SailNet Community banner
  • SailNet is a forum community dedicated to Sailing enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about sailing, modifications, classifieds, troubleshooting, repairs, reviews, maintenance, and more!

Channel 16

5K views 42 replies 16 participants last post by  sailingdog 
#1 · (Edited)
OK... just trying to figure out - is Channel 16 considered a hailing channel everyplace EXCEPT on Lake Champlain and the Great Lakes? From what I understand, Channel 16 is fine to hail and request a change to another channel. "Boat X, Boat X, this is Pelican. Pelican, Boat X, switch to 68" or something of the sort - at least that's the way I've always used it and hear everyone else using it.

My marina dockmaster insists that on Champlain that Channel 16 is only for emergency use. If you try to hail them on 16, they publicly lambaste you (Pelican, Channel 16 is ONLY FOR EMERGENCY BROADCASTS. If you want to hail someone you have to use Channel 9), make you feel like an idiot, and then tell you to switch to 68 or another working channel. They state that Channel 9 is the hailing channel on Champlain.

I've looked in tons of places, and can't find anything stating that Channel 16 is different on Champlain. Does anyone know anything about this? If this is true, shouldn't the CG be yelling at everyone on Champlain who uses 16 as a hailing channel, which is everyone I know including us?

I wouldn't even bring it up, except now I just noticed on ActiveCaptain that our marina put "Channel 9 is the VHF calling channel for Great Lakes and Lake Champlain. xxx's Marina working channel is 68 and all traffic will be requested to switch to 68 after contact is established on 9. Channel 16 is strictly reserved for distress on the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain." I hate seeing improper information show up, but I stand to be corrected if I'm wrong.
 
See less See more
#2 ·
OK... just trying to figure out - is Channel 16 c
My understanding is ok to use channel 16 and hail other vessels and then state and request to go to another channel. 16 is the channel most should be tuned into underway to begin with as the Coast guard will announce issues etc, other boats desiring assistance etc.....To have a conversation on 16 non-emergency related - is bad and should not be tolerated...but for hailing and switching to another channel - proper use...
 
#3 ·
Labatt,

On N. lake Michigan most marinas monitor 16/9 or 68. Cruising guides will usually tell you what channel each monitors, but in every case that I am aware of 16 is one of the channels. They quickly, and rightly, move you to another channel, but 16 is always active as a hailing channel. Champlain may be an exception because of poulation, as N. Lk Mi. is not active, but I have never heard of such a exception.

Sounds a little bit extreme to me.
 
#28 ·
Labatt,

On N. lake Michigan most marinas monitor 16/9 or 68. Cruising guides will usually tell you what channel each monitors, but in every case that I am aware of 16 is one of the channels. They quickly, and rightly, move you to another channel, but 16 is always active as a hailing channel. Champlain may be an exception because of poulation, as N. Lk Mi. is not active, but I have never heard of such a exception.

Sounds a little bit extreme to me.
What Tommy said. Brevity is the soul of wit, though. Here's a typical Ch. 16 exchange off Toronto:

"Alchemy, Alchemy, Alchemy, this is Tugboat, Tugboat, over.

Tugboat, Alchemy, go zero six.

Zero-six, roger."

Elapsed time, about seven seconds if my VHF is nearby. If ch. 6 is occupied, we return to ch. 16 and try again, usually on 27, 71 or 73.

Chs. 12 and 13 are used here for airport/ship and bridge-bridge communications here, but there's no special injunction against using 16 as a hail frequency other than keep it as concise as possible.
 
#5 ·
When in doubt, stay off Ch16 regardless of where you are. Some harmless hail could easily interfere with someone's distress call which you may not hear. You may feel your short harmless hail is trivial but if you do it, everyone will and the result is what we sometimes hear - all the idiots and their children asking for the dreaded radio check, how's the fishing, do I have a diesel engine?, etc. I actually heard some moron ask that one day on 16 when he pulled up to the fuel dock.
There are already enough idiots with radios on their boats so please don't add to it.
 
#6 ·
I'll have to play devils advocate here... 16 is the channel to listen to underway. I know from experience I have been warned many times by the CG of issues during my travel (distress, sub coming in, etc)...

Yes, it is intolerable for discussions as you listed above - but assuming all sailors are responsible - there is nothing that states for hailing you can not use 16. For carrying on a non-emergency discussion on 16 - your boat should sink rapidly - but for hailing and switching to another channel - thats is the purpose of the channel... its the top tier ...
 
#7 ·
So try using Ch. 9 first and see if you get any replies. Then try 16 and if they verbally ***** slap you you can tell them you already tried the fooking channel they're telling you to use. 16 is meant for emergency stuff so do try and switch off quickly. Mostly, don't take it personally that someone is a channel 16 nazi - they could be an ambulance driver.
 
