Emergency Communications.
Before the voyage, write down the channels, frequencies, and numbers you'll need. Pick a shore advocate. Train one crew member to transmit. Mayday is not the time to be reading.
Write it down. Train someone else.
The skipper trains one crew member to transmit. Mayday is not the time to be reading a manual.
- Radio channels & frequencies for the area you're sailing in.
- Emergency phone numbers — local SAR centre, coast guard, 112 / 911.
- Your radio call signal & MMSI taped to the radio.
- EPIRB & VHF locations known to every crew member.
Pick someone ashore you can rely on to represent you in an emergency — they know your float plan, your boat, your crew, and who to call. Their number is on the boat.
Eight items, in this order.
Press VHF Channel 16. Speak slowly. Read what's taped to the radio. Don't improvise.
Mayday — Mayday — Mayday.
Three times. Slowly. The word that opens every channel.
Give your radio call signal and vessel name. Repeat three times.
Both should be taped to the radio. Use the phonetic alphabet.
Give your GPS position, or bearing & distance from a known landmark.
Latitude then longitude. Read the numbers — don't quote them from memory.
State the nature of the emergency.
One sentence. "Flooding, taking on water through bow." / "Fire in engine room, spreading." / "Man overboard."
Give the number of people on board. State the condition of anyone injured.
Describe the seaworthiness of the vessel.
Holding / sinking / disabled / on fire / drifting / aground.
Describe the vessel.
Type, length, hull colour, sail colour, masts. "38-foot white sloop, blue sails, single mast."
Give the channel or frequency you'll be listening to, and the schedule.
Usually you stay on Channel 16. End with "Over".
If VHF doesn't answer, climb the ladder.
Distress signals go out on every means available to you, in this order — closest range first, then wider.
VHF Channel 16 — up to 30 miles.
Voice. Use Channel 9 as alternate. Channel 13 is monitored by ships.
SSB — 200 to 500 miles.
Press the emergency frequency 2182 kHz button. Automatic alert to all vessels and shore authorities.
EPIRB 406 MHz — global.
Activate. Transmits to SAR centres via satellite, identifies you, provides a homing signal. With GPS, includes your location.
Satellite phone — global.
Direct call to your closest SAR centre or land-based advocate. You must provide your location — a direction finder cannot home in on a sat phone.
Cell phone — very short range.
Local emergency number (911 / 112), a SAR centre, or your land-based advocate. Same location caveat as the sat phone.
Gear for this moment.
The equipment we'd want aboard if this alarm went off right now. Each piece earns its place against a specific step above.
DSC sends a one-button digital distress alert with your MMSI and position to every vessel and station in range.
View gearRegistered and GPS-enabled. Reaches SAR satellites anywhere on earth and gives them a position to home on.
View gearYour backup when the fixed set or its power dies, and your radio in the liferaft. Floats, and built-in GPS lets it send DSC.
View gearTwo-way text or voice from anywhere — direct to a SAR centre or your shore advocate when you're beyond VHF and SSB.
View gearSeaWise may earn a small commission on these links — it helps keep the procedures free. We only list gear we'd carry ourselves.
Skipper notes.
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