit so we are preparing for sailing off to the Indian Ocean in January, 2018. It looks like there will be many more What Worked, What Didn’ts, in the future. 

 

After ten years of cruising, we aren’t going home any time soon. We are on our way across the Indian Ocean to South Africa; then; Tierra Del Fuego has an enticing tone. Along the way we are still finding some things that work and some that don’t.

LOFRANS TIGRES Windlass
After 10 years of countless anchorages on our way to half way around the world, our Lofrans Tigres windlass has been beat by tropical sun and continuous dousing of salt water. The only freshwater rinse it would get is from the rain. The Tigres has lost some of its original cosmetic sparkle but none of its strength; this is despite at times winching up abandoned moorings or some other incredibly heavy thing off the ocean bottom along with our own ground tackle. And of course, there have been the impossible chain snags on rocks which pulled our bow down to the water and required SCUBA gear to untangle. With all the episodes of over-stressing, the only injury to the windlass was a widening of the “inner cone clutch” keyway. If the inner cone clutch can be removed without damaging it, then a machine shop can cut a new keyway opposite the worn one. This will suffice till a new cone clutch can be ordered.
The only maintenance I have done to the windlass is to occasionally apply a light coat of grease to the inner and outer clutch cones. As suggested by Imtra, lithium grease should be used for this lubrication although I have been using water repellent winch grease. Do not use automotive grease as it will attract salt residue and turn gummy.
There is a series of Tigres service videos at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daJBBSqcgNI
The only strange thing about the Lofrans is that you are supposed to change the gear oil every 4 years. To do so, however, you have to remove the whole windlass then turn it upside down to drain it. So, even changing the oil once in 9.5 years, as in my case, the Lofrans continues to work fine. When changing the oil, use a new gasket or “O”-ring under the oil screw plug to keep a good seal against water intrusion. When operating a windlass, be sure to run the electrical charging system to make sure the windlass is getting full amperage.

 

Manson Supreme Anchor


When we sailed away on Brick House for a world voyage, we kept the anchor chain on the CQR 60 pound anchor. On a very windy day in the Bahamas, anchored in 10 feet of water with 100 feet of chain out, the CQR plowed a long farmer’s furrow as it endlessly dragged across a grass bed nearly ending our voyage shortly after it began. Immediately we swapped the chain to our 65 pound Bruce. The Bruce was a big technological advancement over the CQR. Over a ten year period, the Bruce performed adequately except in 3 difficult situations, once in soft mud and twice in smooth coral. I always felt an anchor with a more pointy business end would not have slipped its hold in the way the Bruce did and would have given a more secure hold in more common anchoring textures.
Over the years, anchor technology has jumped over our Bruce anchor and we have followed the evolution. I have seen the adverts and touched the new anchor designs displayed on chandlery floors. There are several very good new anchor brands to choose from. Researching anchor tests and reading what Practical Sailor has to say about the Manson Supreme, we decided to make that our primary anchor and move the Bruce to the number two position. We anchor in far more varied conditions than what most anchors are tested in. I feel the Manson Supreme will be a big upgrade to our well used Bruce and should perform far better. However, if an anchor was made in China, I would not touch it. Manson anchors are made in New Zealand where we have witnessed the high caliber of yacht related manufacturing.
The one thing on the Manson Supreme I will not be using is the long slot to pull the anchor out of the sea bottom backwards. That is for day anchoring, not for a cruising boat that swings with changing currents or shifting winds.

Mack Sails


In Thailand, half way around the world from our sail maker in Stuart, Florida, we have ordered a new genoa to be made by Mack Sails. Some sailors in the U.S. think in the opposite direction as though it is a good idea to send their money to South East Asia to order a new sail.

