Do you leave your VHF on at night in an anchorage?

[CharlzO]

Fortunately for me, I don't usually anchor in areas where there are a lot of boats making noise on the VHF over night. However, I do leave it on either way. I'd rather be woken up and not be needed, than not hear something that might be important. I can certainly understand not wanting to if it's a really popular area with lots of overnight conversations happening though.

[Paul L]

We always leave it on except in the rare case where the locals are continually talking.
A friend was describing the night they were anchored in St Lucia and a cruiser was murdered. They were anchored near by and had a fine sleep with their VHF off. The cruiser's wife had put out a call on the VHF for help in recovering her husband who was knocked overboard by the robbers. AVHF call that went unheard by the few boats nearby.
It's not all white sand beaches and boat drinks with little umbrellas in them.

[bradfordharley]

We cruise Mexico, and leave ours on “most of the time”. When something goes wrong, it always seems to happen at night and we always want to be notified or able to respond. That said, there are times when drunk locals play with the radio and we have little choice but to turn it off/switch channels.

[mglonnro]

Originally Posted by Paul L

A friend was describing the night they were anchored in St Lucia and a cruiser was murdered. They were anchored near by and had a fine sleep with their VHF off. The cruiser's wife had put out a call on the VHF for help in recovering her husband who was knocked overboard by the robbers. AVHF call that went unheard by the few boats nearby

That's absolutely horrible

I think we'll change our habits now and leave it on more often.

[mjscottinnc]

I wake up to any unexpected sounds or movement of the boat so in a marina slip, on a mooring, or anchored with many boats. No. Anchored in a secluded spot, yes. Sound carries so well over water that when a boat with an emergency sounds off near by I’ve responded. I spent over 20 years in EMS, there aren’t that many ‘real’ emergencies disputes the current appetite for drama.

[Chotu]

Hell no. I am on boats to relax, not to be startled awake or listen to something blaring all night.

And people complain about generators ruining the anchorage? 🤷*♂️

[johnleeknot2bus]

I was anchored one night and saw a boat dragging badly. Tried to call on vhf but no reply. Started to blow my horn and someone finally got up before they hit anyone.

[Cadence]

If hearing a lot of gab. Tell them it's a working channel, if they want to gab get a CB.

[MJH]

Originally Posted by Cthoops

I’ve heard a few cruisers mention they leave the VHF on at anchor 24/7. I’ve been reluctant to do it because I didn’t want to get woken up by random boat traffic in the middle of the night, but last night with the wind howling we decided to give it a try in case someone had an issue. I had it on channel 16, 1 watt setting.

Sure enough, at 1:00 am I get woken up by one boat calling another in the anchorage multiple times (the other boat wasn’t responding - probably didn’t have his radio on and it didn’t sound like an emergency), and at 6:00 am I woke up again by two boats making passing arrangements.

I don’t think I’m inclined to try this again for obvious reasons, but I was just curious what others do.

NO! Never had a good reason to leave it on. It just wastes power.

~ ~ _/) ~ ~ MJH

[Boatyarddog]

Originally Posted by Parrothedd

By all means, leave your VHF radio ON. You can turn down the volume so you don't hear random non-emergency traffic, but should someone push the RED DSC button on their radio in the event of a medical emergency, fire, etc., all radios within about 10 miles would sound the warlbing alert and give the mmsi number of the boat in distress and the channel they broadcast it on. It's the right thing to do, and only have a minimal drain on your battery. That's my opinion. Glenn Tuttle Boatwatch.org

Now ALL you have to do is figure which boat is that one hailing on VHF.
The one 100ft away or 10 miles away.
And it's night time?

[Mike OReilly]

Radio is the first thing to come on when we're getting ready to go, and the last thing turned off once we're settled. So it is usually off once the anchor is firmly set, or when we're tied to the dock.

Occasionally I'll turn it on if I recognize a boat in the anchorage. And it can come on for specific reasons. I do tend to flip it on if weather turns ugly, but otherwise it is off.

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by Boatyarddog

Now ALL you have to do is figure which boat is that one hailing on VHF.
The one 100ft away or 10 miles away.
And it's night time?

You could try using the Lat/Long that is transmitted with the DSC call and displayed in the message.

[hamburking]

As a single handed sailor with no TV/DVD/stereo aboard, I found the VHF very entertaining, listening to the comings and goings of other boats, and staying on top of the weather forecast. Before cell phones, VHF traffic was heavy on summer weekends. But now with excellent cell service in my area, there is very little VHF traffic.

