Operating Procedures for Marine VHF Radios

It is vitally important when using a VHF marine radio system to follow correct operating procedures.  By speaking clearly, using the correct language, and understanding the system of channels and signals, you make it easier for other users to understand what you want, and to convey important information quickly and clearly in the event of an emergency.

The first rule to follow when using a VHF marine radio system is to listen to what is going on on the radio before transmitting.  This is to ensure that you do not interrupt other users, and risk putting them in danger.  It is also good manners not to simply start talking in the middle of someone else’s conversation.

Perhaps the most important channel on a VHF marine radio is channel 16.  This is the emergency channel, and is found on 156.8MHz.  Almost all radios default to channel 16 when they are switched on, and most users leave their radios tuned to channel 16 in order to be immediately aware if any other sailors have run into problems.  It is important to keep the channel as clear as possible, and if you use it to establish contact with another user, you should switch to another channel as quickly as possible to free up bandwidth.

There are a number of international standard calling procedures that you should follow.  One example of this is the Mayday call.  Mayday calls should only be made under circumstances where you are in real and immediate danger.  You should state “Mayday” 3 times at the beginning of the call, and then give the name of the boat and your location, stating as much information as possible in as short a time as you can without babbling.  A typical mayday call made from a boat in trouble might be as follows:

“Mayday. Mayday. Mayday. This is Boatname, Boatname, Boatname, Mayday, Boatname. Position 14 27 north 82 25 west. My boat is sinking; I require immediate assistance, 3 people on board, over."

Other calls that require a standard format include the Pan-Pan, and Coastguard requests, which are very similar to a Mayday.

When using the VHF radio, you should bear in mind that the sound quality is often poor in bad weather, and use standard vocabulary as much as possible in order to make it easy for other people to understand the message that you are trying to give.  Finish statements using the word “over” and conversations with the word “out” and wait for a response.  Ask other people to “say again” if you struggle to understand, and “received” if you do.  Do not be afraid to ask for people to “spell” out words you cannot hear, and always state who you are.

When spelling out information using the radio, you should always use the standard NATO alphabet.  Do not be tempted to substitute your own words for letters as this may impair other people’s understanding of what you are trying to say.  The current system is perfectly fine without additions or alterations, and is understood readily.  The standard phonetic alphabet which is used by all seagoing vessels is as follows, and should be kept to in order to avoid any unnecessary confusion:
Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, Echo, Foxtrot, Golf, Hotel, India, Juliet, Kilo, Lima, Mike, November, Oscar, Papa, Quebec, Romeo, Sierra, Tango, Uniform, Victor, Whiskey, X-ray, Yankee, Zulu.

Likewise, when giving numerical information, you should use the standard phonetic English numbering to make it as clear as possible.

Making unnecessary emergency calls using VHF marine radio is illegal, and the law is enforced.  You can face huge fines and even prison for unnecessarily making emergency calls over VHF marine radio.  The reason for this is that it can feasibly put the lives of rescuers at risk, and lead to people who are genuinely in difficulties not being rescued.

Before taking to the water for the first time, it is a good idea to take a short course in using your radio properly in order to ensure that when you do need it you are able to make the most important call of your life correctly and protect the safety of anyone on board your boat at the time.