Ian Waugh - A Mariner\'s Guide to Marine Communications

As in the earlier 'AI VHF' example, Wizardwould 'Acknowledge

by voice', on 2182kHz, after the Coast Station had acknowledged. If

able to assist, Wizard would then (with the master's permission) send

position and ETA to the casualty/MRCC, e.g:

'Mayday JustinaJustinaJustina (or Falmouth Coastguard)

this is Wizard, Wizard, Wizard callsign Golf Whiskey India Zulu, Received Mayday'

(followed by)

Mayday JustinaJustinaJustina (or Falmouth Coastguard)

this is Wizard Wizard Wizard - 20 miles West of you, proceeding, ETA 2 hours, Over

In this example, the radio log onboard Wizard would look like:

Frequency

Date/Time Station Station Channel or

UTC To From Remarks Satellite

27.10. 01

0~J30 232456789 Distress Alert^49 20N^010 OIW

@ 0800UTC Sinking 2187 .5kHz

0930 On Watch j. Uhuru 2182kHz

Master infonned

O!):i I 002320014 DSC Ack' (details as above) 2187.5kHz

0932 Mayday justinalGJUS/^49 22N^010 50W struck submerged 2182kHz

232456789 object and sinking - require

immediate assistance 2182kHz

0933 justina Falmouth C/G R Mayday -POB? (25 POB) (R) 2182kHz

0934 justina Wi<:ardlGWIZ R Mayday - 20 Miles W -

ETA 2hrs (R) 2182kHz

As explained before (VHF procedures):

• The position in the DSC Alert may be up to 4 hours old (making it
  different from the voice position).


• The person keeping the log should 'sign-on' 2182kHz watch.
  The DSC Distress Ack' is an 'All Stations' call.


• In a distress situation, everyone who speaks on the distress channel
  starts with the word 'Mayday' once, at the beginning of each call.

If you put an entry in parenthesis - e.g. (25 POB) this implies a reply

from the called station (in this case -Justina's reply to Falmouth Coastguard).
(R) means 'Received' -logging the acknowledgement from the other station.

Distress Communications - Sea Area A3 and A4

A vessel in Distress in Sea Area A3 or A4 should still attempt, as a
first priority, to get a Distress Alert/Message to a Coast Station/MRCC.
The 'primary' methods of achieving this objective are DSC on HF (using
the Marine SSB Radio - for A3 and A4 areas) or Inmarsat satellite
communications (up to, and including, Sea Area A3).

84 THE NAUTICAL INSTITUTE