Radio Communications

[David M]

Originally Posted by Tony B

Do you use your radio, is it really needed for safety and where do you cruise?

Absolutely I use the radio and it is definitely for safety. It's the law for me. I monitor 13 (bridge to bridge, used mostly by commercial vessels for making passing arrangements), 14 (Vessel Traffic Service) and 16 (International Calling and Distress). I use two radios to do this.

Sometimes I monitor a fourth channel as a working frequency when I am working with another research vessel or small boat. Things can get nuts then.

One of most intense things I ever did radiowise was to do transects towing a 300 meter long acoustic array through the middle of the San Francisco Bay. Everyone was contacting me on the radio on different channels trying to figure out how to avoid me.

I work in a busy harbor mostly.

[belizesailor]

Not so critical in many parts of the Carib where there is not much commercial traffic, but I usually set mine up to monitor the locally used channels. Good to find this info out before you go into a new area -- especially a high traffic area.

I've also transited the intersection at Morgan City a few times and it can get pretty hairy. Really not the best of places to even be in a recreational boat.

[bobconnie]

As Tony B said ! It can get Crazy down here ! the traffic is constant. I have 2 vhfs onboard and a CB also, cus a lot of the shrimp boats have them and sometimes it's easier to get them that way ! Just to get to the ICW from my dock, I have to call at least 3 bridges before I get there !! I live right on Terrebonne Bayou, and ya should see some of the Barges being towed up and down on it !! I sometimes cring at the thought of pushing some of these loads!! They do have some FINE Tug Capts down here !! But anyway a VHF is absolutely nessary on any part of the ICW between Fla and Texas !! and brush up on your Horn regs LOL have fun if yall come !!

[Capn Morgan]

Originally Posted by Ex-Calif

Singapore, monitored occasionally. Used periodically to call immigration or a marina. Never used to hail a ship or even another boat. In 6 years I have never heard anyone one on a pleasurecraft hail a commercial ship. The radio chatter is usually two Indonesians, stepping on two Filipinos stepping on two Malaysians all talking in different languages about where they are gonna go to get laid when they get shore leave.

Dan, may I add that visiting yachts, IE all those not licensed to operate in Singapore Port waters, must monitor Ch16 and operate either a HART or AIS transponder at all times.

[Tony B]

Right now I am a stones throw from you - across the bayou.
I'm in Galliano in a motel waiting to fly back offshore.

[cal40john]

I'm in Puget Sound. On a good visibility day on a club trip with other boats I dual watch 16 and 69. In the fog and at night I'm on scan, with 16, 13, 14, 69. 13 sometimes gives me a heads up about ships in the area and on rare occasions I call to figure out where they're going. 14 is VTS here (5A farther north) more info about what ships are doing. I will call VTS before crossing a ship channel in the fog.

Radio is always on, I have DSC with the GPS plugged in so a 5 second push on the distress button is ready to go for an emergency. Sometimes I do forget to turn it on in the morning, usually figure it out fairly soon.

In the U.S. a radio is not required on a <20 meter boat, but if you do have one it is required to have it on while underway.

47 CFR 80.310 Watch required by voluntary vessels.

"Voluntary vessels not equipped with DSC must maintain a watch on 156.800 MHz (Channel 16) whenever the vessel is underway and the radio is not being used to communicate.
Noncommercial vessels, such as recreational boats, may alternatively maintain a watch on 156.450 MHz (Channel 9) for call and reply purposes.
Voluntary vessels equipped with VHF–DSC equipment must maintain a watch on either 156.525 MHz (Channel 70) or VHF Channel 16 aurally whenever the vessel is underway and the radio is not being used to communicate..."

[MacG]

@ Conachair

W/o operable VHF welcome to the main ports of Europe.

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by Capn Morgan

Dan, may I add that visiting yachts, IE all those not licensed to operate in Singapore Port waters, must monitor Ch16 and operate either a HART or AIS transponder at all times.

Not sure anout the Hart transponder or AIS. All Singapore vessels must have one or the other. I may be wrong but I think foreign flag can check in at either immigration point, declare their marina but if they move internally are supposed to file a float plan. i.e. Raffles to RSYC for example. I dont think many do.

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by Tony B

........
BTW, in Louisiana, we talk backwards. We use our own name first. Wrong, but thats the way its done.

LMAO, Not sure why but this really got me laughing .

Seriously though, I find that interesting, does it happen anywhere else in the world?

I used to hear it occasionally many decades back on outback stations using HF for RFDS (medical service) and School of the Air but never recently in marine, commercial or aviation usage.

[belizesailor]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tony B
........
BTW, in Louisiana, we talk backwards. We use our own name first. Wrong, but thats the way its done.

Originally Posted by Wotname

LMAO, Not sure why but this really got me laughing .

Seriously though, I find that interesting, does it happen anywhere else in the world?

Oh that's not all that is unique to radio comm in Louisiana -- especially the further south you get -- like in the Barataria area. This could be the subject of a thread all it's own.

For example, you get tug captains talking Creole, and short-hand phrases for sound signals over VHF.

[jackdale]

The most cryptic VHF usage I have heard is on the VTS channels.

A typical call is simply "Traffic, Seaspan Greg" (Sea Span is a big tug company). No three times, no "this is"
The message may be as simple as "Traffic, Seaspan Greg, Merry Island northbound."

The VTS channels are specific to a traffic zone.

"Over" is seldom used.

Head on situations usually are discussed as "red-to-red" or "green-to-green"

[jackdale]

I have used the VHF to contact large vessels to confirm that we can see each other and we agree on how things will transpire.

[rebel heart]

Originally Posted by jackdale

Head on situations usually are discussed as "red-to-red" or "green-to-green"

There's a lot of international and Navy activity around here so things are super formal. "Good morning captain. I have a CPA of 1/4 mile for us. My intentions are to turn twenty degrees to starboard, do you conquer?"

reply

"Thank you captain, have a great trip. Vessel XYZ standing by on 16, 13. Vessel XYZ, out."

Some times you hear a "port to port", but only after they've established a working channel.

[Tony B]

Talking backwards has its own set of flaws. Generally, there is lots of radio traffic so most dont pay too much attention to VHF unless you hear your boat being called. When you hear your boat being called, you respond, but to who? He called you with his name first and so you were not paying attention to that part. A typical reply would be "Island Mistress to station calling". The word "over" is rarely ever used.
Then the calling station would call back and identify itself "This is the southbound tow XYZ, are you the sailboat approaching mile marker 53?" My reply - "yeah, gaw-head". Then passing signals are exchanged. Most times you are pretty sure of the reason he is calling so I would skip the "yeah, gaw-head" and just jump into the "one whistle, skip?". His response "Roger that". Conversation over.
Sometimes I think we are way too formal.

[MacG]

A bit about the same here:

"Koningin Juliana", Neala. (name of called up ship first then my ship' s name)
"Koningin Juliana" luistert (confirms with shipsname)

Thereafter the contents of the call. And no 'overs'.

No formals.