In Thailand, we have had experiences with two sail lofts. One was a U.S. branded loft, in Jomtien Beach, Thailand, where we had them replace the light colored sun covering on our 6 year old Mack Sails. This was simple seamstress work. They did a nice job but the total bill was astoundingly exorbitant as though we were in a posh yachting haven of the Mediterranean. This is shocking when one considers the average Thai worker will make, more/less, $15 a day, if they are fortunate enough to find a job. It appears sail repair and sail making has taken on a world pricing regardless of the local economy. We won’t be using that sail loft again.

Since we are preparing to cross the Indian Ocean and potentially wander into the harsh, adventurous latitudes of deep South America, our attention turned to our mainsail. That sturdy sail was made in Whangarei, New Zealand, by David Parr, at Calibre Sails. The 8 year old sail had normal wear and an abused area which prudently needed attention. We took that sail to a very large, well known loft in Phuket, Thailand. When it was repaired and handed back to us, it was disappointing to find new webbing securing the sail slides was minimally stitched, unlike when we handed them the sail to repair. That attachment would not last a storm let alone an ocean crossing. There were other details which left an incomplete job. The loft was more than happy to correct these items but I had to think, what if we were not personally there to spot the defects before rolling it out on the deck of our floating home? What if this was done to a new sail and sent to us in the U.S.? It became apparent that if the workers on the floor, who’s hands put the sails together, have little experience sailing a boat, they will not understand the tremendous forces placed on a sail and will have a misguided sense of durability and construction technique. It does not matter if the upper management is European, there are too many details that cannot be micromanaged and will slip though the cracks. We were finding that to have sails made or repaired in Thailand may not be of the quality and pricing that advertisements suggest.

Googling for feedback on this Thai loft, seasonal coastal cruisers in the U.S. had favorable responses. When I queried our long range cruising friends, the consensus was very negative and that this brand of sail was not suitable for long term, offshore use. And with that, we chose not to follow a false economy but to order a US made Mack Sail which has proven endurance on Brick House. Our 6 year old sails, with some maintenance on the sun covers, are like brand new despite years of sitting in the sun, and being used in every kind of weather condition.

Mack uses only the best, most expensive Dacron, Marblehead cloth made by Bob Bainbridge. “These fabrics are the finest, most tightly woven fabrics in the world and rely on the quality of yarn and weave, rather than impregnated resins, to maintain integrity.” To distribute loading more evenly across the fabric on our genoa, and to hold the sail shape for 15 to 20 years, Mack sews their jibs with the more difficult miter panels rather than the easier to sew, long, crosscut panels. The sail maker in Phuket insisted that Marblehead cloth is so strong that miter panels are not necessary but as an option, for 20% more cost, we could have a new sail made with miter panels. We are not interested in “Good”, “Better”, “Best” options, we only want the best choice and what will last the longest which equals being the most cost effective as we roam the world. At Mack Sails, all the miter panels are joined using triple zigzag stitches. There are many details that go into a strong Mack sail, like the finished seams along the leech and foot of a sail called tabling. On our Mack Sails, the tablings are two-plied with an extra thickness of wider Dacron tape under the tabling. Leech lines are always centered in the tabling with stitching on either side to prevent the very aft edge of the sail from “cracking.” Additionally, we found darker Sunbrella will last substantially longer than lighter shades so the new sun cover on the genoa will be a dark green color.

All of our Mack Sails, older and new, will certainly be with us in Tierra Del Fuego and far beyond.

Reef Cringle Hook

In decades of sailing, I have never seen a reef hook which would properly retain the reef tack cringle while setting in a reef in the main sail. Too often, I would set the tack cringle in the reef hook and go to hoist the sail only to have the cringle fall off requiring one hand to hold the cringle in place while hoisting the sail with the other hand and somehow keeping myself from being tossed away from the mast. For an improved reef hook, I removed the barb from an old spear gun head then ground a flat spot on the reef hook so the barb would fit nicely without binding. A stainless rivet holds the barb in place. Why hasn’t someone made this commercially, long ago?

