The Merchant Shipping (Radio) (Fishing Vessels) Regulations 1999

Additional radio equipment to be provided for area A3 ships

13.—(1) In addition to meeting the requirements of regulation 10, every area A3 vessel shall be provided with either the following equipment–

(a) ALTERNATIVE A

(a) an INMARSAT ship earth station capable of–

(i) transmitting and receiving distress and safety communications using direct printing telegraphy;

(ii) initiating and receiving distress priority calls;

(iii) maintaining watch for shore-to-ship distress alerts, including those directed to specifically defined geographical areas;

(iv) transmitting and receiving general radio communications, using either radiotelephony or direct-printing telegraphy;

(b) an MF radio installation capable of transmitting and receiving, for distress and safety purposes, on the frequencies–

(i) 2,187.5 kHz using DSC; and

(ii) 2,182 kHz using radiotelephony;

(c) an MF radio installation capable of maintaining a continuous listening watch on the frequency 2,187.5 kHz using DSC, which may be separate from, or combined with, that required by paragraph (b)(i) of this ALTERNATIVE; and

(d) means of initiating the transmission of ship-to-shore distress alerts by a radio installation operating either–

(i) through the Cospas-Sarsat satellite service in the 406 MHz band; this requirement may be fulfilled by the satellite EPIRB required by regulation 10(f) if it is installed close to, or capable of remote activation from, the position from which the vessel is normally navigated;

(ii) on HF using DSC; or

(iii) through the INMARSAT geostationary satellite service, either by an additional ship earth station, or by the satellite EPIRB required by regulation 10(f) if it is installed close to, or capable of remote activation from, the position from which the vessel is normally navigated,

or the following equipment–

(a) ALTERNATIVE B

(a) an MF/HF radio installation, capable of transmitting and receiving, for distress and safety purposes, on all distress and safety frequencies in the bands between 1,605 kHz and 4,000 kHz and between 4,000 kHz and 27,500 kHz using–

(i) DSC;

(ii) radiotelephony; and

(iii) direct-printing telegraphy;

(b) an MF/HF radio installation capable of maintaining DSC watch on 2,187.5 kHz, 8,414.5 kHz and on at least one of the distress and safety DSC frequencies 4,207.5 kHz, 6312 kHz, 12,577 kHz or 16,804.5 kHz; the equipment shall be such that it shall be possible at any time to select any of these DSC distress and safety frequencies; this equipment may be separate from, or combined with, the equipment required by paragraph (a);

(c) means of initiating the transmission of ship-to-shore distress alerts by a radio installation, other than an HF radio installation, operating either–

(i) through the polar orbiting satellite service in the 406 MHz band; this requirement may be fulfilled by the satellite EPIRB required by regulation 10(f), if it is installed close to, or capable of remote activation from, the position from which the vessel is normally navigated; or

(ii) through the INMARSAT geostationary satellite service; this requirement may be fulfilled by–

(a) an INMARSAT ship earth station; or

(b) the satellite EPIRB required by regulation 10(f) if it is installed close to, or capable of remote activation from, the position from which the vessel is normally navigated; and

(d) an MF/HF radio installation capable of transmitting and receiving general radio communications on working frequencies in the bands between 1,605 kHz and 4,000 kHz and between 4,000 kHz and 27,500 kHz, using radiotelephony or direct-printing telegraphy; this requirement may be fulfilled by the addition of this capability in the equipment required by paragraph (a) of this ALTERNATIVE.

(2) Means shall be provided to initiate transmission of distress alerts from the position from which the vessel is normally navigated by the radio installations specified in paragraphs (a), (b) and (d) of ALTERNATIVE A or paragraphs (a) and (c) of ALTERNATIVE B of this regulation.