Exmouth Coastwatch Institution recorded over 21,000 vessels past through their lookout last year.

The Exmouth branch of the National Coastwatch Institution (NCI) spotted 21,421 vessels pass through their lookout on Exmouth Esplanade in 2021, which is manned by volunteers 24 hours a day.

The NCI work with HM Coastguard and the RNLI by keeping watch over the Exe Estuary and Exmouth beach. Thanks to newly installed technology this year, watchkeepers have 'Eyes along the coast' from Orcombe Point and as far as Topsham via CCTV.

The National Coastwatch Institution celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2019. And Exmouth NCI was the UK’s second-busiest station in 2020.

As well as listening out for Mayday calls, NCI Exmouth assists mariners by giving them the facility to check that their radio is working before they go to sea. It operates on VHF Channel 65, with the call sign ‘Exmouth NCI’. It also provides local weather reports.

A spokesman for the charity said,” In 2021 statistics also show that that NCI Exmouth reported as many as 46 incidents to the Coastguard and another 36 that we were able to deal with ourselves.”