You dont have to make stuff up

[rossdv8]

Originally Posted by Bruce K

Bareboat charterer in the Whitsundays in Oz, calling the charter base. "We've run out of anchors, can you send someone with some more"

The Whitsundays were my home cruising grounds (and live aboard home when I could get the time).
I have no idea how many times that particular call has been made in the Whitsundays, but I have heard almost those exact words more than once while living aboard, anchored snugly in various spots around those islands in 30 - 40 knots.



Bareboat charterers are often caught out because they pick a beautiful calm anchorage during the day and expect it to stay like that through the night.


Our weather though, has a tendency to spring surprises in the evening, and a forecast 5-15 knots from the North for the night, suddenly becomes 30 - 40 knots from the South with a lee shore and a reef between you and the shore . .

[Nord Sal]

I saw a boat in fishing boat in Prince William Sound named 'Enough Said.'

You can imagine how his calls over the radio ended.

[Tanqueray]

Originally Posted by chris mac

Last year, we heard a request for a radio check. No one replied. After about 15 seconds we heard mayday, mayday, mayday! Of course the coast guard answered immediately with" vessel calling mayday, what is the nature of your distress" or something like that
The vessel replied with, no distress, I just needed to make sure my radio worked.
Coast guard suggested they stay put, we have a vessel on route to your location
I hope they found the guy! But it did provide some entertainment.

I sail on Lake Michigan, and often want to check my radio. There is a ton of commercial traffic on Channel 16, and CG monitors it closely. We are not supposed to use 16 for non-emergency or security traffic. But no one seems to monitor or respond on channel 9.

So occasionally I will request a radio check on 16, and take my reminder from the CG not to use 16 unless it is an emergency…as my radio check.

I usually try channel 9 first, but if no response, I go to channel 16.

Anonymous.

[rossdv8]

You pretty quickly learn not to use

"CQ CQ Anyone out there got ya ears on, come on back" on channel 16 . . .

[BlueH2Obound]

Originally Posted by Tanqueray

I sail on Lake Michigan, and often want to check my radio. There is a ton of commercial traffic on Channel 16, and CG monitors it closely. We are not supposed to use 16 for non-emergency or security traffic. But no one seems to monitor or respond on channel 9.

So occasionally I will request a radio check on 16, and take my reminder from the CG not to use 16 unless it is an emergency…as my radio check.

I usually try channel 9 first, but if no response, I go to channel 16.

Anonymous.

Is there some reason you often think that your radio is not transmitting? If so, perhaps you may want to get a new radio, or upgrade the wiring/antenna system. Just sayin'

[S/V Illusion]

Originally Posted by Tanqueray

I sail on Lake Michigan, and often want to check my radio. There is a ton of commercial traffic on Channel 16, and CG monitors it closely. We are not supposed to use 16 for non-emergency or security traffic. But no one seems to monitor or respond on channel 9.

So occasionally I will request a radio check on 16, and take my reminder from the CG not to use 16 unless it is an emergency…as my radio check.

I usually try channel 9 first, but if no response, I go to channel 16.

Anonymous.

Are you serious???
Of all the rationalizations I’ve heard heard or read from the “all about me crowd”, you win the contest.

[JBP]

I have a handheld and a fixed VHF, so I do my own radio checks.
"Me, Me, Me, this is Me calling for radio check. "
"I Read Me loud and clear."


(OK, not really)

[toddster8]

My surveyor did a "radio check" using her hand-held while sitting right in front of the nav station. "VHF works fine!" she announced. Later, I discovered that the antenna wire had been cut the last time the mast was pulled and never reattached.

[hpeer]

Originally Posted by Shrew

Over the years, I think I've heard it all. The most chilling was an exchange we'd been listening too for some time. We were about 30 miles off-shore though we could hear both sides of the conversation between a recreational power boat taking on water and the CG. The power boat was out of site of land, no GPS, and they had no idea of their location. (Two adult males and two children on board) We listened for probably 2 hrs. until the last broadcast...

"CG be advised, this will be our last broadcast.....we're getting into the water now"

None of us said a word for at least 30+ min.

Unfortunately one I was on the CG side of a similar conversation. I was a reservist, recently out of active duty. I was in charge of a station iver a weekend.

I thought about that incident, which was a bit more complicated. Too complicated to explain here.

Anyway; I thought about it and realized the only reason I handled it well was because I had just come off active duty and all the protocols were fresh in my mind. Had I been away from active duty a few years there is a good chance I would have screwed it up, badly. That was not something I wanted to deal with, so I quit the reserves.

In the middle of this mess I got a phone call from the Captains Dad, who was at home recovering from a heart attack. He and his kid owned a pair of charter fishing boats. Dad wanted his coordinates to go out and rescue his Son. That was a tough conversation for me, being a new Dad myself. Screw it.

It was a screwy comms situation, control eventually transferred to a closer base and I lost contact. As far as I know they got a helo out and rescued the guy. Damn hollow feeling not having feedback.

[hpeer]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

There have been many smiles for me above.

However, a Kiwi friend of ours has maintained for years, that all of us should keep our VHFs on, even while asleep. The reason is that it is we, who are out at anchor, who will be able to go quickly to the person in distress. It means giving up on a lot of comfort, to commit oneself to go whenever the need is there. But how would you feel about yourself if you didn't?

Tricky.

Ann

I do.

[Christmas Beetle]

Thank you, I have had a smile and lots of laughs with the comical posts

[Enfant Du Vent]

Canada used to--and may still--have a publication "Radio Aids To Navigation". I got an article published, with the title Radio Aids To Entertainment.


Here's a short one I remember: I was boat-sitting in St. Thomas, USVI and on a rainy afternoon the silence on Channel 16 was broken by, Baaaa, baaaa, baaaa (the sound of a sheep), I waited and then responded, Mooooooooooooo, Moooooooooooooo.
Shortly after my transmission there was a loud sigh and the comment "I sailed 1500 miles to get away from these a-holes.....damn, they followed me."

[sv_pelagia]

Originally Posted by Enfant Du Vent

Canada used to--and may still--have a publication "Radio Aids To Navigation".

Still regularly published! Available online and as a free pdf:
https://www.ccg-gcc.gc.ca/publicatio...index-eng.html

[Montanan]

VHF