Before you purchase anything else, make sure you have a VHF marine radio. A VHF marine radio is the single most important radio system you should buy. It is probably also the most inexpensive. If you plan to travel more than a few miles offshore, plan to purchase an MF/HF radiotelephone or mobile satellite telephone, an emergency position indicating radio beacon, or EPIRB, and a second VHF radio or cellular telephone as well. Mobile satellite telephones are becoming more common and more inexpensive. The mobile satellite will provide easier and clearer communications than the MF/HF radiotelephone, but the HF radiotelephone will receive high seas marine weather warnings.
Click here to get more.
If you have a VHF-FM radio, there are certain regulations in place for monitoring/listening to your radio. Please read our radio watchkeeping section for more information.
You may only have seconds to send a distress call. Here's what you should do:
- Procedure for Digital Selective Calling (DSC) Radio: DSC MAYDAY
- Procedure for VHF Channel 16 MAYDAY:
Stay by the radio if possible. Even after the message has been received, the Coast Guard can find you more quickly if you can transmit a signal on which a rescue boat or aircraft can home.
MAYDAY-MAYDAY-MAYDAY
THIS IS BLUE DUCK-BLUE DUCK-BLUE DUCK WA1234 MAYDAY THIS IS BLUE DUCK
CAPE HENRY LIGHT BEARS 185 DEGREES MAGNETIC-DISTANCE 2 MILES
STRUCK SUBMERGED OBJECT
NEED PUMPS-MEDICAL ASSISTANCE AND TOW
THREE ADULTS, TWO CHILDREN ONBOARD
ONE PERSON COMPOUND FRACTURE OF ARM
ESTIMATE CAN REMAIN AFLOAT TWO HOURS
BLUE DUCK IS THIRTY TWO FOOT CABIN CRUISER-WHITE HULL-BLUE DECK HOUSE
OVER
Repeat at intervals until an answer is received.
If you hear a distress message from a vessel and it is not answered, then you must answer. If you are reasonably sure that the distressed vessel is not in your vicinity, you should wait a short time for others to acknowledge.
Your VHF radio is intended mainly for short range communications, generally 5-10 miles, and at least 20 miles to a USCG station. To communicate at longer ranges, you will normally need a satellite telephone or an MF/HF marine radiotelephone. Marine radiotelephone equipment normally operates between 2 - 26 MHz using single sideband emissions. MF/HF marine radiotelephones can also be used to receive high seas weather broadcasts, and by using a computer and a special interface provided by some coast stations, can provide Internet email.
Tune your HF radiotelephone to an HF channel guarded by the Coast Guard, and repeat your mayday call. Activate your EPIRB.
See the High Frequency Radiotelephone Channels webpage. HF radiotelephone channels are normally limited to operational, business, safety or public correspondence purposes.
This signal consists of two audio tones transmitted alternatively on the distress frequency 2182 kHz. It is not used over VHF marine radio in the United States, although it may be used on VHF in Canada. This signal is similar in sound to a two-tone siren used by some ambulances. When generated by automated means, it shall be sent continuously as practicable over a period of not less than 30 seconds nor more than 1 minute. The purpose of the signal is to attract attention or to activate automatic devices giving the alarm. Cargo ships ceased guarding this frequency on February 1, 1999.
The radiotelephone alarm signal is used only in a distress, including when a person has been lost overboard and the assistance of other vessels is required.
The radiotelephone navigation warning signal, a single 2200 Hz tone transmitted twice per second, is used to announce a storm or similar warning.
The Federal Communications Commission established VHF-FM channel 9 as a supplementary calling channel for noncommercial vessels (recreational boaters) at the request of the Coast Guard. A ship or shore unit wishing to call a boater would do so on channel 9, and anyone (boaters included) wishing to call a commercial ship or shore activity would continue to do so on channel 16. Recreational boaters would continue to call the Coast Guard and any commercial facility on channel 16.
The purpose of the FCC regulation was to relieve congestion on VHF channel 16, the distress, safety and calling frequency. FCC regulations require boaters having VHF radios to maintain a watch on either VHF channel 9 or channel 16, whenever the radio is turned on and not communicating with another station.
Since the Coast Guard generally does not have the capability of announcing an urgent marine information broadcast or weather warning on channel 9, use of channel 9 is optional. We recommend boaters normally keep tuned to and use channel 16 in those waters unless otherwise notified by the Coast Guard.
