Module 4 - Safety
Coastguard and Boat Safety Scheme
HM Coastguard is the UK authority coordinating civil maritime search and rescue. At sea, use the appropriate DSC and VHF procedure; from shore, or when radio is unavailable, call 999 or 112 and ask for the Coastguard. Give identity, reliable position, the problem, people involved, assistance required and intentions. Calling early with an honest urgency assessment gives more options than waiting for control to be lost.
HM Coastguard also participates in the UK Maritime Safety Information service. Forecasts, gale warnings and navigational warnings are delivered by NAVTEX and scheduled or unscheduled radio broadcasts. An announcement on Channel 16 normally directs listeners to a working channel. A skipper still checks current forecasts, tides and warnings; hearing one broadcast does not replace a continuing appraisal.
A responsible shore contact can pass a useful overdue report, but this is not a Coastguard passage-plan filing service. Give the contact a route, people aboard, vessel details, communications, destination, latest arrival time and a clear escalation instruction. Tell them when the plan changes or the vessel arrives so they do not raise a false alarm.
The Boat Safety Scheme is a public-safety initiative for UK inland waterways and supporting navigation or harbour authorities. Its checks address hazards including fire, explosion, carbon monoxide, fuel, gas, electrical systems and pollution. Those hazard controls remain valuable on a coastal yacht, but BSS certification applicability is authority- and waterway-specific and does not replace coastal seaworthiness, statutory or coding duties, or a passage-specific inspection.
- HM Coastguard coordinates UK maritime search and rescue
- Use DSC and VHF procedures for distress or urgency; call 999 or 112 and ask for the Coastguard from shore or when radio is unavailable
- Coastguard broadcasts Maritime Safety Information including weather and navigation warnings
- Give a shore contact route, vessel, crew, latest-arrival and escalation details, then close the plan on arrival
- Boat Safety Scheme principles cover fuel, gas, electrics, ventilation, fire, escape, and carbon monoxide hazards
- BSS awareness supplements, but does not replace, coastal seaworthiness and passage checks
| System | What it contributes | What it does not replace |
|---|---|---|
| HM Coastguard | Search-and-rescue coordination and Maritime Safety Information | The skipper's distress assessment, navigation or onboard control |
| Shore contact | An overdue alarm route and useful vessel or passage details | A formal Coastguard tracking or passage-plan service |
| Boat Safety Scheme | Inland-waterway certification where required and transferable system-safety checks | A universal coastal certificate or seaworthiness assessment |
Optional quick check
Section 3 of 14
Which statement correctly separates Boat Safety Scheme knowledge from coastal passage readiness?
Sources and factual review
Reviewed 20 August 2026 - Compass Revision editorial review.
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