ghostlymoron2
Active member
In a close encounter, how do you contact the other vessel? I do not have AIS and assume I'm not close enough to use bins.
Contacting other vessels
- Thread starter ghostlymoron2
- Start date
Sticky Fingers
Well-known member
You mean, how to find her name so you can hail on Ch16?
ghostlymoron2
Active member
Yes
rogerthebodger
Well-known member
That's the beauty of a VHF radio that displays the MMSI number so you can call then up using DSC.
If not you could use your GPS position or boat on my say port bow of stern quarter as appropriate
If not you could use your GPS position or boat on my say port bow of stern quarter as appropriate
Pye_End
Well-known member
'Vessel in position...... this is yacht.....'
Refueler
Well-known member
In shipping world - its generally frowned upon to waste time trying to call up another ... that time should be used in avoidance manoeuvres.
Its also difficult to define which yacht someone is calling unless you are in location where very few yachts are ! Second - that many boats are not really listening to VHF ... it may be on - but unless a speaker is in cockpit - its unheard. Even DSC fails on this point.
Yes I am being serious ...
Its also difficult to define which yacht someone is calling unless you are in location where very few yachts are ! Second - that many boats are not really listening to VHF ... it may be on - but unless a speaker is in cockpit - its unheard. Even DSC fails on this point.
Yes I am being serious ...
Roberto
Well-known member
As a starter, use the VHF -better if portable- with the least available power (1W), that will filter out a lot of distant vessels.
Here (brittany) 99% of marinas use ch9, when someone discusses options for a berth with 25w it can be easily be heard by a dozen other marinas
Here (brittany) 99% of marinas use ch9, when someone discusses options for a berth with 25w it can be easily be heard by a dozen other marinas
AntarcticPilot
Well-known member
Agree with both! In general it is not a good idea to try and contact a ship; they will have taken action long before you can observe it, and you should follow the requirements of ColRegs and all should be well!
However, I was once contacted by a commercial operator using @Pye_End's formula; I was heading south in the North Sea and the Amethyst Platform contacted me to warn me that I was likely to intrude on their exclusion zone. However, I realized pretty quickly that "Yacht heading South north of Amethyst Platform" was unlikely to be anyone else!
In agreement with @Refueler, I note that there are cases on record where the use of VHF has actually caused a collision that would have not happened if both ships had followed ColRegs. Indeed, if you follow the CHIRP digest, it's something that comes up relatively frequently; two ships agree to take action not in accord with ColRegs, there is a misunderstanding or a third party appears, and things go rapidly pear-shaped!
One point we all need to be aware of is that not all ships' officers and crew have good English - indeed, I should probably have said few ship's officers have good English. They are fine with technical communications using prowords and a restricted grammar, but beyond that they may not communicate well. A good friend of mine from Hong Kong is climbing the ship's officer ladder, and while she has perfectly adequate spoken English (I don't speak Cantonese!), it wouldn't be a good idea to assume that she understands every word as quickly and easily as we do, especially in a stressful situation. She is fine with routine communications, but something unexpected or unusual - even a strong regional accent - would cause her to be unable to process the information quickly. In circumstances like that, attempts to communicate via VHF may well cause more harm than good.
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dunedin
Well-known member
Get AIS, at least receiver only. It isn’t expensive and it is really worthwhile, particularly for avoiding close encounters in the first place. I suspect nobody has ever regretted fitting an AIS receiver.
jlavery
Well-known member
Agree - often referred to as "radio-assisted collision".
I understand the temptation to call up and discuss/ask, but it is easy to end up causing confusion.
Roberto
Well-known member
As a reference, the MCGA text about use of VHF and AIS in collision avoidance
https://assets.publishing.service.g...keeping_Safety_-_Use_of_VHF_Radio_and_AIS.pdf
https://assets.publishing.service.g...keeping_Safety_-_Use_of_VHF_Radio_and_AIS.pdf
AntarcticPilot
Well-known member
I think that the only time I MIGHT want to contact a ship would be to verify that they had seen me. But as I have both radar and AIS transponders, I'd hope I'm pretty obvious!
Leighb
Well-known member
Assuming that they are looking at the screens.
Minerva
Well-known member
I suspect folk have regretted buying an AIS receiver, I know I kind of have.
I wish I saved the money and put it towards a transmit/receive AIS unit! AIS really is brilliant.
dunedin
Well-known member
When I was in the Baltic I noticed it was common for ships near busy TSS to call each other over VHF to clarify intentions.
One ship even called us using DSC (which was a problem as never responded to such a call before, and useless Raymarine VHF has tiny screen text and completely impenetrable usability).
We also called a ferry by name to clarify their intentions, as we approached head on in a reciprocal course between Denmark and Sweden, when the CPA was 20m and had hardly changed for 30 minutes. They (eventually) confirmed they had us visually and on AIS and would alter course to a safe clearance.
duncan99210
Well-known member
The one time I felt it necessary to contact a ship was heading towards Cadiz at night. A cruise ship appeared as tears of me and there was no bearing change apparent. Whilst it was still about 4 miles away, I called “Cruise liner heading for Cadiz this is yacht Rampage ahead of you”. They responded and asked me how far away I was. They then said they had me on radar and would avoid me, followed by a course change. So it does work….
This was years ago before AIS became affordable….
This was years ago before AIS became affordable….
KevinV
Well-known member
Surely it depends on why you're trying to contact them, and how close you are? If at close quarters you think they haven't seen you a few blasts on the air horn might be more effective than "white vessel blah blah blah" on the radio.
My own experience of calling vessels is that "vessel on approximate heading x, this is the vessel at your bearing y, myname.. . " - they'll know their own heading, and giving them the bearing from their point of view is easier for them. Not protocol, but it does work, quickly. Reeling off coordinates does not, it's too verbose.
My own experience of calling vessels is that "vessel on approximate heading x, this is the vessel at your bearing y, myname.. . " - they'll know their own heading, and giving them the bearing from their point of view is easier for them. Not protocol, but it does work, quickly. Reeling off coordinates does not, it's too verbose.
ashtead
Well-known member
I do recall a us warship as part of a flotilla on exercise calling up what I think was an Italian fishing vessel when we were sailing in Med- quite an interesting conversation took place and then we could see the warship fleet sending out a ship to make closer contact on radar -most use we probably made of radar was randomness fishing vessels.
wingcommander
Active member
Ah but that makes it easy for the other half to track you also
harvey38
Well-known member
I don't see the point in an AIS receiver only , if everyone is receiving and no-one transmitting then there's not much to receive!
