What Justifies a "MAYDAY"?

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by Rustic Charm

That's interesting to know the context over there. I would have just assumed that the US was more rigorous on training and procedures than us. You rarely hear a mayday out this way and when it does happen it's even rarer to hear that it was unnecessary. If anything, as Kate said, there are those times when people are reluctant to call one and shouldn't be.

When cruising off Southern California, it wasn't unusual to hear a mayday call when some knucklehead ran out of fuel.

[Rustic Charm]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

When cruising off Southern California, it wasn't unusual to hear a mayday call when some knucklehead ran out of fuel.

I only recall once responding to a call following someone in a motorboat running out of fuel. But I don't recall whether they called a mayday as we only did the response, not took the calls. I'd probably be kindly talking to them about a more appropriate call though if that had come up very often here. I guessing that over here if someone called a mayday and they were out in the ocean and they had a motor boat, it would probably not be addressed as the future repercussions could become quite life threatening.

I'm guessing we are just not that concerned about the calls. If I get the time I might give our local radio watch a call and ask them if we get many inappropriate mayday's. Just out of curiosity.