Registration
In a similar way to cars on the road, sea-going vessels generally require registration with a flag state which is similar to a nationality for a vessel.
When I bought her, Mini Skippy was a French-flagged yacht with a Carte d'immatriculation (but without an Acte de francisation because at 6.50m long, Mini Skippy is below the 7m threshold) and I had hoped I would be able to keep the same registration because then I would be able to use the same MMSI and the same registrations for the EPIRB and PLB.
However, I had not appreciated that without a French address (and COVID meaning that getting a French address extremely unlikely), it was not going to be possible for me to register Mini Skippy in my own name.
I therefore had to de-register Mini Skippy from the French registry and re-register her in Jersey. This is why on marinetraffic, there are two SOLO SAIL MINISKIPPYs, one is under the previous French registration and the other is my current Jersey registration.
What is MMSI?
Apart from being a mouthful, MMSI is short for "Maritime Mobile Service Identity" and provides an identification for vessels, aircraft and shore stations transmitting on MF, HF and VHF. This identification is especially important for using a DSC (Digital Selective Calling) enabled radio and for using AIS (Automatic Identification System).
A VHF DSC radio is required by the Classe Mini rules and is an essential piece of safety equipment which allows voice communication over VHF and DSC transmissions on Ch 70. Provided the VHF DSC radio set is programmed with an MMSI and linked to a GPS antenna, a DSC transmission will include the transmitting vessel's identity and location. This is obviously a huge advantage in a distress situation because a traditional voiced Mayday call is lengthy and requires the caller to manual specify their location and a receiving station to accurately take down the location given. With DSC, the GPS coordinates are transmitted automatically. The MMSI then enables the Coastguard to accurately identify the vessel and obtain more detailed information about that vessel which informs the SAR response.
MMSI is also fundamental for using AIS which is also required by the Classe Mini rules. AIS is an automatic tracking system which enables me on Mini Skippy to "see" the location, course and speed of all the vessels equipped with AIS transceivers within range (c10nm) and to set alarms based on vessels entering a defined zone around Mini Skippy. Equally, Mini Skippy's AIS transceiver allows other vessels equipped with AIS transceivers or receivers to "see" Mini Skippy's location, course and speed. AIS is a huge benefit in terms of situational awareness and sometimes some cool surprises as below, when Mini Skippy and I came across the IMOCA 60 Charal in the Chenal du Four.
MMSI Programming
The MMSI number is granted by a national radio licensing authority and the first three numbers of the MMSI indicate the country that issued it. (e.g. FRA - 277 / UK - 232). Re-registration on the Jersey register meant therefore that I had to get a new MMSI number. So far, so good.
However, the MMSI number must be programmed into the VHF set and to deter radio theft, it is only possible to program a VHF with an MMSI once. Only authorised dealers are allowed to reprogram VHFs. I duly sent my radio off to the UK dealer and was told that they were unable to reprogram it for me because the communication cables were a missing a fitting. Mini Skippy therefore needed a new VHF radio which also meant that I had to fit that radio!!
I chose an ICOM M330 GE and was very glad of its stick-on GPS antenna which meant that the initial installation avoided head-scratching with NMEA connections (an adventure for a future article).
AIS reprogramming
As I mentioned, the MMSI is fundamental to AIS and since I had now changed my MMSI, I had to reprogram my AIS also. I was able to connect up my Alltek Camino 108S AIS to my laptop with a USB cable and found that just like the radio, it is only possible to program an AIS with a MMSI once. Queue an email to Alltek customer support and a really helpful reply later and I was given a code which allowed me to input my new MMSI! That took car of VHF and AIS but I wasn't done with registration admin just yet......
EPIRB and PLB Registration
An EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon) is a battery operated radio transmitter used in a distress situation. By law it must be registered to a particular vessel and this registration is again governed by national authorities so the French beacon needed changing and I needed to register with the MCA (NB: this is not a quick process and although the application is online, the full registration will take months). Its transmissions are picked up by a network of satellites and transmitted to a shore-based SAR organisation.
For Minis, this piece of equipment is extremely important because the Class rules mean that the only communication equipment allowed is the VHF radio. The EPIRB provides a means of signalling a distress situation when out of VHF range. It is not a two-way communication device but signals the vessel in distress and its location to the SAR authorities via satellite as in the diagram below.
Personal Locator Beacon (PLB)
PLB's are similar to EPIRBs but they are specific to a person. They are not required by Class rules but like many, I have decided that they represent a sound investment and I have mine attached at all times to my lifejacket to provide a means of signalling distress were I to fall overboard. It is also a legal requirement to register PLBs.
AIS Locator Beacon
The Class rules require skippers to have personal AIS beacons. These beacons can be inserted into lifejackets to activate automatically if the lifejacket inflates. They transmit the wearer's position to vessels equipped with AIS and in theory this enables vessels nearby to be alerted which is an advantage compared to an EPIRB or PLB since their transmissions are received directly only by a shore station who must then determine which vessels are in the area and what SAR assets to mobilise.
However, the Personal AIS Locator beacons do not by default cause any alarm to appear on AIS sets (it is possible to manually transmit an ALL SHIPS DSC alert but this is not automatic) and it is not even clear if the MOB symbol is displayed consistently on all AIS receivers or if all users recognise this symbol. The user manual for my personal AIS locator specifies that its intended use is to alert my own vessel were I to fall overboard. The problem with this when solo-sailing is only too evident!
The good news though is that because personal AIS locator beacons are not part of GMDSS (Global Martime Distress and Safety System), they are not required to be registered with a national authority although they do require updating with the correct MMSI. This is luckily achievable with a laptop and does not require intervention from a dealer!
Credits:
Julian Adamson