#10 ·
Mostly, don't take it personally that someone is a channel 16 nazi - they could be an ambulance driver.
It's just that when I forget to switch to 9 to hail them, I hate being lectured to like I'm a little kid on something that's not even correct. My huge ego gets bruised :)
 
#8 ·
You must really be in a high density area, and I have sailed out of Chicago, to have too much activity on 16. A quick hail and switch is legal... period. Discussing politics or the advantages of gas over dieles is extreme. Excuse me, but hailing is legal. Assholes are everywhere, and they go to extremes, but hailing and switching is perfectly OK by the USGC and me.
 
#9 ·
k1vsk - We "hail and move" i.e. call the boat, and as soon as we make contact, we move to an alternate channel. According to the USCG, this is appropriate use of Channel 16. I'm just trying to figure out if there's an exception for Champlain. I agree - there tends to be too much chatter on 16 where people don't move off of it, and we always count down to the CG yelling at the offenders. We especially love it when someone accidentally loses their mic in a cushion and the push-to-talk switch is depressed, and you can hear the motor screaming and the "woo-hoo"'s of the driver and passenger on a ********... Also, I believe radio checks on 16 are prohibited, but once again - hailing is not. Just trying to get it all down :)
 
#12 ·
I guess I should have stated it differently:
If you routinely hail on CH16, so will other people and so too will this foster the abuse we all abhore. There is no reason you cannot use CH9 for routine hailing, etc.
The above has nothing to do with the "legality" or just "monitoring".
In other words, if there is some possibility of interfering with an emergency, common sense should dictate using another frequency, even for a short call.
 
#13 ·
I guess I should have stated it differently:
If you routinely hail on CH16, so will other people and so too will this foster the abuse we all abhore. There is no reason you cannot use CH16 for routine hailing, etc.
The above has nothing to do with the "legality" or just "monitoring".
In other words, if there is some possibility of interfering with an emergency, common sense should dictate using another frequency, even for a short call.
My VHF does not have the ability to determine which channels... its on 16 when underway and if someone hails we go to another channel... but to my knowledge unless you program a VHF to scan multiple channels there is no garuantee that someone trying to hail you has that advantage as well...
 
#14 ·
Again, if yoy\u are in an area where the traffic is so high, you will probably arrange to hail people on another channel. However, in many places the ONLY channel people monitor in 16. Tough %^&*() if you think they will hear you on another channel.

i totally agree, those people that are carringly on conversations * I am cruising at 5.8 Kts, how fast are you sailing" are ass holes, and I let them know that this is an emegency channel. However, Boat A, this is B, do you read, and then switching to 68 or some other channel, fine with me. Where do you sail that this kind of hailing interferes with EMERGENCIES!
 
#16 ·
Again, if yoy\u are in an area where the traffic is so high, you will probably arrange to hail people on another channel. However, in many places the ONLY channel people monitor in 16. Tough %^&*() if you think they will hear you on another channel.

i totally agree, those people that are carringly on conversations * I am cruising at 5.8 Kts, how fast are you sailing" are ass holes, and I let them know that this is an emegency channel. However, Boat A, this is B, do you read, and then switching to 68 or some other channel, fine with me. Where do you sail that this kind of hailing interferes with EMERGENCIES!
I give up!
You can't really believe an emergency can only happen in designated areas.
 
#15 ·
Almost everyone that still monitors their VHF uses 16.
A lot of boats don't have new VHF radios, so they don't scan the channels. If you want to hail an other boat 16 is your best bet. If there is an emergency the Coast Guard will let you know when it is your turn to shut up. They operate repeaters and transmit a much higher wattage than we do.

In Canada, Marinas don't monitor 16. You have to hail them on their channel.. which really sucks if you don't have a harbor guide.
Did you know seawater freezes? Well it does, by boat became an icebreaker today :)
 
#18 · (Edited)
According to the USCG website, http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/marcomms/vhf.htm, on usage:

Channel 9 - Boater Calling. Commercial and Non-Commercial.
and
Channel 16 - International Distress, Safety and Calling. Ships required to carry radio, USCG, and most coast stations maintain a listening watch on this channel.
However, they also say, lower down the page,
Channel 16 is used for calling other stations or for distress alerting.
So, you can use it to initiate contact then move to a non-commercial frequency. In many areas Channel 9 isn't really monitored, so using it is less than useful. Channel 16 is required to be monitored by all VHF-equipped vessels, so unless your region normally uses Channel 9, using Channel 16 makes sense.
 
#24 ·
So, you can use it to initiate contact then move to a non-commercial frequency. In many areas Channel 9 isn't really monitored, so using it is less than useful. Channel 16 is required to be monitored by all VHF-equipped vessels, so unless your region normally uses Channel 9, using Channel 16 makes sense.
Exactly. I wondered how long before someone had a straight forward answer.

