Ships at sea are also expected to warn other vessels, and a shore authority,about the presence of cyclones, dangerous ice, dangerous wrecks or any other
navigation hazard. The voice safety signal is the word 'Sicuriti' and is only used
to announce safety messages.
Distress, Urgency and Safety communications should normally be
conducted exclusively on GMDSS/marine radio or satellite
communications equipment. Only if GMDSS equipment has failed to
gain the assistance required, or has failed to pass a safety message to
shore, should non-GMDSS/non-marine equipment be considered.OTHER communications
All communications that are not classed as distress, urgency or safety
are, in the GMDSS, classed as 'other' communications and will include:
(i) Normal communications with ports, pilots and ship movement!
vessel traffic services.
(ii) Normal intership communications.
(iii) Private/business calls/messages in the 'public correspondence'
service (e.g., normal ship-shore telephone, fax and data calls and
telex/e-mail messages).
Communications with ports, pilots and vessel traffic services will
normally be carried out using GMDSS/marine radio equipment.
Intership communications will normally be conducted on G MDSSI
marine radio equipment.
Communications in the public correspondence service may be
carried out on GMDSS/marine radio or satellite communications
equipment - but is increasingly being carried out on non-G MDSS/non-
marine radio and satellite communications equipment.
Additional information for masters
If you are having trouble deciding individual priorities within the
'other' category - the follOwing list of priorities prevailed under the pre-
GMDSS system, for those types of call/message which now fall into the
'other' category and that, in the absence of any official instructions, you
could use as a guide:
Radio-direction finding messages; SAR Aircraft Navigation messages;
Navigation of Shipsl Aircraft messages and Weather Observation
(OBS) messages.- United Nations (UN) Charter messages (ETATPRIORITYNATIONS)
MARINE COMMUNICATIONS 219