WHEN you think of the coastguard, your first thought might be of helicopters and daring sea rescues.

But in a shack at the end of a Canvey jetty, a group of committed volunteers play a less glamorous but equally important role, in keeping the Essex coast safe.

The shed is home to the National Coastwatch Institution, a voluntary group of marine enthusiasts and old seadogs who stepped in when coastguard stations closed down in the mid-1990s due to budget cuts.

The Canvey station, behind the Lobster Smack pub, in Haven Road, is manned eight hours a day, every day of the year by a crew of 24 volunteers.

Inside the shack, the basic tools of the trade are found – a radar, charts and a two-way radio.

The volunteers chart boats as they go up and down the Thames, allowing the coastguard and Revenue and Customs to keep track of all movements on the river. If a ship ever gets into trouble, the institution is there to lend extra eyes and ears. With their basic set of instruments, as well as an encyclopaedic knowledge of tides, likely weather conditions and local fishermen and boat skippers, the team plays a vital role in keeping the river safe.

According to experienced watchkeeper Roger Morgan, 67, modern equipment cannot make up for human experience.

He said: “While high technology and sophisticated systems are aids to improved safety, a computer cannot spot a distress flare, an overturned boat or a yachtsman or fisherman in trouble.

“Even experienced people can get into trouble,” he added. “We had a fisherman turn his boat over next to the jetty – it can happen to anyone, in any weather.”

Indeed, the institution was set up following the drowning of two fishermen in Cornwall in 1994.

Their deaths occurred shortly after a coastguard visual watch station at Lizard Point had been forced to close. A matter of months later, a monitoring station was set up in the same location.

More than 1,700 volunteers now man 40 bases across the UK, covering much of the south coast, South Wales and East Anglia.

Mr Morgan, a keen sailor for most of his life and a former seaman in the Merchant Navy, said most volunteers are retired fishermen or sailors.

He added: “It helps if you love the sea. I just enjoy being down by the water and having a chat with the passing fisherman and the lifeboat man, who stops in for a cup of tea most days.”

While it may sound like a glorious retirement, there are times when the institution’s role becomes one of life and death.

One evening last November, angler Carl Daag fell off the end of a nearby pier as he headed out on a fishing trip with a friend.

Mr Daag, 47, of Station Road, Canvey, fell almost 40ft, breaking his shin, ribs, ankle and wrist.

With the tide racing, in it was vital he was rescued quickly.

Between the institution’s watchkeeper and Mr Daag’s friend, Mark Tucker, 43, also of Canvey, the coastguard hovercraft was safely guided to rescue him.

Mr Morgan, of Peregrine Drive, Benfleet, said: “He might have been saved if we weren’t there, but it made it much easier for the coastguard to locate him.”

The jetty in Canvey is now a thriving, if ramshackle base, and there was talk of finding the volunteers a new home on Canvey beach front as part of the redevelopment of the Thames Estuary. However, the plans have been put on ice because of the recession.

Mr Morgan added: “It was a shame, but I actually prefer where we are now.”

The current premises were fit enough for a visit from Castle Point mayor Cliff Brunt last week, who dropped by to thank the volunteers for their many hours of unpaid service.

Mr Brunt said: “It’s amazing they are down there every day.

“It’s quite a lonely spot. Until you see it, you don’t even realise they are there. They do a terrific job in all weathers and all seasons – they should be applauded for their effort and enthusiasm.”