Posted on behalf of Dick Stevenson

Hi all,

I am installing an Iridium Satphone and wish to get feedback/confirmation on emergency phone numbers.

Is there any consensus on the best numbers to be programmed into one’s cell or sat phone. I will include a couple of numbers I have programmed in (never used) over the years with the caveat that everyone should check the numbers out for themselves and not to rely on me.

For Northern Europe waters, I have always had Falmouth CG, 0044-132-631-7575 in my cell phone. (I understand that, in addition to maritime emergencies) they will link a medical emergency call to Portsmouth Hosp. where there are Drs. experienced in medical emergencies at sea.)

I have not been in my home waters of the US in a decade, but I believe that USCG emergency # is 800-323-7233. There are regional emergency phone numbers as well.

Offshore I have always used SSB maritime & Ham radio and always gotten through to the Ham maritime net or the USCG when needed. With a new Satphone, I want to be able to use the phone in emergencies as well as the radio

I would also like suggestions as to the emergency numbers one might consider on a route back to NA via the Faroes, Iceland and Greenland.

Thanks for the help, Dick Stevenson, s/v Alchemy


Thanks once again for your help, Dick

Thanks Simon for posting. If this short reply goes through, I will then get replies sent to my email acct. Dick

Dick,
When you get your Iridium you get cover from GEOS which we programmed into our IridiumGO. For Greenland neither our travel insurance nor our boat insurance would cover search and rescue so we extended the cover provided by GEOS which was very cheap. It also covered us whilst ashore.

Simon

Hi Simon,
I have been reading about GEOS, a program I have never heard about until I bought the Iridium phone, and it sounds good. Do you have a sense of their track record? How long they have been in existence? I certainly am clear about EPIRBs and their function: are they 2 separate entities? Their functions certainly sound like they overlap.
Thanks, Dick

It is a good idea to test any emergency phone numbers you plan to use. Some published numbers are 5 day A week offices
When we called the Canadian number to confirm it was appropriate, the person who answered was helpful.
The calls are free if you have an unlimited data
Plan on iridium GO and well worth the cost on any sat phone