The
team of volunteers manning the National
Coastwatch Institution (NCI) station at Porth
Dinllaen are looking back with some satisfaction
at the completion of their second summer season
following the station opening in May 2010.
The NCI was formed in 1995 following the loss of
two fishermen in Cornwall, when they drowned
within sight of a recently closed Coastguard
lookout station. Local volunteers decided to
reopen the staion at Bass Point themselves and
the organisation has since become a national
charity with over 45 operational stations and
many others planned.
Porth Dinllaen was the first station to open in
North Wales and a dedicated team of watchkeepers
provide cover every day except for Christmas
Day. A second North Wales station is also now
open at Rhoscolyn on Anglesey and several others
are planned, including one at Morfa Bychan
overlooking Black Rock and Tremadog Bay.
The purpose of the NCI lookout stations is to
keep an observational watch over the seas,
beaches and coastal paths, both visually and by
monitoring VHF radio calls. The details of any
emergencies, distress signals or potentially
dangerous incidents are reported to HM
Coastguard who then co-ordinate a response from
the emergency services, such as the RNLI, rescue
helicopter or cliff rescue teams.
Especially at sea even a few minutes can be
critical to the survival of a casualty so the
accurate identification of an incident together
with the exact location can make a real
difference. This information, together with
local knowledge and details of the current
weather and tidal conditions are provided by the
NCI.
Visitors to the station are welcome providing an
incident is not in progress and the team
frequently assist with directions, information
on the area and pointing out some of the amazing
wildlife that can be seen locally. The Porth
Dinllaen station is on a popular and easy walk
of about 4km leading from the National Trust car
park at Morfa Nefyn, along the beach pausing for
refreshments at the Ty Coch Inn, along the coast
path to the the Lifeboat Station, up to the
Coastwatch lookout on the tip of the headland
and then back across the golf course returning
to the car park. If you visit at low tide you
will almost certainly see some grey seals around
Carreg Ddu and possibly bottlenose dolphins in
the bay.
Several of the watchkeepers have some martime
experience, either from fishing or leisure
sailing however it isn’t essential as the
organisation provides full training and the team
is made up of people of all ages and from varied
backgrounds. With new stations planned more
volunteers are always needed and anyone who
thinks they would like to spend some time
enjoying the view from this beautiful location
is encouraged to get in touch. The station
manager, Tony Kempley, can be contacted by
telephone on 01758 720940 or you can get details
from the website which is
www.nci-northwales.org
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