Making a Distress Call
Speak slowly - clearly - calmly.
For future reference, write your boat’s name & call sign here:
1.Make sure your radio is on.
2.On the radio, press the
3.Press the push to talk button and say: “MAYDAY
MAYDAY.”
4.Say “THIS IS {name of your boat (three times) and call sign/boat registration number (once)}.”
5.Say “MAYDAY {name or call sign of your boat}.”
6.Tell where you are: (what navigational aids or landmarks are near, or read the latitude and longitude from your GPS).
7.State the nature of your distress, (e.g. are you sinking, medical emergency, man overboard, on fire, adrift, etc.
8.State the type of assistance you need (medical, towing, pumps, etc.).
9.Give number of persons aboard and conditions of any injured persons.
10.Estimate present seaworthiness of your ship (e.g. how immediate is the danger due to flooding or fire or proximity to shore).
11.Briefly describe your ship, giving the ship name (e.g. “Blue Duck is
32 foot cabin cruiser, white hull, blue deck house”).
12.Say: “I WILL BE LISTENING ON CHANNEL 16.”
13.End message by saying “THIS IS {name or call sign of your boat}, OVER.”
14.Release the push to talk button and listen.
If you do not get an answer after 30 seconds, repeat your call, beginning at step 3, above.