Emergency Messages and Distress Procedure
VHF Marine Radio Protocols
Marine Distress Procedure
Speak slowly — clearly — calmly.
1.Make sure your radio is On.
2.Select VHF Channel 16.
3.Press Talk button and say:
“MAYDAY — MAYDAY — MAYDAY”
(or “PAN PAN — PAN PAN — PAN PAN”
or “SECURITE — SECURITE — SECURITE”)
4.Say:
“THIS IS [your vessel name or call sign].”
5.Say:
“MAYDAY” (or “PAN PAN” or “SECURITE”) [your vessel name or call sign].
6.Tell where you are:
(Your position or what navigational aids or landmarks are near.)
7.State the nature of your distress.
8.State the kind of assistance needed.
9.Give number of persons aboard and conditions of any injured.
10.Estimate present seaworthiness of your vessel.
11.Briefly describe your vessel (length, type, colour, hull).
12.Say:
“I WILL BE LISTENING ON CHANNEL 16.”
13.End message by saying:
“THIS IS [your vessel name or call sign] OVER.”
14.Release Talk button and listen. Someone should answer. If not, repeat the call, beginning at item 3 above.
For medical problems such as crew hit by sailboat boom or heart trouble, make a PAN PAN call as above with the word medico added.
“PAN PAN MEDICO — PAN PAN MEDICO — PAN PAN MEDICO”
The coastguard will try to link you to a doctor who can give expert advice and evaluate the need for evacuation.
Emergency Messages
and Distress Procedure
VHF Marine Radio Protocols
Keep the radio nearby. Even after your message has been received, the coastguard can find you more quickly if you can transmit a signal for a rescue boat to home in on.
For Example
“Mayday — Mayday — Mayday”
“This is Corsair — Corsair — Corsair”
“Mayday Corsair”
“Point Lynas bears 220 degrees magnetic — distance 8 kilometres”
“Struck submerged object and flooding — need pump and tow”
“Four adults, three children aboard — no one injured”
“Estimate we will remain afloat
“Corsair is an 8 metre sloop with blue hull and tan deck house”
“I will be listening on Channel 16”
“This is Corsair”
“Over”
It is a good idea to write out a script of the message form and post it where you and others on your vessel can see it when an emergency message needs to be sent.
10 English | Nothing comes close to a Cobra® 11 |