NCI Watches: July – December 2023

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

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Date
 No. Time Where+ With*
Comment
1st July 701 06-09 SP Round the Island Race
2nd July 702 09-12 SP 130 During the 12-15 watch there was an incident with a windsurfer – Gosport LB was tasked.
703 12-15 504
7th July 704 12-15 SP 509,555 12-15 with new trainee
705 15-18 412
8th July 706 15-18 SP 355 New trainee but has experience
9th July 707 12-15 SP 322 Double watch for both watchkeepers!
708 15-18 322
10th July 709 9-12 SP 555 First watch period was with trainee. Cowes Classics week (photos)
710 12-15 415
11th July 711 9-12 SP 483
712 12-15 455
15th July 713 15-18 SP 100 To avoid loan manning last watch on Saturday
16th July 714 12-15 SP 412 Second watch was lone watch.  Super-yacht Ngoni moored off Cowes (photos)
715 15-18 –
17th July 716 12-15 SP 322 Lots of double watches to keep station staffed in run up to school hols.
717 15-18 322
19th July – 12-15 SP – Supposed to be radar training but turned into a self-training event
718 15-18 100 playing with radar; British Classic Week (photos)
22 July 719 9-12 SP 520 Initially lone watch, then 520 turned up early for next watch period
720 15-18 SP 509 Fastnet Race with incident SW of Needles during this watch
24 July 721 12-15 SP 274 Trainee on first watch
29th July 722 9-12 SP 535 Coastguard Rescue Team demo at Stone Point.  Start of Cowes week and, frustratingly, the best day for taking photos!
723 12-15 189,274
30th July 724 12-15 SP 557,412 Second day of Cowes week – racing cancelled!  New trainee in second watch.
725 15-18 576
31st July 726 12-15 SP 557 Third day of Cowes week but poor visibility.
1st Aug 727 9-12 SP 555 Fourth day of Cowes Week – weather closed in with poor visibility
2nd Aug 728 12-15 SP 520,274 Cowes Week racing cancelled due to strong winds
3rd Aug 729 12-15 SP 188 Sixth day of Cowes Week – yachts becalmed with adverse current between Lepe and Egypt Point
4th Aug 730 9-12 SP 165 Last day of Cowes Week – racing stayed in central Solent – film crew with horses on Lepe Spit
8th Aug 731 15-18 SP 274
9th Aug 732 12-15 SP 415
18th Aug 733 15-18 SP 487
19th Aug 734 12-15 SP 502
735 15-18 535
24th Aug 736 12-15 SP – Lone watch, then with new Trainee
737 15-18 486,657
26th Aug 738 12-15 SP 520 Lepe Summer fete – torrential downpours!
27th Aug 739 12-15 SP 107 3 paddle-boarders (sitting down) paddled across to Cowes, watched them trying to come back along IoW shore but gave up and went for ferry. Then 7 keyakers back from Osbourne Bay
740 15-18 335
31st Aug 741 15-18 SP 274
3rd Sep 742 12-15 SP – Double watch, both by myself.  Family had an inflatable ring with zebra head which looked to have more windage than the infamous unicorns.  Fortunately it was very calm.
743 15-18 –
10th Sep 744 12-15 SP 412 Double watch, second by myself.  During the first watch we saw the start of the Ocean Globe race
745 15-18 –
12th Sep – 10-13 SP – Tidying up at SP before opening ceremony
15th Sep – 09-17 – – NCI stand at the Boat Show
16th Sep 746 15-18 SP 577
17th Sep 747 15-18 SP – Lone watch, torrential downpour just before arriving
22nd Sep – 07-11 SP – Cleaning down all the blue bits on the station prior to tomorrows opening ceremony
23rd Sep – 10-13 SP – NCI Stone Point opening ceremony also SRCMBC show on same day!
24th Sep 748 12-15 SP 412 Tired after yesterday!
749 15-18 465
30th Sep 750 15-18 SP 412
1st Oct 751 15-18 SP 189
7th Oct 752 15-18 SP 503 Called in at Exbury on way to Lepe
8th Oct 753 12-15 SP 511 Double shift with second by myself, although previous shift watchkeeper stayed on for 1 hour. Tractors at Exbury on way to Lepe!
754 15-18 –
13th Oct 755 15-18 SP 330,445 Signed on since 1st watch of new trainee, windy, high jumping kite surfers
14th Oct 756 12-15 SP 157 Signed on to fill 15-18 slot, but then cancellation in 12-15 slot so did that too.  Solent Rescue practicing with helicopter during 15-18 watch
757 15-18 509
15th Oct 758 12-15 SP 630 Another double watch!
759 15-18 465
19th Oct – 10- SP 180 Meeting with NCI Hengistbury Head officer
21st Oct 760 15-18 SP 552
22nd Oct 761 15-18 SP ? “Findmyshift” has been messed up so I’m not sure whether I was on with someone and who it would have been!
23-29 Oct – – SP – Due to loss if FMS records not sure if I was on watch. However I think my only booking was for the 29th which I cancelled due to flood threats.
3rd Nov 762 13-16 SP 273 My first “winter hours” watch!
4th Nov – 10-13 Scouts AGM at the Scout Hut
5th Nov 763 13-16 SP 511 Called at Palais des Vaches before watch
11th Nov 764 08-11 CT 380,336 Calshot for a change and with newish ttrainee
12th Nov 765 13-16 SP 189 Yacht aground near Lepe Spit
19th Nov 766 13-16 SP 300
26th Nov 767 13-16 SP 627
2nd Dec 768 13-16 SP 189
3rd Dec 769 13-16 SP 627
8th Dec – 09-13 JRCC – Visit to HMCG Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Fareham
10th Dec 770 13-16 SP 511
13th Dec 771 10-13 SP 155,274 Radar being tuned by Furuno representative, 360 and 189 also in attendance
17th Dec 772 13-16 SP 630
24th Dec 773 13-16 SP 630 Windsurfer “incident”, Last watch on Christmas Eve
26th Dec 774 10-13 SP 445 Lots of swimmers!
775 13-16 – Lone watch; tracked drifting racing buoy
31st Dec 776 10-13 SP 130,5011 with trainee but 130 dominated training!
777 13-16 412 last watch of 2023!

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