Dr Sally Basker from Trinity House, talked about the GLA’s Radionavigation activity. Emphasising that buoyage and lighthouses will always be retained, she considered Automatic Identification System (AIS) Class B the most important recent development enabling commercial vessels to see small craft. There would, she said, be three civil GPS signals by 2017 and that the time scale for Galileo, the European equivalent of GPS is expected to be 2014 - 2016. EGNOS, the European augmentation system would be linked to both GPS and Galileo but Dr Basker expressed the view that the 300kHz beacons providing differential position fixing are much better and less prone to interference.

Finally, she gave details of the eLORAN system being developed to provide a land-based alternative to GPS and other satellite systems.

Paul James from DHL presented an insight of the WEEE Directive and was followed by David Lamb of St James’s Place Capital, who managed to make most feel uncomfortable for not having put aside enough money to see them safely through their retirement...

Peter Bradley from the RNLI talked about communication for SAR in use by the RNLI and was followed by Rob Stevens, chief executive of the British Marine Federation (BMF), who shared the thought that the generation of electricity would become mainly nuclear sourced. He called for questions to which there was a considerable response concerning the London Boat Show at ExCeL.

After the ExCeL question and answer session, Reg Suter and Julian Coleman talked about the BMET certification, its progress and the future. Finally, Ian Lockyer of Icom showed the totally redesigned BMEA website that has been his responsibility over the last six months.

An entertaining and informative day. Now; about my pension, Mr Webster...