NCI Froward Point is clear to operate for another year after a successful reassessment of their Declared Facility Status (DFS) involving both morning and afternoon watches on Palm Sunday 2017. Retaining their DFS ensures that Froward Point NCI remains an integral part of the UK Search and Rescue Service which includes HM Coastguard and the RNLI.
The reassessment was carried out by Rod Skinner, an experienced Watchkeeper from Padstow’s Stepper Point NCI. Thanks to the ready cooperation of Dart RNLI and Dart Harbour and Navigation Authority (DHNA) part of the assessment of the morning watch included a rescue of a simulated “man overboard” casualty dropped by DHNA beyond the Homestone Buoy with the Watchkeepers using the dedicated NCI VHF Channel 65 to con the lifeboat to the casualty’s position. Exercises such as this foster good relations between Froward Point NCI, Dart RNLI, DHNA and HM Coastguard Solent and provides the NCI Watchkeepers with useful experience of incidents.
Pictured l to r: Watchkeepers John Firmin using VHF Channel 65, Ian Nuttall monitoring “man overboard” and Assessor Rod Skinner.
