National Coastwatch – The NCI Story

NCI now operate thirty-nine stations with 1,500 volunteer watchkeepers working nearly all year round. According to the Chairman of the NCI, Jon Gifford, in 2008, 173,593 hours of organised coastal surveillance was completed by the organisation. They also actively assisted in over 100 serious incidents along the coast.

All this was done at no cost to the public. Being a charity, the NCI operates by public/private donations. Their prime interest is the safety of all those along the coast within the operating area of their stations, working in co-operation with the other search and rescue organisations.

The book tells of how the NCI was called into being back in 1994 following the capsize of a Cadgwith fishing boat off Bass Point in Cornwall. The accident resulted in the loss of the crew in full view of the local lifeboat station. With the advent of satellite and wireless technology it was considered at this time that it made little sense to keep a visual watch of the coastline, when a mayday signal could be picked up automatically. This resulted in the closure of MCA coastguard stations across the country. The birth of the NCI took place because of the realisation of the importance of maintaining a visual watch.

Split into two parts, the book explains the history of the NCI, key figures, dates, incidents, training and day-to-day work of the coastal agencies. It also shows the stations around the coast complete with maps, contact details and photographs.

Shoreham is the 39th NCI station to open and with an average of three or four new stations opening each year, there is no doubt that this book will need to be updated in the near future to accommodate the charity’s growth.

More information about the work of the NCI is available from their website: www.nci.org