Radio Calling Procedure

From CruisersWiki

Contents 1 Routine Calls 2 Distress Terminology and Procedures 2.1 Distress Call Procedure 3 Urgency Calls 4 Safety Calls

Routine Calls

When making a routine call to another boat or limited coast station, state clearly:

• The boat/group you are calling (spoken three times if communications are difficult)
• This is - name of your boat (spoken three times if necessary)
• Message
• OVER

Note the frequencies in use for calling procedures. VHF channel 16 is normally used for VHF Radio, however various calling frequencies are used for HF Radio, and in many cases routine calls over HF Radio are made outside the calling or emergency frequencies.

The standard Phonetic Alphabet (alpha, bravo, charlie, etc) is useful if you're having difficulty being understood

Distress Terminology and Procedures

The radiotelephone distress signal consists of the expression MAYDAY. This signal, which indicates that the vessel sending it is threatened by grave and imminent danger and that the vessel requires immediate assistance, is used in the distress call which precedes the distress message and may only be transmitted on the authority of the Master or person responsible for the vessel. The transmission should be made slowly and distinctly, each word clearly pronounced.

The distress call and distress message should be preceded by the ALARM SIGNAL which consists of two alternative audio frequency tones, one a high note of 2200 cycles per second and the other a low note of l300 cycles per second, making a distinctive warbling sound which should be transmitted for approximately 30-60 seconds time permitting.

The purpose of the ALARM SIGNAL is to attract attention:

• To announce urgent severe weather warnings (cyclones, etc.)
• Distress calls.
• The loss of a person overboard when assistance by other ships is required and cannot be satisfactorily obtained by the use of the URGENCY SIGNAL only. The distress signal MAYDAY should be sent before each call and before each message concerning distress.

Distress Call Procedure

The distress call 'mayday' may be used only if the boat is threatened by grave and imminent danger and immediate assistance is required. For example, the boat is sinking or on fire. This distress call has absolute priority over all other transmissions and may only be transmitted on the authority of the skipper or the person responsible for the safety of the boat. Calls are made on distress frequencies (VHF 16, 27.88 MHz or HF 4125, 6215, 8291 kHz). Call procedure:

• MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY
• This is - name and radio call sign of boat in distress (spoken three times)
• MAYDAY
• Name and radio call sign of boat (repeated once more)
• Details of boat's position and heading
• Nature of distress and assistance required
• Other information including number of people on board, boat description and intentions

Urgency Calls

The urgency call should be used when use of the distress call cannot be justified but a very urgent message concerning the safety of your boat or the safety of a person needs to be transmitted. For example, your boat is disabled and drifting onto a lee shore or a crew member is seriously ill. You may make an urgency call only on the authority of the skipper or person responsible for the safety of your boat. Distress call frequencies (above) may be used for these calls. Call procedure:

• PAN PAN, PAN PAN, PAN PAN
• Hello all stations hello all stations hello all stations
• This is - name and radio call sign of boat (spoken three times)
• Details of the boat's position and heading
• Details of assistance required and other information

Safety Calls

The safety call should be used if you wish to broadcast an important navigational warning to other stations. For example, you have sighted a large floating object that could damage the hull of a boat. A safety call is more likely to be made by a coast station or a limited coast station operated by a marine rescue group and may include important weather warnings such as severe thunderstorm, gale and cyclone warnings. Call procedure:

• SECURITE, SECURITE, SECURITE (pronounced as Say-cure-e-tay say-cure-e-tay say-cure-e-tay -- the French word Sécurité is standard)
• Hello all stations hello all stations hello ail stations
• This is - name and radio call sign of boat or shore station (spoken three times)
• Details of the warning

You may make the initial safety call to ail stations on a distress frequency. However, you should change to a working frequency to make the broadcast of the safety message.