Also used to request bridge openings. Ships less than 65ft in length maintain a listening watch on this channel in US waters. This is a good channel to listen to in periods of poor visibility so that you can communicate with ferries, freighters, and other large vessels.
You must use the low power on your radio when broadcasting on Channel Although you may have many other channels on your radio, each of them is restricted to specific uses. How do I use it? The standard procedure for a non-emergency call such as calling another vessel, marina, or restaurant to ask where to tie up for dinner, is as follows: Call the vessel, marina or restaurant on Channel 9 in the following manner.
Name of station being called, spoken three times. Name of your vessel spoken once. The word " OVER ". Then you wait for the station being called to answer. Their answer should be in the same manner as your call.
Once answered you should suggest a specific working channel to carry on your conversation. Wait for reply or confirmation from the station being called, switch to the working channel and repeat the process. When done speaking and leaving a specific channel use the word " OUT " at the end.
What about in an emergency situation like mayday? Transmit in this order: Tune your radio to Channel Name of vessel in distress spoken three times. Give position of vessel by latitude or longitude or by bearing true or magnetic, state which and distance to a well-known landmark such as a navigational aid or small island, or in any terms which will assist a responding station in locating the vessel in distress.
Include any information on vessel movement such as course, speed and destination. Provide nature of distress sinking, fire etc. Indicate number of persons onboard. Provide kind of assistance desired. Any other information which might facilitate rescue, such as length or tonnage of vessel, number of persons needing medical attention, color hull, cabin, masts, etc.
Repeat at intervals until an answer is received. Cellular phones are inferior to handheld VHF radios in many respects. They're often not waterproof, you can't communicate with more than one person at a time, and you have to know that person's number. However, having a cellular telephone onboard does make it possible to call any phone number when close to shore including Rescue Coordination Centers.
And texting can also be useful, especially if you are on the edge of cellular coverage. Since March , all fixed-mount radios sold in the U. DSC-capable radios can be used to send various types of messages:. Emergency calls is the category of greatest interest to coastal and offshore boaters.
When an MMSI number has been entered into a VHF radio, and when it is connected to an operating GPS, DSC allows you to broadcast a mayday transmission to all vessels within range and, if you're within 20 to 40 nautical miles of shore, your transmission will be picked up by the Coast Guard's Rescue 21 network of shore stations. This distress call communicates your identification and your position in one brief call.
Rescue 21 comprises a series of VHF antennas located on high towers or mountains along the coast of the continental U. These antennas are connected to a network of communication stations associated with the Coast Guard sectors, which make up the Coast Guard's VHF distress system. Rescue 21 gives Coast Guard radio watch standers several advantages:.
Rescue 21 is now implemented across the country, and it's the single best reason to ensure you have a DSC radio correctly installed. There are three emergency procedure words that carry extra importance when you're communicating by radio. Through the use of these words, you will alert all mariners to the seriousness of your transmission, and to the possibility that they might be involved in lending assistance.
All three are anglicized versions of French words, and each is repeated three times in succession so that those who hear the transmission understand that they're hearing an actual call for help and not a discussion of another vessel's distress call. See additional comments on mayday relay below.
While VHF radios may have anywhere from 55 to 80 channels, there are relatively few that can be used by recreational boaters. This table lists the most common ones, but because VHF channel use is somewhat geographically specific, a few channels may be different in your home waters. The VHF channels used in Canada and Internationally may have different frequencies and different functions than those used in the U.
If you're the only person to hear a mayday call from another vessel, you may have to act as a relay to rebroadcast vital information to the Coast Guard or other rescue agencies. In that case, use the words "mayday relay. Finally, nothing is more frustrating than hearing a mayday call, then having another vessel break in with low-priority traffic.
At the end of the emergency, the transmission Silence Fini pronounced "seelonce feenee" tells other mariners that normal communications can resume. The French pronunciation helps differentiate these words from the normal stream of radio traffic, but it's certainly no time to worry about perfecting your accent.
When you need help, every second counts. The goal is to broadcast the most important information as quickly and clearly as possible. After the radio transmits your position, MMSI number, and the nature of your distress, it will revert to Channel 16 so you can make a voice transmission.
The regulations require a two-step process to send a DSC distress call, so most radios will have a spring-loaded red cover over a red button. Press and hold for 5 seconds. If you don't have a DSC-equipped radio, select Channel 16 and high power 25W , press the transmit button, and say the following:. We request immediate assistance. A lifelong sailor, he has made two singlehanded passages to Hawaii, three crewed trans-Pacific races, and a World Record attempt on the west-to-east trans-Atlantic record.
He is a nationally known speaker on marine safety and one of five moderators of the US Sailing Safety at Sea Seminars. Chuck has worked for West Marine for nearly three decades and is responsible for the product content on westmarine. He lives in Santa Cruz, Calif. We use cookies to enhance your visit to our website and to improve your experience. Membership Search. Service Locator. Get a Quote. Become a Member. Once you contact another vessel on channel 16, switch to another working frequency.
This is not the best way to issue a distress call for the following reasons:. The main differences between VHF and UHF come both from their frequencies and their connectivity; two-way radios that use UHF frequencies, for example, are much less likely to be interrupted during transmissions. VHF radios operate on "very-high frequency," between 30 and MHz. VHF radios are most frequently used by amateur radio broadcasters and stations that broadcast on FM channels.
UHF radios operate on "ultra-high frequencies," between and 3, MHz.
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