Radio

Frequencies

VHF 71 EFYC Tower, Support Boat (on river) VHF 72 or 77 Support Boat (ocean)

Distress: VHF 16, (67 supplementary)

Race Start Call

Distress call

The distress call ‘mayday’ may be used only if the boat is in grave or imminent danger and immediate assistance is required (e.g. if the boat is sinking or on fire). This call has priority over all other transmissions. Distress frequencies are VHF 16.

‘mayday, mayday, mayday’ ‘this is – Greenroom’ (spoken 3 times) ‘mayday’ ‘Greenroom’ [detail of boat’s position] [nature of distress and assistance required] [other information, including number of people on board, vessel description and intentions].

Urgency call

The urgency call ‘pan pan’ should be used when the distress call cannot be justified but a very urgent message about the safety of the boat or a person needs to be transmitted (e.g. your vessel is disabled and drifting onto a lee-shore or a crew member is seriously ill). Distress call frequencies may be used.

‘pan pan, pan pan, pan pan’ ‘hello all stations, hello all stations, hello all stations’ ‘this is – Greenroom’ (spoken 3 times) ‘details of the boat’s position’ ‘details of assistance required and other information’.

Safety call

The safety call ‘securite’ should be used to broadcast important navigational warnings to other stations (e.g. a severe weather warning or if you see a large floating object that could damage a boat’s hull).

‘say-cure-e-tay, say-cure-e-tay, say-cure-e-tay’ (SECURITE) ‘hello all stations, hello all stations, hello all stations’ ‘this is – Greenroom’ (spoken 3 times) ‘details of the warning’.

Note: The initial safety call can be made on a distress frequency, but you should change to a working frequency to broadcast the safety message.

Phonetic alphabet

Alpha November
Bravo Oscar
Charlie Papa
Delta Quebec
Echo Romeo
Foxtrot Sierra
Golf Tango
Hotel Uniform
India Victor
Juliet Whisky
Kilo X-Ray
Lima Yankee
Mike Zulu

References