Clear communication is critical when sending emergen­cy VHF messages. To avoid any confusion, use the pho­netic alphabet to spell out important information, such as your boat name and the names of your crew. Below is the NATO/International phonetic alphabet.

A = alpha             B = bravo             C = Charlie           D = delta              E= echo

F = foxtrot           G = golf H = hotel              I = india                                J = Juliet

K = kilo                  L = lima                 M = mike             N = November  O = Oscar

P = papa Q = quebec         R = romeo           S = sierra              T = tango

U= uniform         V = victor             W = whiskey      X = x-ray              Y = yankee

Z = zulu

2. Making Mayday Call

To make a Mayday call, tune to channel 16 and follow the instructions below. Remain calm, and speak clearly.

A)     Press the PTT and say into the mike, “Mayday, Mayday, Mayday. This is (name of your boat repeated three times).”

B)      Repeat “Mayday, this is (your boat name)” one more time.

C)      Report your position as accurately as possible.

D)     Report the nature of the emergency.

E)      Report the kind of assistance required.

F)      Report the number of people aboard and the condi­tion of any injured.

G)     Describe the boat (length, design, color, and distin­guishing marks) and her present condition and sea­worthiness. This message should not exceed one minute.

H)     If there is no response, repeat the entire message. If there is still no response, try another channel.

In an emergency situation that does not involve immin­ent danger to the boat or people onboard, follow the same procedure but substitute “Pan-Pan” (pro­nounced pahn-pahn) for “Mayday.”

3.  Important Channels

CHANNEL 16 is the distress, safety, and calling (hailing) frequency that the U.S. Coast Guard monitors continuously. All vessels equipped with VHF must monitor channel 16 when underway and be prepared to assist in an emergency. Always initiate contact with the Coast Guard on channel 16; you’ll be redirected to a working channel. Never request a ra­dio check on 16.

CHANNEL 22A is the primary working channel the Coast Guard uses for communications with the boating public and is where severe weath­er warnings, hazards to navigation, and other maritime warnings are broadcast. The A denotes a simplex channel (ship to ship) in the USA mode, while the channel in an International or Canadian group (without the A) is a semi-duplex channel (ship to marine operator).

CHANNEL 13 is the navigation/piloting channel. Locks and bridges monitor channel 13, and it must be used for navigation and piloting pur­poses only.

CHANNEL 6 is the ship-to-ship frequency used for safety-related communications.

CHANNELS 9, 68, 69, 71, 72, and 78 are common working chan­nels. Switch to one of those once you’ve established contact on 16.

4. Distress Calls

MAYDAY is a request for immediate assistance in an imminent life- threatening situation. If you hear a Mayday call, listen—do not transmit. Determine if you are in a position to assist. If not, maintain radio silence and monitor the call.

PAN-PAN an emergency when a boat and/or people are in jeopardy but not in imminent danger. As with a Mayday call, listen to the pan-pan call, determine if you are in a position to assist, and keep radio silence if you are not.

SECURITE (see-cure-i-tay) is the signal that navigation information or weather warnings will be broadcast.

Correct hailing procedure is to state the name of the boat you are hailing (usually on channel 16), then the name of your boat, followed by “over.”

“Over” tells the other party you have finished speaking. This is impor­tant because if both radio operators transmit at the same time, neither will be heard. Only one party can speak at a time. Any other words—”yoo hoo” or “Is anybody out there?” – constitute incorrect procedure.

Once you’ve established contact, switch to a working channel. Once you’ve switched to a working channel, say the name of the boat you are hailing followed by the name of your boat. At the end of your conversation, say your boat name and “out” or “out, (your boat’s name), returning to 16.”

2. Digital Selective Calling (DSC)

DSC is a semi-automated method of establishing a ra­dio call simply by pushing the distress button.

When the DSC button is activated, the radio automatically sends a distress call with GPS position (when a GPS is connected to the transceiver) and the nature of the distress to the Coast Guard and other vessels within range of the transmission.

It then scans the appropri­ate channels for a response. DSC also allows users to immediately receive distress, urgent, safety, routine, position requests, and group calls from other DSC­ equipped transceivers within range. Every radio equipped with DSC must have a Maritime Mobile Service Identity (MMSI) number assigned to it.

A ra­dio’s MMSI is a unique nine-digit number (similar to a telephone number) that must be programmed into the radio and registered to operate the DSC functions.

3. To Make a DSC Distress Call

A)  Lift the protective cover over the distress button and press and hold the button until the radio’s display shows that the call has been sent.

B)  Once the mes­sage has been sent, the transceiver will sound an au­dible distress alarm.

C)  The transceiver will automati­cally monitor channel 70 for a DSC acknowledgment and will also receive calls on channel 16.

D)  If no DSC acknowledgment is received, the transceiver will repeat the distress call at four-minute intervals until acknowledgment is received.

F)  When the DSC acknowledgment signal is received, an alarm sounds, channel 16 is automatically selected, and the radio’s LCD screen shows the MMSI of the responding trans­ceiver.

E)  If the Distress button was pushed in error, many radios will cancel a distress call when the Clr and then Ent buttons are pushed.