Tucked away in the lush hills of Diego Martin, Trinidad, lies a piece of history that has been safeguarding mariners and shaping our region for centuries. While Fort King George and Stollmeyer’s Castle garner the tourists, North Post Maritime Radio has quietly been the lifeblood of Caribbean maritime communication, a sentinel of the sea.
The story begins in the 18th century when the Spanish governors first used North Post as an observation outpost. When the British took control of Trinidad, it evolved into a crucial flag station known back then as Signal Station, relaying messages between ships and officials in Port of Spain. Its defensive role waned, so North Post adapted, becoming a marine radio installation that pioneered ship-to-shore communication across the western hemisphere. By 1910, it had earned a place on the prestigious list of Wireless Telegraph Coast Stations, the pioneering official register published by the U.S. Navy’s Bureau of Steam Engineering.
It was initially listed under the international call sign VPL, marking it as a British colonial station. With Trinidad and Tobago’s independence in 1962, VPL gave way to the national prefix 9YL. Today, North Post Maritime Radio is a key player in upholding the Safety of Life at Sea Convention (SOLAS) and the Search and Rescue Convention (SAR). It stands as a testament to the nation’s commitment to maritime safety, coordinating rescue operations with the Coast Guard and other regional partners.
During times of turmoil, like the Black Power Revolution of 1970, and the 1983 Grenada coup, it served as a vital communication relay station for the governments of Trinidad and Tobago and Grenada.
North Post Radio’s mettle has been tested time and time again. In 1979, the station responded to the catastrophic collision of two supertankers off Tobago, aiding in the rescue efforts. In the 1990 attempted coup against the Government of Trinidad and Tobago, former radio officers like Stephen Urbano, Earl Hosten and Anthony Walters earned accolades for bravery, and were responsible for summoning the USS Theodore Roosevelt to the country’s aid.
As the world embraced new technology, North Post adapted. It sent its final commercial Morse code message in 2000, but it continues to maintain Morse capability for emergency use and still operates as a GMDSS A1 coast station.
For more information about the station, log on to the Facebook post by the National Archives of Trinidad and Tobago (www.facebook.com/share/p/16p4J8Lxy6)
