Distress Messages

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creeks

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I am carrying out some research into the correct format of Distress Messages and would be very grateful if forum members would respond and say whether or not they believe the format of the following example message is correct. Responses saying "I see nothing wrong" or "Looks ok to me" will be just as useful as responses which point out any perceived errors in the format of the message or it's elements.
I would like as many replies as possible so that a consensus view can be seen.
Thankyou in anticipation of your replies.

Example Distress Call and Message:

"Mayday, Mayday, Mayday
This is Sailing Yacht Boatname, Boatname, Boatname
Alpha, Alpha, Alpha, Alpha, 1
MMSI 999999999
Mayday
Boatname
Alpha, Alpha, Alpha, Alpha, 1
MMSI 999999999
My position is 10 nautical miles from St. Catherine's Point on a bearing of one seven six degrees true
Sinking
Require immediate assistance
Two people on board
Seven metres, white hull and tan sails
Over"


Note re Edits:
This post has been edited twice previously.
The first edit at around 12.30a.m. on the 10th added the words "of the message or it's elements" to the first paragraph.
The second edit at around 7.30a.m. on the 10th substituted "10" for "one zero" and substituted "one seven six" for "one eight zero" in the position sentence.
I did make posts referring to the edits but they've now become buried.
 
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In some cases it might be helpful to add some or all of

1. What specific assistance is required (eg to lift people off? Tow to shallow water? whatever)
2. Whether crew have and are wearing LJs
3. Whether the boat has a L/R or at least a dinghy
4. Whether crew can assist the rescuers
 
creeks said:
I am carrying out some research into the correct format of Distress Messages and would be very grateful if forum members would respond and say whether or not they believe the format of the following example message is correct. Responses saying "I see nothing wrong" or "Looks OK to me" will be just as useful as responses which point out any perceived errors in the format.
I would like as many replies as possible so that a consensus view can be seen.

Thank you in anticipation of your replies.
Click to expand...

Welcome to the forum.

Why are you researching emergency calls and messages?

In my time I have sent a number emergency calls and messages, some airborne the others afloat.

The purpose of the emergency call is to alert all that you have a problem. It also invokes radio silence to all non-emergency traffic.

Hopefully, you will get a response and then send your emergency message.

The initial emergency call should be: Mayday (or Pan) x3 this is boat name (but could be callsign) x3 Mayday (or Pan). Short to the point, you then listen for a response.

The emergency message should include: Position and time, Nature of Emergency, Intentions, Number on board and if there is time, a description of the vessel and any additional information that will assist location and identification.

Finally, the trick is to keep the messages as short and to the point as possible. It is too easy to get involved in a never ending dialogue that can impinge on the situation itself - I speak from experience!
 
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Personally speaking after a career working in the emergency services I am of the view that the "approved" format exampled by the Op is far to complicated and long winded for an initial transmission. The most important thing to establish in an emergency is a means of communication from which help can be co-ordinated. Once contact has been established relevant detail can be exchanged, you don't need to include it beforehand.

A simple "Mayday, Mayday, Mayday, yacht name just south of St Catherine's point" should be all you need to initially transmit. Everyone will immediately know if they are in a position to help or not and either respond or listen in to see if they are needed, once contact has been established with someone the vessel in distress can pass all additional detail.
 
You will need to include the lat/long if you have not made a DSC call, as the coastguard may not know where "St Catherine's Point" is - it's centralised now.
 
Triassic said:
Personally speaking after a career working in the emergency services I am of the view that the "approved" format exampled by the Op is far to complicated and long winded for an initial transmission. The most important thing to establish in an emergency is a means of communication from which help can be co-ordinated. Once contact has been established relevant detail can be exchanged, you don't need to include it beforehand.
Click to expand...

