Harbour teletext information to end

11 December 2009

The Channel Television teletext service, which many mariners used as a key service for marine weather, tides and shipping movements, shuts down permanently on 15 December 2009.

The Port of Jersey would like to remind people that there are several other sources which provide the information needed by seafarers and that Jersey Coastguard is responsible for all marine related emergency incidents and management. The Marine Rescue Co-ordination Centre keeps a 24 hour watch for all shipping within Jersey’s territorial waters. They also coordinate responses to search and rescue or other marine related incidents and act as the fourth emergency service.

Deputy Harbour Master, Captain Peter Moore, said: "We want to ensure that our coastguard line remains clear for emergency use when we need to carry out vital search and rescue work, which is why we would like to remind people to use other appropriate ways of seeking day to day mariner information.

"Jersey Harbours operates its own web​​site​ which shows arrival and departure times for all commercial shipping. It also has details on the marina opening and closing times and a link to the Jersey Meteorological Dep​​​artment for weather and tide information. All the shipping companies are of course always happy to help with updates on arrivals and departures of their vessels if you contact their respective offices." ​​

Managing Director of Channel Television’s broadcast division, Karen Rankine, said: “Channel Television will be concentrating on delivering the same information via our online platform. Viewers will still be able to access Harbour information including arrivals and departures on our website."

Other information sources include www.jtinsight.com and the Jersey Cruising Guide, which contains all tide tables for the year, can be collected free of charge from many places including the yacht clubs and Jersey Marine Leisure Centre.

Jersey Coastguard will continue to transmit its regular shipping forecasts at the published times. These can be listened to on VHF Channel 82.