I'm required to monotor Channel 16 and assume (possibly incorrectly :confused: ) that everyone else is also. If everyone is monitoring 16 they won't hear me if I call them on 9, 68 or whatever other channel someone thinks I should use to hail. (Yes, I am aware of radios with scanning features - I have two. Doesn't mean the vessel I am trying to hail has one though.)
16 it is for me - and yes, I will request to switch as soon as I make contact.
 
#22 ·
Exactly, how did the cheaters win???
 
#21 ·
Hey, the Giants just beat the Packers in my sailing area, and on channel 16, nobody will know till Spring....whenever that is! If I am yelling for help I yell on 16! When I want a slip for the night I yell on 16 unless the marina monitors other channels ( and in most cases they really only listen to 16). Whatever gets the job done.

Hey, I am at the 45th Parallel, and at this point the last thing I want to do is sail out there. It is currently -2 F, and the wind chill does not matter! It is spelled COLD!
 
#26 ·
Labatt,
So try to remember to use channel 9 first for hailing,then 16. Like I said, many of these guys are kind of 'safety weenies' who have nothing better to do than ridicule you with your radio handling capabilities. I do like the beer from the upper US and Labbatt is a nice one. So realize that you are the one with the pleasure boat and that they are 'safety weenies' and get over it.
You might want to do see a doctor about that 'huge ego' of yours!
Cheers.
 
#29 ·
An added point: Most marinas and YCs seem to monitor 68 around here...why it's 68 I have no idea...but the upshot is that it is frequently far busier than 16 and you have to practically dock to get the attention of the dockmaster to get an assignment or to answer a query, as such folk are frequently carrying a handheld VHF on their belts with the squelch up high.
 
#31 ·
From Texas to Maryland, Channel 16 has been the "hailing" channel, followed by a request to switch to #___ . Both Florida and Georgia use Channel 9 as bridge and lock hailing, rather than #13 as used elsewhere along the ICW.

Whenever I've needed to hail another boat, in transit, or for them to hail me, it has always been on #16. That being the channel that everyone monitors, since that is where CG announcements and other offical information is given.

If a marina requests you use a specific channel, then do so. They do not though, have the authority to tell you to use a specific channel for other communications.
 
#33 ·
How busy is your channel 16?

In your sailing area, how busy is channel 16?

Around the British Isles, it is on the go fairly continuously and overloaded around the Solent much of the time. This contrasts with the Northern European coasts where channel 16 remains silent for long periods. The UK encourages such things as departure and arrival reporting, radio checks, weather requests and similar traffic from yachties. This is in contrast to the "Continent", where most of the channel 16 use is by commercial shipping hailing.
 
#34 ·
Good topic and one that I also question.

I seems to me that there is a trend to try and move the recreational traffic from 16 over to 9. (my area is Southern Lake Michigan) That is fine with me, but my problem is that if I switch over and constantly monitor 9, I miss some really important stuff that could be happening on 16. What if there is a boater in need of assistance and I am unaware because now I only monitor the recreational channel? The broadcast of most importance still happen on 16.

When we cruise and are out in open waters or waters of remote locations, I always switch to 16 and monitor that channel for commercial traffic, and yes I will hail on 16 when in remote waters and locations and when radio traffic is minimal.

I guess one solution for me would be to figure out if my radio will scan just the two channels. Scan 16/9 continuously would be my solution.
 
#36 ·
But, how is #9 used in your area? As a hailing channel, or for talking as well? Unless you have a scanning VHF, then you should be on #16.

One solution would be having a handheld as well as fixed mount radio, keeping the handheld on the most frequently used channel and the fixed on #16. I can't imagine not having a handheld as a singlehander, or at least a remote mic. And most that have a remote, will be scanning type radio's.
 
#37 ·
But, how is #9 used in your area? As a hailing channel, or for talking as well? Unless you have a scanning VHF, then you should be on #16.
John,
That is the very point Labatt is trying to make and one that I agree with.
It is a very valid point in some areas.
As I said, there is a trend to get recreational traffic off of 16.
Channel 9 is suggested to be used as the recreational "Hailing Channel."

I don't agree, because (as stated previous) I will miss the important stuff going on on 16 if I monitor 9.

It does need to be addressed as I believe it can have a negative impact.
 
#38 ·
With past boats, we have always kept the VHF on 16 for both monitoring and hailing, unless hailing someone on pre-designated channels - like harbormasters, dockmasters, etc. Switching over to either 9 or a working channel after making brief contact is accepted practice in our area as well.

I would expect most sailors to have a scanning VHF. Our current boat has both fixed and handheld scanning VHFs, so we monitor 16 & 9 simultaneously - since many of our friends hail us on 9. But obviously, the handheld has limited range compared to the fixed unit's masthead antenna.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top