A simple question

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Gludy

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Imagine you see a boat in distress - its is a small power boat, probabl no radio, and is sinking slowly - you go to the rescue, the sea is rough and to cover the situation, eveb though you are trying to rescue, you need to inform the coat guard - do you send a Mayday or a Mayday Relay (because the actual boat is not even able to send its own Mayday).?

:-)

<hr width=100% size=1>Paul
 
If they are waving there arms, or a tar barrel burning on the for deck, or any other approved signal, it would be mayday relay. If there is no indication from the other boat then it must be a possible incident report to the coast gaurd, and let them decide what the shout is.

Just another view point.

Brian

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Definitely, definitely a Mayday Relay. You are not the boat in distress. If you send a Mayday it can lead to confusion and you may become the casualty vessel which will take rescue resources away from the real casualty.

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But in the original statement it does not say there are people in sight, just a small motor boat sinking. So there is no mayday to relay, and you are declaring a mayday ( relay ) on a unmaned vessel.

Brian

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From the RYA telephony for yachtsmen book.....

"Mayday Relay procedure

A station or a Coast Radio Station which learns that a vessel is in distress, must transmit a distress message in any of the following cases:

1. when the station in distress cannot itself transmit a distress message"

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.FairlineOwnersClub.com>Fairline Owners Club</A>
 
The point I raised before, who declared the first mayday for you to relay?
There is no mention of crew in the question, could be that trick question?

Brian

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Brian

Your spilting hairs<s>

Just because YOU can't see any crew does not mean that there are none and because of that fact it would be prudent of the skipper of the vessel seeing this sinking boat to "assume" that there will be crew, if there are none then where are they, probably in the ogin (just the same thing).

It's a MAYDAY RELAY because the vessel giving the RELAY is automatically deemed (by the CG) not to be the vessel in distress?

Having fired off this Mayday Relay you would be contacted by the CG to ask for more details (they always do) and during that traffic you would have more than enough time to explian the situation IMHO.

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Re: A simple question -keep it simple?

Um, obviously not a simple question!

There would have to be life in imminenet and grave danger for it to be a mayday - so i assume there is at least one person on this (hoperfully fictitious) boat ?

Incidentally, if you have ever had a real calamity on board requiring urgent action, you need a full crew in order to be able to dedicate one person to the VHF rabbity rabbity rabbity. Inshore, under duress say you CAN say "Mayday, Mayday, at the needles".

The CG does NOT say ah, but, see that doesn't count cos you didn't say "mayday" three times AND the name of the boat three times so tough shit! AND also, it's a mayday relay cos it's not you is it? No, so, let's hear it again and THIS time do it properly!

The three times etyc etc is for high seas crackly crackly, sinking in a big ship, oodles of miles away from land. The relay is for sending it along across over horizons, again miles away without any chinese whispering problems.

Inshore, with even a short message, they send the helichopter out pronto.

Since speed is of the essence, i would probably do it as a mayday, and argue about it later. I'm not relaying, and although it is another vessel, i am within visual, and the pedantry of it being that boat not this may cost time. Again, the helicopter won't circle both boats to read the names on the back and say aha, right we're going to winch you lot on board and NOT the drowning ones over ther BECAUSE see you made out it was YOUR boat and not the other one because it was a Mayday RELAY and not a Mayday so let that be a lesson!

They winch out the drowing people.

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Errm...not sure if the circumstances you descrobe warrant a Mayday. Is there grave and imminent danger to life? Not if you can just get the crew to hop aboard your boat, all safe and sound. Could you tow the sinking vessel to shallow waters?

Maybe a "Pan-Pan" giving the location so that it can be noted. If the vessel doesn't fully sink, it could be a navigational hazard, so the CG would issue a "Securite".

Thats my tuupence-ha'penny worth anyway!

<hr width=100% size=1>Madoc Yacht Club
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.madocyachtclub.co.uk>http://www.madocyachtclub.co.uk</A>
 
Re: A simple question -keep it simple?

It IS a simple question really. It's just the answer that's not and I have to agree that one should send a Mayday Relay according to the regulations. This is even though, in the example given, you are not relaying a received message or signal. My original reply came from my having done the VHF course too long ago and being too idle to check my answer via the RYA VHF booklet /forums/images/icons/blush.gif. Can't be right all the time can one ?? Oh all right , some of you can /forums/images/icons/wink.gif


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Re: A simple question -keep it simple?

The answer is a MAYDAY RELAY.

You are relaying to the fact that the other vessel has no means of COMMUNICATION.

1). Vessel is sinking ( doesn't matter of it's size ) = MAYDAY
2). Sinking vessel has no communication, or the MAYDAY would be in practice
already = RELAY ing the MAYDAY.

OK , lets look at the facts from the first post.

Vessel is seen to be small and sinking with no signs of life .

1). Has this vessel been swept from it's moorings unattended ?
2). Has a bunch of idiots launched it from a beach ?
3). Has this vessel been put to sea single handed ?
4). has this vessel been reported stolen ?

The answer from you as a boat owner coming across this situ is = I DON'T KNOW

So, you call a MAYDAY RELAY,,,, that will determin the facts for you via the coastguard and it will turn into a MAYDAY or MAYDAY FENNEE ( with good intent ).

If the answer is 3,, the crew / skipper , may be laying in the bilge suffering from a medical condition ...... or been washed overboard.. SO REALLY A MAYDAY RELAY must be called to get rescue services working.

As a skipper of a dive boat last year, i was put in this situ, ( calm day, good viz ) Dive inflatable unattended drifting away with 8 divers underwater and a cox on the surface knackered.
What had happened was, engine failed and as the cox was pulling the starter string, he went over the side and was to knackered to swim back to the boat,,,, i took the time to place 2 of my divers in the boat, called a MAYDAY RELAY, resulting in 3 lifeboats and a CG spotter aircraft. I picked up 4 shocked divers and a cox , and lifeboats picked up the rest........ JOB well done, all round.

RESULT = right action at the right time.


Andy

Ex Aux Coastguard & Ex lifeboat

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.taurusdiving.co.uk>http://www.taurusdiving.co.uk</A>
 
Not splitting hairs, but going to original reply, if you see no one, do you contact CG on 16 and let him decide if it is a mayday , if you see crew in trouble it is a mayday relay.

If you declare a mayday relay without seeing anyone, you are delaring a mayday for a unkown vessel in a unknown danger, to unkown crew.

At the end of the day there is no fixed answer, it depends on the time, place and cercumstance, and as skipper you have to make , the answer cannot be predecided.

Brian



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"if you see no one, do you contact CG on 16 and let him decide if it is a mayday"

No, you don't let the Coastguard decide. You, for the time being, are the controlling station so you have to decide.
When the Coastguard respond, they become the controlling station as they have all the rescue resources at their disposal. The Coastguard can then decide on the seriousness of the situation.
If the Coastguard doesn't respond, you remain the controlling station and you have to make all the decisions and continue to relay the Mayday if you need assistance.
Nobody will criticise you for calling Mayday Relay if you genuinely think there is a problem.
As the title says, it really is a simple question.

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