NCI Holehaven opened for its first
watch at 0800hrs on Sunday 7th November 1999, with a complement of 10 locally
recruited Watchkeepers. Thanks to an ongoing recruitment campaign, there are now
22 Qualified Watchkeepers, of which 15% are women, with several new Volunteers
currently undergoing training.
Holehaven is situated on the PLA Jetty, at the mouth of Holehaven Creek,
Canvey Island, overlooking the River Thames and is one of the many NCI Stations
opened in the last few years, and is part of the Eastern Area that includes NCI
Stations at Felixstowe and Shoeburyness.
NCI’s principal aims are to provide a visual watch, and also a listening
watch on the local and emergency VHF channels.
Station Controller Ted Hale, is a retired Merchant Navy officer and an
experienced Thames fishing boat skipper. The Deputy Station Controller David
'Skipper' Price, is a mariner and master yachtsman of vast experience. A
Senior Watchkeeper, who normally supervises one or two Qualified and/or Trainee
Watchkeepers, leads each ‘watch’.
The Station is normally manned in four-hour watches, is usually open weekdays
as well as weekends, and is currently working towards achieving Declared
Facility Status (DFS).
The Station overlooks the Sea Reach to Mid Blyth sector of the Thames, and is
flanked by the Oikos Oil Terminal, Canvey Island Gas Terminal, and the BP
Coryton Refinery. These, along with the Docks at Tilbury and the Port of London,
as well as the still busy local fishing industry ensure that this is a busy
sector of the river. Good relations are maintained with the local Auxiliary
Coastguards, and with the local river community as a whole.
Visitors are always most welcome at Holehaven, please telephone the Station
on 01268 696971.
Coastguard News says...
NCI like Auxiliary Coastguard are
staffed by dedicated volunteers who offer their time FREE to the service
of others. However, some really do push this dedication to the
limit.
Bill Wells of NCI Felixstowe has a round trip of 160 miles to travel
every time he keeps watch. Now that's what we call dedication!
