NCI Watches: January – June 2023

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This is a summary record of my NCI watch keeping periods and other NCI activities during January to June 2023 kept for my own records.

Date
 No. Time Where+ With*
Comment
1st Jan 623 08-11 CT 115 New Years day – first watch at Calshot, then on to Stone Point
624 13-16 SP 503
3rd Jan 625 13-16 SP 165 Very quiet on water – boat counts often zero
8th Jan 626 13-16 SP 335 Still very quiet
9th Jan 627 10-13 SP 511 Palette with Goose Barnacles seen during beach patrol
628 13-16 SP 501
10th Jan 629 13-16 SP 628 with Trainee
15th Jan 630 13-16 SP 503 with Trainee
20th Jan 631 10-13 SP 425 with Trainee
22nd Jan 632 10-13 SP 503 with Trainee
26th Jan 633 10-13 SP 575,541 Radar discussion, with new trainee
634 13-16 SP 453,323 with Trainee
27th Jan – ~0930 SP – Meeting re radar installation
28th Jan 635 13-16 SP 509,482 Starting to be more boats on the water
30th Jan 636 10-13 SP 452,492 With new trainee
637 13-16 SP 570,583 With trainee – 3 people on watch starting to be usual case
3rd Feb 638 13-16 SP 165 with trainee
5th Feb 639 10-13 SP 130
7th Feb 640 10-13 SP 483,243 Sun Blinds fitted to front station windows
641 13-16 SP 487 informal Training Team discussion
9th Feb 642 13-16 SP 551,537 newish trainee
11th Feb 643 10-13 SP 535 had prospective trainee visiting during morning (101), also 187 for radar preparations
12th Feb 644 11-14 CT 650,322 trainee, thought I’d better do Tower watch!
16th Feb 645 10-13 SP 575
18th Feb 646 10-13 SP 503
19th Feb 647 13-16 SP 275
20th Feb 648 13-16 SP 415
26th Feb 649 13-16 SP 577
27th Feb 650 13-16 SP 455,492
4th Mar 651 10-13 SP 380
10th Mar – 1100 84 – Discussion at my house with NCI Lee about their web site
11th Mar – 09-12 SP – Help with chartwork course in training hut
12th Mar 652 13-16 SP 188
24th Mar 653 13-16 SP – Lone watch, force 7-8, 19′ shrimper off Lepe, went back to Cowes
26th Mar 654 09-12 SP 630 Clocks changed – new summer shift pattern
2nd Apr 655 09-12 SP 502 Start of school Easter hols. so making sure we cover shifts. Went to Lepe House garden between the first and last shift of the day.
656 15-18 SP –
3rd Apr 657 15-18 SP 549
6th Apr 658 12-15 SP 486
7th Apr 659 09-12 SP 453,552 With trainee on first watch
8th Apr 660 15-18 SP 335 Easter Saturday
9th Apr 661 09-12 SP 215 Easter Sunday. Went to Palais des Vaches between shifts. Did refresher training for 502 during last shift.
662 15-18 SP 502
10th Apr 663 12-15 SP 583 Easter Monday – Lots of wind surfers and kayaks!
11th Apr 664 15-18 SP 549 Cold with sea fret! Park practically empty.  6 days’ shifts in a row!
16th Apr 665 09-12 SP 511
19th Apr 666 12-15 SP 274 with trainee
20th Apr 667 15-18 SP – Lone last watch, visited Exbury gardens on the way to Stone Point
23rd Apr 668 09-12 SP 503
28th Apr 669 15-18 SP – Lone last watch
30th Apr 670 12-15 SP – Initially a lone middle watch, then joined by watchkeeper for last watch
671 15-18 511
1st May 672 12-15 SP 187
5th May 673 12-15 SP 551
7th May 674 12-15 SP 415 with trainee.  Lepe Coronation Picnic
8th May 675 12-15 SP 187
12th May 676 12-15 SP 455
13th May – am – 187,435 On Red Eagle ferry bridge
14th May 677 08-12 CT 655 Sunday and with DFS assessment the next day I ended up doing a shift at CT, then going to SP for the middle shift!
678 12-15 SP 577
15th May – 11-16 CT/SP – DFS assessment – meeting in the RNLI boathouse, then to SP
18th May 679 15-18 SP 274 with trainee, pedalo crossing to IoW
20th May 680 12-15 SP – Lone middle watch, some classic boats on water
21st May 681 12-15 SP 412 with trainee
23rd May 682 12-15 SP 205 ex fishing vessel Ocean Pearl
24th May 683 12-15 SP 274 with trainee
26th May 684 12-15 SP 552 Dutch submarine observed inbound to Southampton
27th May 685 12-15 SP 630 Arrived at park early for Myth of Malham race, then went to Gilbury Hard before watch
28th May 686 12-15 SP 577 3 12-15 watches in a row!  It really is not a popular watch.
29th May 687 12-15 SP 322
30th May 688 9-12 SP 483 CCTV camera being installed at station by Moore Secure South
689 12-15 SP –
4th June 690 12-15 SP 547 D-Day Memorial Day at Lepe
8th June 691 12-15 SP 412 with trainee
11th June 692 12-15 SP 455 Double shift, second shift with trainee.
693 15-18 153
14th June 694 15-18 SP 585
17th June 694 15-18 SP 585 Lone watch – Saturday afternoon shift
18th June 695 12-15 SP 107 Double watch, some of the Richard Mille yachts were vaguely visible through the haze!
696 15-18 502
21st June – 12-15 SP 551 Was booked on watch but while taking photos of Richard Mille Cup had eye problems so went home
22nd June 697 12-15 SP 412 Hoped to see Richard Mille yachts but they went different way!
23rd June – 09-11 SP – Engineer was supposed to be fitting joystick but he did not turn up.  Joystick was delivered by Kate that afternoon
24th June 698 15-18 SP 273 called at Calshot to replenish the 2nd hand books at SP
25th June – 07-08 SP – went to SP before watches to try to get joystick working but still no joy! Huge queues of cars to Exbury for the 10K race
29th June – 09-11 SP – met Moore’s engineer Luke to try to get joystick working but no success, Hovercraft doing trials off Lepe
30th June 699 12-15 SP 455 Double watch. First was quiet. During second a kite surfer broke his leg and I waded into shallow water to help him ashore!
700 15-18 425

+CT = Calshot Tower, SP = Stone Point (Lepe Country Park)
*the index to people is password protected