Dave Phillips, Kayak Liaison officer for Shetland Coastguard will be giving a talk about kayakers and the coastguard at HM Coastguard Office, Cromwell Road, Kirkwall at 11 am on Saturday 30th August. Organiser is Mary Saunders of OSKA and she needs to know numbers intending to attend. Please leave a message on the Guestbook of this website if you are planning to come along. Dave is hoping to discuss a number of topics with questions throughout, followed by a flares demonstration. Some of things he'd like to cover are outlined below: Methods of contacting the coastguard (radio, electronic beacons, flares etc.,). VHF, voice procedure, legal requirements, range of radios and dispel the myth that seems to abound that all coastguard aerials are fitted with a directional finding equipment. Run through of several kayak incidents handled by coastguards this year and see if any lessons can be learnt. Services available from the coastguard such as Maritime Safety Information broadcasts, medilink calls and what we can do for people. Roles of Coastguard Rescue Officers (formerly known as the auxiliary service), Sector Managers and canoe/kayak liaison officers. Possible future of HM Coastguard and how people may or not be affected. Press reports or why we report incidents to the press. This talk is essential for all kayakers.