SAFETY AT SEA GREAT BRITAIN ISSUES 1985

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British Mail issued in 1985 four stamps for the “Safety at Sea”.

The following is what is given by the first day cover.
In 1985 the General Lighthouse Authorities of Great Britain and Ireland hosted the eleventh Conference of the International Association of Lighthouse Authorities founded in 1957, the IALA numbers 85 members from major maritime nations.
1985 Also marks the 50th anniversary of radar and the 200th anniversary of the in-submersible lifeboat – two of Britain’s contributions to the international network of aids to navigation, communications systems and search and rescue organizations on which the world’s maritime traffic depends.
Despite constant improvements of the coastal navigation network of lighthouses, lightships, buoys and beacons supported by maritime charts, pilotage facilities, meteorological forecast and radar, radio and satellite communications, accidents occur, due to weather conditions, density of shipping and human or mechanical error.
For ships in distress the Royal National Lifeboat Institution forms the mainstay of the rescue services around Britain’s coast. Founded in 1824 the RNLI has saved over 110,000 lives, and now maintains 200 stations. Lifeboats put to sea over 3,000 times a year, often working with helicopters of the armed forces search and air-sea rescue units.

The 17p stamp depicts an RNLI Oakley class lifeboat with a panel featuring numerical and alphabetical flags of the international code of signals. The Corporation of Trinity house is the Lighthouse Authority for England, Wales, the Channel Islands and Gibraltar, responsible for fixed and floating seamarks, visual, audible and electronic aids to navigation, including 92 lighthouses. The coastal navigation networks for Ireland and Scotland with 87 and 188 lighthouse, are maintained by the Commissioners of Northern Lighthouses and the Commissioners of Irish Lights.

The 22p stamp depicts the Beachy Head Lighthouse with a section of the Admiralty Chart describing safety features in its vicinity. Each year nearly 5,000 incidents are recorded by HM Coastguard, co-ordinators of the UK Civil Maritime Search and Rescue Emergencies are notified to the appropriate services through complete coastal VHF coverage, international telex and telephone. Nearly 3,000 vessels have a direct link to shore through satellites of the 41 member country International Maritime Satellite Organisation (INMARSAT), founded in 1979 for global distress and safety co-ordination.

The 31p stamp shows a Marecs A Satellite operational over the Atlantic. The technical diagrams represent the coast earth station tracking the satellite. Buoys indicating navigational rules, play a vital role in approaches to ports and narrow sea ways. The IALA Buoyage System is now recognised worldwide in place of over 30 differing systems.

The 34p stamp shows a South Cardinal Class I Buoy warning to keep south of the marked hazard with a panel depicting a range of Lateral, isolated danger marks, safe water marks and other cardinal marks from the IALA System. The borders of the stamps represent the Admiralty’s Hydrographic Service charts showing coastlines, depths. Hazards, buoys and other marks essential to safety at sea.

Source: RNLI. Corporation of Trinity House, London. INMARSAT . HM Coastguard
Great Britain 1985 17p/34p sg1286/89 scott 1107/10