How good a VHF watch do you maintain?

[joehersey]

For those that are interested, the US Coast Guard has information on US VHF watchkeeping requirements here: https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/?pageName=mtWatch

[joehersey]

Originally Posted by rslifkin

I solved the GPS problem by using VHFs with built in gps, so they're happy without anything else powered up.

I don't generally monitor at night, although in bad weather or depending on location I may be inclined to.

There's a good reason ITU required radios without an interconnected GPS to alarm every four hours. Earlier this year, the US Coast Guard reported to the International Maritime Organization that "The analysis of DSC (distress alert) notifications indicated that 71% of the cases had no position information."

They went on to say "From 2015 to 2019, there has been a 75% increase in documented cases where VHF DSC has been the primary means of distress notification. The SAR Mission Coordinator (SMC) may close a SAR case when the person is located and delivered to a place of safety. Additionally, an SMC may suspend a search after considering all the known factors for the case and the SAR facilities on scene are unable to locate the person in distress. VHF DSC notifications, which include the position and accurate owner/operator information via the MMSI registration database, provide the SMC with the best information available to assess the severity of a SAR incident, determine the appropriate SAR emergency phase and coordinate the subsequent SAR operation. In 2019, 39% of the VHF DSC cases documented by the United States Coast Guard were not successful in locating or determining the registered ownership of the VHF DSC equipment that provided the distress alert. These cases remain open with active search operations being suspended." I believe there were 152 DSC cases in the US in 2019. (IMO NCSR 8/Inf.9)

ITU now requires all DSC-equipped VHF radios have an internal GPS, which is a better solution. That alone may eventually resolve the USCG's 71% of distress calls unlocated problem. Nevertheless, FCC's rules (which don't get updated often) still require the older ITU rules with the alarm requirement.

[FlyingScot]

Well this was eye opening.
We keep a VHF on scan, scanning 2 or 3 channels or just on 16 as appropriate.
Here in Bonaire 16 for safety, 12 for the marina I'm parked right outside, and 77 for cruisers to talk to each other. VHF located in the salon. When underway the remote headset is at the helm. We haven't sailed in areas with a lot of chatter.
When I go to sleep, I'm about 50/50 to keep it on or turn the volume down. I don't want to get used to hearing voices on board without waking up.

[CyKlop]

Being one of those sailor-type folks (the ones with sticks and bedsheets flapping in the breeze...),

My radio is down at the Nav Station. I have wireless remote that moves around the boat with me. It is always on channel 16 unless I'm on a working channel with someone. Then it's dual monitoring my working channel and 16.

Power is a resource I have to be careful of (at least until I add solar panels), so only one radio and it can watch only current channel and 16. However, I'm religious about monitoring the radio when under way, and usually when at anchor too.

[Christopher H]

Hi

I was just wondering the same question but for my UK and European sailors what channels 16, 6, 8, 72 and 77, 80 but what about 10,72 I believe in total the UK has 52 channels in total? Happy sailing to all my fellow sailors may your sails be full and the sun on your back.

[Mare Nostrum]

I only turn off the VHF when at dock. Otherwise, I keep it on 24/7 & have an RAM in the cockpit. I was trained (emphatically!) that a responsible mariner is required to monitor 16 whenever on the water. That includes anchorages & faraway supposedly isolated places, of which there are many in the Mexican Pacific, where we mainly are.
Many folks forget that as sailors, we should all watch out for each other (without getting in the way).
Here's wishing Happy, Great & Safe Sailing to all on CF!!

[Cynara]

Our VHF WAS ON 24. Hours a day during our 3 year cruise. I could hear it okay unless the engine was running

[Bill_Giles]

We have a main set with a remote wander handset. We also keep a handheld handy too. Interestingly we were called by the UK Coastguard via DSC who had got our MMSI through AIS. It was to ask us to keep an eye out as someone shoreside had reported a red flare out to sea. Nothing seen though. We generally monitor only Ch 16 plus VTS if appropriate also Ch 13 if in shipping areas.

[Lodesman]

Originally Posted by Mare Nostrum

I was trained (emphatically!) that a responsible mariner is required to monitor 16 whenever on the water.

We've seen a lot of shift in both monitoring expectations as well as the technical capabilities of the equipment over the past 40 years or so. Once upon a time radios monitored only the channel that was tuned - if you wanted to monitor more channels, you had to have more radios. So convention (and legal requirement followed) was to monitor ch 16 for calling and distress. The advent of VTS pushed the development of "dual-watch" radios which typically monitor ch 16 and whatever ch is tuned. As technological advances in radios brought 'tri-watch', 'programmed watch' and 'scanning' features convention pushed to separate 'calling' from 'distress' so ch 13 was adopted. And in the US, I'm not sure if it's mandated or just loosely adopted that ch 9 is calling among recreational vessels. All to say that so many watch demands are now being made that we are once again constrained by the technology, so concessions are being made, such that monitoring ch 16 is now optional when there's a VTS ch. available.