You may use channel 16 to call a ship or shore station, but if you do so, you must, must be brief! We recommend this same procedure be used over channel 9, if channel 9 is used as a calling channel.
You will get efficient and thoughtful service from HUAZHONG.
For example:
Blue Duck: "Mary Jane, this is Blue Duck" (the name of the vessel or MMSI being called may be said 2 or 3 times if conditions warrant)
Mary Jane: "Blue Duck, this is Mary Jane. Reply 68" (or some other proper working channel)
Blue Duck: "68" or "Roger"
VHF maritime channel 70 (156.525 MHz) is authorized exclusively for distress, safety and calling purposes using digital selective calling (DSC) techniques. No other uses are permitted.
Channel 70 is used to send distress alerts, safety announcements and for calling purposes under the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS). Many vessels are now equipped with DSC capability and are using channel 70 for this purpose. It is essential that this channel be protected.
The Coast Guard announces storm warnings and other urgent marine information broadcasts on VHF channel 16 and 2182 kHz before making the broadcasts on VHF channel 22A and 2670 kHz respectively. Storm warnings and forecasts are also made by NOAA Weather Radio.
A growing number of boaters unsuccessful in getting a radio check on VHF channel 16 are calling MAYDAY to get a response. Every hoax, including MAYDAY radio checks, is subject to prosecution as a Class D felony under Title 14, Section 85 of the U.S. Code, liable for a $5000 fine plus all costs the Coast Guard incurs as a result of the individual's action. Since hoaxes can lead to loss of life, the Coast Guard and Federal Communications Commission will work closely together, using when necessary FCC equipment capable of identifying the electronic signature of the offending radio. We ask your cooperation in helping us and the FCC remove hoaxes from the VHF radiotelephone distress, safety and calling channel 16.
Radio checks with the Coast Guard Communications Stations on DSC and HF radiotelephone are allowed.
An FCC ship station radio license is no longer required for any vessel travelling in U.S. waters which uses a VHF marine radio, radar or EPIRB, and which is not required to carry radio equipment. A license is necessary however for any vessel required to carry a marine radio, on an international voyage, or carrying an HF single sideband radiotelephone or marine satellite terminal. FCC license forms, including applications for ship and land station radio licenses, can now be downloaded from the FCC website.
Currently the Inmarsat Organization, an international organization established by treaty, is the sole provider of worldwide maritime mobile satellite communications offering emergency calling capability. Coverage is available between about 70 deg N latitude and 70 deg S latitude. Other mobile satellite systems are also becoming available, but these systems in general do not offer an emergency calling capability.
CG Boating Safety
Hours of operation: Monday through Friday
8:00 AM to 5:00 PM EST
Excluding government holidays
Infoline: 1-800-368-5647
For Text Telephone service: 1-800-689-0816
email at: uscginfoline@gcrm.com
return to top
A vessel was in transit through the Suez Canal with a pilot on board. The vessel was supposed to move along the centerline of the canal, however, as it deviated from the center line, the pilot and the crew on the bridge used the corrective wheel and thrusters to counteract this deviation. By that time, the ship had swung heavily and approached the bank on the opposite side. The stern of the vessel touched the rocky sea bottom. There was a heavy thud and a vibration in the wheelhouse and engine room. The ship's speed dropped and increased again. All ship crew noticed the vibration. The engine room called the bridge to confirm that everything was in order. Both watches confirmed to the pilot if everything was in order, to which the pilot replied in the affirmative. The vessel picked up speed again and resumed movement along the canal. The most senior officer of the watch did not call the captain and did not discuss the incident with him later. However, below the waterline, the bow of the hull was damaged and its strength in the impacted zone was significantly reduced. There was a slight deformation, but below the waterline. Later when the ship was loading the cargo at port, there was again a big dull sound, and the OOW noticed that water gushed into the ballast tanks No. 1, 2, 3 at the port side. Due to the constant stress on the damaged, deformed and worn plate, the weak zone collapsed and failed.
Often we have seen junior officers on board ships respond "Yes, sir" to any given task, and later find that something else has been done about the subject.
Various incidents on board require the seafarer to act and react according to predefined and predetermined patterns during routine and emergency situations. For a variety of non-standard tasks, companies have also introduced procedures for group meetings, on board training and risk assessments. These interactions help the captain or other team leaders recognize the merits and weaknesses of their team members before assigning a task. Communication between the team leader and team members, or between team members, is key here in avoiding the occurrence of human error chains by identifying and eliminating their root causes.
For more information, please visit marine navigation equipment.