Published by Fernhurst Books Limited
62 Brandon Parade, Holly Walk, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, CV32 4JE, UK
+44 (0) 1926 337488 | www.ferhurstbooks.com
Copyright © 2008 Sara Hopkinson
First published by John WIley & Sons Ltd
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except under the terms of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 or under the terms of a license issued by The Copyright Licensing Agency Ltd, Saffron House, 6-10 Kirby Street, London EC1N 8TS, UK, without the permission in writing of the Publisher.
Designations used by companies to distinguish their products are often claimed as trademarks. All brand names and product names used in this book are trade names, service marks, trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. The Publisher is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book.
This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold on the understanding that the Publisher is not engaged in rendering professional services. If professional advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought. The Publisher accepts no responsibility for any errors or omissions, or for any accidents or mishaps which may arise from the use of this publication.
We are also grateful to Northshore Yachts for use of their 3D model of the Southerly 38 swing keel cruising yacht in the illustrations.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN 978-0-470-75858-8 (paperback)
ISBN 978-1-912177-42-4 (eBook) ISBN 978-1-912177-43-1 (Mobi)
Typeset and design by PPL, illustrations by Greg Filip/PPL
Acknowledgements
The author would like to thank Gwen Caddock, Robin Cole of Precision Navigation Ltd, and Jonathon Dyke of Suffolk Yacht Harbour. The International VHF Frequencies are reproduced courtesy of the MCA (Maritime and Coastguard Agency) as is the map of the GMDSS Sea Areas.
Photos supplied by Icom UK Ltd.
Foreword VHF is Wonderful ...VHF-DSC is better!
1 Licences and certificates
2 Types of VHF set
3 What is the range of the set?
4 How to begin using a VHF radiotelephone
5 The DSC Controller
6 Which channel do I use?
7 What do I say? ...Prowords
8 Ship-to-Ship routine communications
9 Routine communications with HM Coastguard
10 Routine communications with marinas, ports and harbours
11 On passage with yacht Sierra
12 Distress procedures and Coastguard acknowledgement
13 What do I do if I hear a Mayday?
14 The Mayday Relay...‘Urgency Alert’
15 Pan Pan... ‘Urgency Alert’
16 Securite …‘Safety Alert’
17 SIERRA ...the return! An eventful homeward passage
18 EPIRBs
19 SARTs
20 NAVTEX
21 Radio channels
22 Glossary
Questions
Answers
Useful Addresses
Mayday Procedure Card
The VHF radiotelephone has been in common use on small boats for many years. Its use is essentially simple and straightforward but the new user must learn a few rules and procedures, pass a practical assessment and a simple test, use common sense and avoid chatting.
All very easy!
VHF is invaluable in the unlikely event of a major life-threatening disaster when a Mayday can be sent to gain the assistance of the rescue services and vessels in the vicinity. It is also useful for routine communications with marinas, Coastguards, harbour authorities and other boats.
It is an ‘open’ system of communication so can receive information such as weather forecasts, shipping movements, gale warnings and small craft safety information broadcasts. All skippers in a particular area can be kept informed by these broadcasts. In this way it is of value every day.
This very ‘openness’ of communication should be remembered by the user. All conversations on a channel can be heard by all those tuned to that channel who are within range. So never say anything that you are not prepared for everyone to hear!
The system is operated on approximately 60 channels, with the radio frequencies pre-tuned into the set. Channels are allocated under international agreement for different uses. It is essential to know these allocations and the rules and procedures for both routine and emergency radio traffic. Failure to follow these rules will result in interference with routine communications and possibly dangerous confusion in an emergency situation.
Each of these channels can handle only one conversation at a time – so while you are occupying a channel no-one else can use it. Hence the rule not to chat. Pass the essential information and then leave the channel free for someone else.
Over the years there have been many minor changes and developments in both procedures and equipment. These have been designed to ease the overloading of the airwaves and to keep pace with changes in technology.
These developments include satellite communications, e-mail and the ever-present mobile phone. I have sailed on yachts with as many mobile phones as crew! Love them or hate them, they can be invaluable for keeping in contact with those at home, but a mobile phone is a very poor substitute for a VHF in a distress situation. Some people say ‘they are better than nothing’ which is obviously true but they still offer very poor communications in emergency situations. Coastguard stations can be contacted, while the battery holds out, but lifeboats and helicopters do not use mobile phones, and accurate direction finding on the signal is impossible.
The system has seen major changes following the introduction of GMDSS (the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System) in February 1999. This world-wide system was devised by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) in conjunction with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). The purpose of GMDSS is to ensure that a vessel can initiate a distress alert automatically by at least two independent means to a Rescue Co-ordination Centre and that all vessels in the vicinity will be aware of the situation.
This system is compulsory for ships over 300 GRT and vessels which carry more than 13 passengers. To achieve these broad aims, GMDSS uses various types of communication and information systems:
• Radio equipment of a suitable type to broadcast over the range required – VHF or MF – both fitted with digital selective calling (DSC). This initiates the call more quickly, identifies the calling station and includes the position of the vessel in a distress call if a GPS is connected.
• Distress alerting equipment – EPIRB, in addition to the radio.
• Search location equipment – SART, in addition to the EPIRB.
• Safety information system – Navtex.
An outline knowledge of these types of equipment is important for all skippers and is essential for those wanting to upgrade their existing VHF licence or to take the Short Range Certificate course. The course content was agreed by CEPT (Conference of European Posts and Telecommunications). In this book, each type of call is illustrated with the Lightmaster DSC Computer Simulation. Whichever set you have on your boat, the facilities will be similar, check the instruction book for specific details.
The GMDSS system is not compulsory for small yachts and motorboats but there are great benefits to be had and increasingly the craft without a DSC radio will be at a disadvantage and severely limited in its ability to communicate, even in distress situations. You will want one of the new sets!
RAINWAT
Rainwat, that is the Regional Arrangement concerning the Radiotelephone service on Inland Waterways, is an agreement reached in 2000 between several European countries.
The waterways this particularly concerns are those navigable by ships, such as the Rhine and the Danube, where shipping movements are tightly monitored. Some of this monitoring can be done automatically with the use of an automatic radiotelephone identification system or ATIS. This type of radio produces an ID signal as the PTT button is released. The Netherlands is a signatory to this agreement and those on the East Coast have been hearing the tell-tail squawk for a few years now as the Dutch vessels visit in the summer.
At the moment this system is not required for small UK flagged vessels on the Inland waters of Europe. This ID system does not include DSC so should it come into force for visiting yachts and motor cruisers there may be a requirement to have a portable VHF with ATIS to use in the river and canal system in the future.
For those planning to have a VHF radio on their boat there are some legal requirements covering the equipment, and licences and certificates have to be obtained.
The equipment itself must have a CE mark and Declaration of Conformity, which has replaced the old UK Type Approval. This simply means that it must come up to an internationally agreed standard. Sets which do not comply are illegal and may cause interference. If you buy a well-known make from a reputable dealer this will not be a problem. To carry radio equipment on your boat you will require a Ship Radio Licence from the Office of Communications (Ofcom). This licence covers all transmitting equipment on the boat so all must be listed on the document. This could include MF/HF long range radios, satellite communications equipment, VHF or VHF-DSC, portable VHF, radar, EPIRB and SART. To get a licence contact Ofcom online via www.ofcom.org.uk and it is free. The licence remains valid for ten years but needs updating if the equipment, ownership of the vessel or any other details change. You can do this online too. The process can be done by post, but then it is not free!
It is from this licence that the ship’s International call-sign