[Scott Berg]

Originally Posted by FlyingScot

Well this was eye opening.

We keep a VHF on scan, scanning 2 or 3 channels or just on 16 as appropriate.

Here in Bonaire 16 for safety, 12 for the marina I'm parked right outside, and 77 for cruisers to talk to each other. VHF located in the salon. When underway the remote headset is at the helm. We haven't sailed in areas with a lot of chatter.

When I go to sleep, I'm about 50/50 to keep it on or turn the volume down. I don't want to get used to hearing voices on board without waking up.

Turn it down (we do every evening); a DSC Distress alarm overrides the volume settings allowing you to respond as appropriate

s

[merrydolphin]

As good as possible! I have saved lives, and I literally mean that because I had VHF on. If I didn’t have on my VHF and heard the mayday. There would be a very nice cruising lady of about 30 yrs old that would be dead now. And I can think of a couple more that were critically important. I can be a pita with lots of foreign chatter on 16 but still try.

[wingssail]

Originally Posted by joehersey

There's a good reason ITU required radios without an interconnected GPS to alarm every four hours. Earlier this year, the US Coast Guard reported to the International Maritime Organization that "The analysis of DSC (distress alert) notifications indicated that 71% of the cases had no position information."

They went on to say "From 2015 to 2019, there has been a 75% increase in documented cases where VHF DSC has been the primary means of distress notification. The SAR Mission Coordinator (SMC) may close a SAR case when the person is located and delivered to a place of safety. Additionally, an SMC may suspend a search after considering all the known factors for the case and the SAR facilities on scene are unable to locate the person in distress. VHF DSC notifications, which include the position and accurate owner/operator information via the MMSI registration database, provide the SMC with the best information available to assess the severity of a SAR incident, determine the appropriate SAR emergency phase and coordinate the subsequent SAR operation. In 2019, 39% of the VHF DSC cases documented by the United States Coast Guard were not successful in locating or determining the registered ownership of the VHF DSC equipment that provided the distress alert. These cases remain open with active search operations being suspended." I believe there were 152 DSC cases in the US in 2019. (IMO NCSR 8/Inf.9)

ITU now requires all DSC-equipped VHF radios have an internal GPS, which is a better solution. That alone may eventually resolve the USCG's 71% of distress calls unlocated problem. Nevertheless, FCC's rules (which don't get updated often) still require the older ITU rules with the alarm requirement.

Maybe you didn't think very long about the problem I mentioned or you don't understand it.

Your whole comment pertains to the need for GPS, MMSI etc, in distress transmissions (people using DSC, specifically).

My complaint is that there is no need for me to have GPS input to the radio if I am only monitoring calling and emergency frequencies. I don't need GPS if I am responding to an emergency (non-DSC) radio call. In fact it is only essential if I am making a DSC call.

I do not have my GPS instruments on 24 hours a day seven days a week but since if I don't, due to the tone deaf ITU requirement then I will be awakened every night by that aggravating 4 hourly alarm.

For that reason, unless I am underway, the VHF is switched off at night. I have heard from others that they do the same.

This is a detriment to safety since many potential listeners have switched off. The ITU is responsible for this.

[Onthehard]

When away from the dock, I monitor 16 / 9 / 13. Having said that, I can understand very little being said on my remote mic. I have to go below and adjust the volume / squelch in order to get the message.

[requiem]

Generally monitor 16, but have 9-12-13-14 set up for scanning. If only able to pick three it would be 16-13-(12 or 14, based on location). Mostly the radio is by the nav table, so unless there's a remote mic I'm using a handheld.

IIRC monitoring 16 became optional because of DSC: "if it's really important the radio will let me know", not so much due to VTS channels. Thus if I need to contact a large ship I'll default to 13.

Channel 9 never really took off here, apart from use by marinas and bridges, and I don't really expect other boaters to be monitoring it. (USCG District 1 may be the exception?) Fortunately 16 seems quieter compared to other places.

[Tonali99]

Originally Posted by Dsanduril

We monitor 16 and have a pretty decent mic/speaker at the helm, but how much time do we spend at the helm? If we’re off trimming sheets, or reefing the main, and especially if only one person is on watch/awake I would not call our watch reliable.

OTOH our AIS is always on and monitors DSC 70. For any distress/MOB it sets off the alarm horn that can be heard anywhere on the boat and will wake the sleeping. For a call to our MMSI it flashes up (and holds) a notice on the display that stays until acked.

How much time do you spend trimming sheets? I can do all of that from the cockpit, where the helm is. The exception would be raising, lowering or reefing the main.