MARCH PUMP

For nearly 10 years, an 893 series, brushless, March pump, was a water assist to the cooling system of our galley freezer. Another March pump sat idle in case we wanted to lift water to our reverse osmosis water maker. The March pump is a magnetic drive pump which eliminates the need for a shaft seal and makes them reliable. Besides longevity, another advantage is that a centrifugal pump is far quieter than a diaphragm pump, and uses less electricity. March pumps are incredibly expensive so it was disappointing to have the ceramic magnet on the shaft, a vital part to make the pump work, of both of our March pumps fall apart. It is easy to replace the expensive shafts with attached impeller and magnet but I think I will look for a less expensive option.

Wheel-a-Weigh

I don’t remember how many bent struts we have replaced on our Wheel-a-Weigh retractable dinghy wheels. Coasting onto a beach with a small surf running is enough to slam the wheels against the beach bottom and bend the struts. Also backing off a beach and slamming into a small obstruction will cause the same damage. Being anodized rectangular tube aluminum, they can’t be straightened again as that would make the metal even weaker. Since there is no corresponding size of rectangular tubular stainless steel, we had solid 304 stainless steel struts made. They are considerably heavier than the original aluminum but should end the bent strut problem.

Green Laser Marker

In many parts of the world, COLREGS, International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, have no meaning. In South East Asia, fishermen have a strange belief that if they pass close by the bow of another moving boat, they can wipe away their bad fishing luck onto the victim vessel. To make navigation even more difficult, at night, local craft throughout S.E. Asia and in other parts of the world burn no recognized navigation lights. And it seems the captains of these boats do not understand the proper navigation lights of a long range cruising sailboat. To help discourage the dangerous practice of crossing close in front of our bow or to grab the attention of a boat which is on a non-yielding collision course with us, we found the best remedy is to shine our extremely high powered, 1,000 milliwatt, green laser marker in the sky above the approaching boat. This laser is far more powerful and has noting in common with the “laser flares” being marketed for distress signaling. During the day we do not see the beam of our laser but this does not diminish the effectiveness on the receiving end. Four out of four times, the fishing boats intent on crossing close across our bow decided it would be better luck to pass behind us. At night, the beam is an incredibly bright ray that can be seen for many miles. When shining into the sky over a boat closing dangerously near, it is a great relief to hear the engines of that vessel suddenly go to idle. From a street vendor in Indonesia, we paid $40 for the Laser JD-303 but it can cost up to several hundred dollars online. Our laser uses one large 3.7volt rechargeable battery. There are some incredible lasers of 5,000 milliwatts of power that produce an excess abundance of attention grabbing light and, if one cared to start a fire, can quickly get a dark object smoking at very close range.

Navionics Charts and Application

We have used both Navionics chart chips, and the Navionics application on our smartphone since we left Rhode Island. Both keep getting better every year. The ‘Boating’ application, which years ago was very basic, now has great functionality. With “Plotter Sync”, part of the Navionics app installed on the smartphone, routes and markers, can by synced to our Raymarine Es128 Chartplotter. We can update the chart chip in the chartplotter, and can upload our own ‘sonar ( depth) charts’ that the chartplotter creates as we sail. Now that this is such a simple process, more and more sailors are uploading data to the system, resulting in a plethora of useful soundings, anchorages information and other such “community edits” for everyone with Navionics to use. We used to have to remove the tiny chart chip from the plotter to do any of this but now its done via a simple wifi connection between the 2 devices. Navionics has added accurate tide and weather information for all areas, as well. Between the regular updated Navionics charts and the ‘Sonarcharts’ created by other sailors’ uploads through Plotter Sync, we have an extremely thorough visualization of the depths, routes and anchorages everywhere we go, without the need to really consult any other source! Very handy!

Even though we are on the antipode we will not be getting closer to home when we sail to the Indian ocean. Homeward bound will be a long time coming. Till then, we will keep tweaking and updating our floating home to keep it safe.