[JPA Cate]

@cthoops,

Hi, there. You guys have been cruising for a while. Like many here, we do not routinely leave our vhf on at night, however, there are times when we would. If it is extremely remote and bad weather is expected, or even a frontal passage, yes. It is one of the things about cruising, and there is no legislation about it that I am aware of, but sometimes, you may have watched someone anchor upwind of you on what appeared to be shorter scope than you thought optimal. Perhaps it is a race or holiday weekend and you know there'll be heavy drinking, and drunk people are at more risk of drowning.

I think people decide this one on the basis of how responsible do they feel for the welfare of others, whether it's worth a disrupted night's sleep in order to be the one who rescues another. Or, as it was once put to me, if I will hate myself in the morning for not helping out, I'd d--n well better be prepared to put my money where my mouth is. It will be between you and yourself just where you want to be on this spectrum, and I hope your wife agrees with you!

We are always the closest responders, a rescue station awaits a radio call, then summons its folks to the rescue boat, then they have to get to the location and try to find the MOB.

Night time rescues are harder to effect safely than day time ones, harder to make sure your o/b is clear of lines, harder to find "victims" without hurting them; and if they're drunk, how're you going to control them once they're aboard? You really need a comprehensive plan. As tek diver said, if you're not prepared, leave the vhf off. But the other side of that, of course, is that if you are expert at rescuing people from the water, maybe you'd feel better if you left it on.

And remember, it is only one night's sleep at a time that is disturbed. How much does it matter if one of us has a poor night's sleep? Do we not make it up with a nap or the next night's sleep? Leaving the VHF volume down low, with the plan to respond only to Mayday calls should not interrupt too much....if you are prepared, capable, and ready to lend a hand.

Most of the rescues Jim and I have been involved in have been daytime, and often of dinghies, either escapee dinghies or sailing dinghies who got caught out not being able to work their way back up to windward, and a capsized boat one time on Sydney Hbr. No VHF calls involved at all.

Good luck with it, cthoops.

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

@cthoops,

Hi, there. You guys have been cruising for a while. Like many here, we do not routinely leave our vhf on at night, however, there are times when we would. If it is extremely remote and bad weather is expected, or even a frontal passage, yes. It is one of the things about cruising, and there is no legislation about it that I am aware of, but sometimes, you may have watched someone anchor upwind of you on what appeared to be shorter scope than you thought optimal. Perhaps it is a race or holiday weekend and you know there'll be heavy drinking, and drunk people are at more risk of drowning.

I think people decide this one on the basis of how responsible do they feel for the welfare of others, whether it's worth a disrupted night's sleep in order to be the one who rescues another. Or, as it was once put to me, if I will hate myself in the morning for not helping out, I'd d--n well better be prepared to put my money where my mouth is. It will be between you and yourself just where you want to be on this spectrum, and I hope your wife agrees with you!

We are always the closest responders, a rescue station awaits a radio call, then summons its folks to the rescue boat, then they have to get to the location and try to find the MOB.

Night time rescues are harder to effect safely than day time ones, harder to make sure your o/b is clear of lines, harder to find "victims" without hurting them; and if they're drunk, how're you going to control them once they're aboard? You really need a comprehensive plan. As tek diver said, if you're not prepared, leave the vhf off. But the other side of that, of course, is that if you are expert at rescuing people from the water, maybe you'd feel better if you left it on.

And remember, it is only one night's sleep at a time that is disturbed. How much does it matter if one of us has a poor night's sleep? Do we not make it up with a nap or the next night's sleep? Leaving the VHF volume down low, with the plan to respond only to Mayday calls should not interrupt too much....if you are prepared, capable, and ready to lend a hand.

Most of the rescues Jim and I have been involved in have been daytime, and often of dinghies, either escapee dinghies or sailing dinghies who got caught out not being able to work their way back up to windward, and a capsized boat one time on Sydney Hbr. No VHF calls involved at all.

Good luck with it, cthoops.

It is certainly a personal choice whether you leave the VHF on or not, it is not legally a personal choice whether you provide assistant, it is a requirement:

Regulation 33
1. The master of a ship at sea which is in a position to be able to provide assistance on receiving information from any source that persons are in distress at sea, is bound to proceed with all speed to their assistance, if possible informing them or the search and rescue service that the ship is doing so. This obligation to provide assistance applies regardless of the nationality or status of such persons or the circumstances in which they are found. If the ship receiving the distress alert is unable or, in the special circumstances of the case, considers it unreasonable or unnecessary to proceed to their assistance, the master must enter in the log-book the reason for failing to proceed to the assistance of the persons in distress, taking into account the recommendation of the Organization, to inform the appropriate search and rescue service accordingly.