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VHF Protocol

13K views 73 replies 24 participants last post by  Goldfinger 
#1 · (Edited)
I was sailing a couple of weeks ago and the Coast Guard and Vessel Assist were extremely busy on Channel 16. This was interesting because conditions were relatively mild. However, listening to them made me think of a couple of questions.
Why don't we use our registration numbers (for non documented vessels) instead of the boats name to communicate on VHF? Saying "Charlie Foxtrot 1034 Sierra Zulu" (could be abbreviated to 1034 once communications are established) would be so much more effective than "Gone Fishin" (for example). Especially for a Mayday. At least the CG could look up who the vessel belongs to and what type of boat it is, if the skipper was unable to transmit any other information. Sometimes, the boats name is so silly, the CG obviously feels silly saying it, so refers to the boat as "Vessel calling coast guard" through the entire conversation!

Also, when issuing Securites, the CG often gives the GPS coordinates of the navigational hazard or vessel in distress, without a landmark. If you are not near a chart this doesn't do you any good. Twice skippers responded to the CG on 16 asking what area the distressed vessel was in, only to discover that were much too far away to help. If the CG gave the Latitude and Longitude and simply added "Off Hunters Point" (for example), it would eliminate this.
Am I missing something?
 
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#44 ·
Zeke, from your original message it was totally unclear what you were talking about, in terms of names/vs/numbers or both on boats.

I don't think I know anyone who has ever known the "numbers" of the boat they were on, but I sure know the name of every boat I've been sailing on. And it is the names that go in my log--not the numbers.

Numbers? The human mind typically holds a max of four of those, even if we sometimes do better with phone numbers. Names? Way more likely to come to mind. If I have to grab a mic and call a Mayday, the last thing I will do is rummage around to find out the registration numbers of a boat, and then spend extra time citing a long string of them versus two or three syllables in a name.

Now, as to clueless rubes using names that don't work well over the radio...So what? Crabs gotta eat too. Drownings improve the species. Both human and crab.
 
#45 · (Edited)
Of note, all the boats pictured are over 30+ feet.

Also of note, not one of them has ANY name on the hull.

This means they represent less than 6% all boats on the water.

Maine crabs are the best. Sailor meat does indeed improve flavor!

And hellosailor, you made the incorrect assumption, where none was called for. ;)
 
#50 ·
Of note, all the boats pictured are over 30+ feet.
The red one is 27 feet the blue one 24 feet..

Also of note, not one of them has ANY name on the hull.
100% of them have the required USCG documentation name and hailing port on the hull.

This means they represent less than 6% all boats on the water.
Huh?

Been sailing for 50 years and can count the number of vessels with no state required bow alpha-numerics - on one hand.
I gave you more than one hands full and can provide hundreds more...;)
 
#47 ·
Subconsciously, I bet most coastal sailors have the thought that they could sail off to another country at any time. USCG documentation is all but required to do so. While Lake Champlain includes Canadian waters, I suspect that is handled uniquely from an open water arrival.

Block registration numbers also make the lines of boat look pretty bad, IMO.
 
#48 ·
If I'm keying up on 16, it's for one helluva good reason. I need the CG to get to me ASAP. The easier I make their job to find me, the better the rescue will go.

Unless your hull is chartreuse with optic maroon polka dots, the name alone distinguishes it from all others. If the name is a plane font, or the state registration alpha-numerics are on both sides of the bow, you can be positively identified.

If however you're the only vessel within ten square miles, the name/registration # becomes less significant - the fact that you can transmit a signal, the better locator.

Assuming you still have battery power to transmit anything...
 
#49 ·
Most of the time, it is not the Coast Guard that renders assistance, but some other mariner. Unless you need a helicopter hoist, a MAYDAY is not specifically a call to the authorities, but a general call to all stations. Almost every weekend, I hear a MAYDAY of one sort or another. Seems like while the USCG is asking over and over if everyone has lifejackets, the GPS location, the cell phone number, etc., etc., some nearby boater has already rendered assistance. Not knocking the Coast Guard, just pointing out that a MAYDAY needs to inform everyone of the required info so anyone in a position to assist is able to.

We keep a formated MAYDAY call "cheat sheet" handy for those unfamilar with the VHF and for helping out those who are familiar in the stress of a MAYDAY situation. Key things to transmit are who you are (boat name), where you are (GPS is fine, but other boats will want to know where your are with respect to local landmarks), and what your problem is.
 
