How good a VHF watch do you maintain?

[rslifkin]

It was mentioned in the sound signal thread, so I figure we should start a thread on monitoring VHF.

When do you monitor the VHF, what channels do you monitor, and how well can you hear the VHF from the helm?

[rslifkin]

For me, I have dual VHFs at the helm with remote mics in the salon. Generally I monitor channels 9, 13, 16 any time we're underway and in most places (unless I'm somewhere really tucked away or there's an annoying amount of useless chatter) I'll monitor at anchor during the day as well. If I'm in a VTS area, I'll switch to 13, 16, VTS. And if I'm talking to someone on a working channel, I'll drop the watch on channel 9 and monitor 13 / 16 on one radio and talk on the other.

Being a powerboater, yes, I do turn the VHFs up any time we run up on plane to make sure I can still hear them enough to know if an incoming transmission is relevant to me or not.

As far as other boats, I find the following: smaller boats and any size express cruisers rarely have the VHF on if they even have one. Larger powerboats tend to be better about monitoring, but it's still a bit hit or miss.

Day sailors are hit or miss, although the more serious day sailors and cruisers usually have theirs on. However, with sailors it seems to be 50/50 on whether they can actually hear the thing. Too many have the VHF on, but it's at the nav table with no speaker in the cockpit, so they often just don't hear it.

[MicHughV]

Down in the B'mas, and other islands, vhf is used as a phone....cab drivers use it, restaurants use it, etc, plus the myriad of boaters down there use countless channels, trying to hide their conversation from on-air eavesdroppers, various weather forecasts are broadcast, etc, etc...leaving your vhf on dual or multi-monitoring will ensure endless chatter.....

many folks will carry a handheld vhf with them, going ashore, to call the mother ship to come pick them up, etc...

I've always had a habit of having a handheld vhf by the wheel when I'm on the move....I don't keep it on offshore, but keep it handy.

[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.

[Lake-Effect]

Originally Posted by rslifkin

As far as other boats, I find the following: smaller boats and any size express cruisers rarely have the VHF on if they even have one. Larger powerboats tend to be better about monitoring, but it's still a bit hit or miss.

Day sailors are hit or miss, although the more serious day sailors and cruisers usually have theirs on. However, with sailors it seems to be 50/50 on whether they can actually hear the thing. Too many have the VHF on, but it's at the nav table with no speaker in the cockpit, so they often just don't hear it.

On the north side of your lake. I generally have ours on and scanning; it's sometimes entertaining, and it helps keep us familiar with good practice. There's a good mix of commercial and even liftbridge communications, as well as us punters.

Once I responded to a Mayday from the Coast Guard (missing diver near to me) that fortunately was resolved before I was on location, but it was good education to be a part of that.

[Landfall43]

Three in the pilot house, one monitors 16, one commercial channels 13, 6, 8 and 11 and 12 for traffic control zones nearby, the third has some fishing channels, pleasure boat channels, harbor channels and coast guard channels. Keeps me informed on what is going on within range.

[thinwater]

This is going to be another case of response bias. The people that monitor VHF will be the only ones that respond.


If I'm out on the Bay for a fun day's sail, I'm not interested in listening to the fishermen chatter. It's distracting and annoying. Chatter should be discouraged; that's what DCS and cell phones are for.



On the other hand, if it is cold, the weather brisk or poor, I'm sailing coastal waters, or in a harbor with commercial traffic, I will listen. In the winter, for example, there is no idle chatter, only necessary communication.

[rslifkin]

Originally Posted by thinwater

If I'm out on the Bay for a fun day's sail, I'm not interested in listening to the fishermen chatter. It's distracting and annoying. Chatter should be discouraged; that's what DCS and cell phones are for.



On the other hand, if it is cold, the weather brisk or poor, I'm sailing coastal waters, or in a harbor with commercial traffic, I will listen. In the winter, for example, there is no idle chatter, only necessary communication.

Some of these issues seem to be very location specific. Occasionally 9 will pick up some junk chatter in my area, but for the most part, 9/13/16 are all pretty quiet unless there's something going on. You'll hear a few sailboats hailing each other on 16, but people are pretty good about working channels. Growing up on Long Island Sound, it was a whole different story. Somewhere like that, I'd be far more inclined to turn the things off at anchor or at least exclude channel 9.

[sailingabe41ds]

I have my VHF 16 on from the minute I leave the docks to the time I either return or anchor. I am in So California and it would never occur to me that people would have their radio off when at sea. It is also easy to hear since I have one radio at the helm.

Abe

[rwidman]

I monitor channel 16 while underway. And I have a RAM mic at the helm so I can hear and respond to calls.

[TheOffice]

We monitor 13/16 and have a RAM mike.
We find a lot of the chatter entertaining.
Only once did I respond to a distress call to tell the CG that the boat in 'distress' was OK.

[thomm225]

Sometimes I turn my VHF down so I cannot hear it because on some weekends every one just wants to talk.

They call Navy Vessels sometimes for the smallest reason then want to be thanking them for their service.

Others want to let ships know what they are doing when the ship hasn't asked. Then there are multiple calls to marinas.

Sometimes it just too much.

This is rarely the case doing the week or on none peak pleasure boating hours.

At these times, channel 16 is used only when necessary.

When there is an emergency though, it's quite informative the way the Coast Guard handles it and the questions they ask of the vessel in distress.

[Be Free]

I monitor 9, 16, and 22A (so I don't have to switch when the the Coast Guard announces a safety alert). The radio is on any time I'm on the boat.

[JoeRobertJr]

Always on while away from the slip. Scanning 9, 13, 16, 68, 71.
At anchor, I'll turn up the squelch.

Count me as evidence of Thinwater's response bias theory.

[steffan]

VHF 16 when away from the dock. Recently added a RAM 3 at the helm and find that very useful. Turned off at anchor if conditions are benign.