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#72 ·
Key things to transmit are who you are (boat name), where you are (GPS is fine, but other boats will want to know where your are with respect to local landmarks), and what your problem is.
Name is part of the Mayday call, (Mayday Mayday Mayday this is XXXX) but the most important thing is broadcast POSTION first... if nothing else gets out then at least those who hear know where to look.
Next is POB (number of People On Board)... even if responders don't know the problem, they know where to look and HOW MANY PEOPLE they're looking for.
The PROBLEM is important of course but only third priority.
 
#51 · (Edited)
For every "one" you can find without visible markings, I can find 100 with :)

With or without visible markings, which ones do you think will be "found" first?

"Mayday. I have a white boat with no name or registration numbers visible and I need help. I'm near Martha's Vinyard on 4th of July weekend and need you to find my needle in a haystack before we sink - over."
 
#56 ·
No, it's absolutely outright silly.

The majority of boats on the water are not marked except with 3 inch registration numbers that are not visible at more than 50 yards.
Look it up, 90% of boats are little sport fishers, john boats etc. They don't even have a name. My 15 foot Lyman runabout has no name. I can call it Fred on the VHF one day and Ginger the next - legally.

Besides, I punch up 16 for a distress call I'm going to do it via DSC, with full boat info INCLUDING GPS.
I think that trumps a eyeball bouncing at 20+ knots in a first responders boat trying to pick out my scripted fancy name on the back of the boat obscured by a swim ladder and a dinghy - don't you?

My registration via the state of Marland, and my title do not have a boat name on them.
My Coast Guard documentation information is not available to the local first responders. I know that to be true because I work the databases for the local first responders.

In a crowd of boats the one shooting flares, or even waving skivvies in the air is the one the first responder is going to see from any meaningful distance away. I have to pull my 7x50 bino's out to read a boat name from over 100 yards away.

Call me MD 4653 AS on the vhf and you'll get a static air response I'm just not listening for it and neither is anyone else - but at least I know my registration (and CG #), I doubt many do.

We were traveling up the bay on Saturday while the CG was broadcasting every 20 minutes that they were wanting info on a boat named Pycho, 40 foot long, white boat with blue trim and white sails - you know, like 90% of the boats out there.
 
#59 ·
This all reminds me that the first info one should give after hailing is their location....

IOW...... Mayday, mayday, mayday, this is the S/V Not Registered, located at XXXXXXXXX.......

Location can be given as lat/long, if you know it, or general location, such as, 5 miles south of Beavertail lighthouse. If you don't know this, knowing your boats registration number isn't going to be useful.

If your transmission died right there, the nature of your mayday isn't as important as your location. The USCG will immediately announce to request all vessels in that vicinity be on the look out. The vessel itself should be displaying an appropriate distress day signal.

Both the name and registration number are ultimately irrelevant.
 
#60 ·
Have had the floor boards floating on one occasion. Didn't call Mayday fixed the issue but caused me to think about it. Now instruct crew in proper way to call for help. All VHF radios on board are DSC enabled. Crew knows to deploy EPIRB at time Mayday called as well. At least one crew besides myself knows how to use SSB to call for help. Coastal in home waters have phone # of CG and harbormaster at nav station. Belt and suspenders.
Had occasion to be asked to be a standby vessel when commercial fish boat got in trouble when only ssb ( neither of us had it) and VHF were available. CG are incredible. Don't worry about them getting there in US coastal waters. Given it's federally illegal to not lend assistance even if boat in trouble is filled with the great unwashed don't think above concerns are usually operative with the weekend warriors in close coastal settings. Don't think sailnet crowd would not know how to act correctly. Do think we should all know proper radio protocols. They are even taught in the first basic power squadron course. My 2 cents.
 
#68 ·
Thanks for the education. I read the entire thread before posting, including the devolution of the thread's original post and question.

We agree - having a positive way to identify a boat is important. I was replying to your post I quoted, however, regarding how the CG identifies a hailing vessel when they don't give information.

While the CG shouldn't have to call for radio silence, I'm sure you've come across people who do not observe radio protocol. "They shouldn't have to" call for silence is like saying the police "shouldn't have to" pull people over for speeding, because people know not to speed.

Not to worry about your threads - I'll know to steer clear from your abrasive attitude in the future. I know I'm not the only person you've rubbed the wrong way with your confrontational demeanor. I hope that the meaning behind your words was lost in poor internet interpretation; it's hard to add appropriate emphasis to speech in type format. Fair sailing to you.
 
#70 ·
Have been told generally good idea to put numbers on dinghy and nothing else even if mother vessel has O.N. documentation. That way nefarious folks are not cued in if you are on or off your boat by checking out which dinghies are at the dinghy dock. Just saying.
 
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