I think the reason is that the official distress message format is intended for formal "signals" over any verbal (ie written or spoken) means of communication, rather than just an interactive chat over VHF in inshore waters. If you imagine something like the OP's message rattling out of an Inmarsat dot-matrix teleprinter at the back of a cargo ship's bridge at 0300, it seems a more natural fit. Likewise picking up on HF radio a faint voice from some unknown distant location, who doesn't seem to be able to hear you, relaying a message from a third vessel you didn't hear. Even ashore, in a deep-ocean distress the Mayday message may be emailed and faxed and copied via databases, between various monitoring stations and rescue centres and suchlike, in a variety of countries over hours or days.

Vessels at sea are nowadays more and more likely to have reliable interactive comms with the shore, but nevertheless the formal distress message is designed to be a self-contained packet of information which can be acted on by anyone who obtains a copy of it and is in a position to help. Likewise the formal "Information number one" etc updates put out by the Coastguard - the serial-numbered and dated packets of information are to help resynchronise everyone involved in a rescue, possibly spread over a wide area with only patchy communications with each other.

All this stuff may very well be overkill for an inshore rescue conducted over good VHF comms, but it's not because the protocol itself is inherently badly designed - just perhaps not always applicable.

Pete
 
Triassic said:
Personally speaking after a career working in the emergency services I am of the view that the "approved" format exampled by the Op is far to complicated and long winded for an initial transmission. The most important thing to establish in an emergency is a means of communication from which help can be co-ordinated. Once contact has been established relevant detail can be exchanged, you don't need to include it beforehand.

A simple "Mayday, Mayday, Mayday, yacht name just south of St Catherine's point" should be all you need to initially transmit. Everyone will immediately know if they are in a position to help or not and either respond or listen in to see if they are needed, once contact has been established with someone the vessel in distress can pass all additional detail.
Click to expand...

The format on the card I gave a link to above is the current internationally agreed one. International Radio Conference I believe but happy to be corrected.

Good to hear from someone at the sharp end though, ta. As ever Keep It Simple Stupid!
 
prv said:
I think the reason is that the official distress message format is intended for formal "signals" over any verbal (ie written or spoken) means of communication, rather than just an interactive chat over VHF in inshore waters. If you imagine something like the OP's message rattling out of an Inmarsat dot-matrix teleprinter at the back of a cargo ship's bridge at 0300, it seems a more natural fit. Likewise picking up on HF radio a faint voice from some unknown distant location, who doesn't seem to be able to hear you, relaying a message from a third vessel you didn't hear. Even ashore, in a deep-ocean distress the Mayday message may be emailed and faxed and copied via databases, between various monitoring stations and rescue centres and suchlike, in a variety of countries over hours or days.
Click to expand...
Having it in a set format allows non <insert language of choice> speakers to understand it.
 
iLens said:
You will need to include the lat/long if you have not made a DSC call, as the coastguard may not know where "St Catherine's Point" is - it's centralised now.
Click to expand...

If the coastguard heard the initial message that's great, they will immediately reply confirming receipt of the Mayday and ask for further details, including exact location. Your first objective has been achieved, you have established contact with someone who can co-ordinate the assistance you require.
 
This is the latest format, the double reporting of identification information is at the special request of CG and similar organisations who undertake rescue. (You wouldn't believe how many boats have the same name).

The bits I have put in italics are not actually spoken but give you guidance as to what goes where.


"Mayday, Mayday, Mayday
This is (name of boat x 3) Yacht Calamity, Calamity, Calamity,
Callsign Mike Hotel Whisky Bravo 3 MMSI 234001234
Mayday (name of boat) Yacht Calamity Callsign Mike Hotel Whisky Bravo 3 MMSI 234001234
My position is 50º 46’N 001º 17’W [or]
From St Catherine’s Light 175º 5 miles
Nature of Distress I am sinking, on fire, have a MOB etc
I require immediate assistance
No of people on board We have 3 people on board, one of whom is a child of 8 years
Other useful information We are abandoning to our liferaft & have a set of flares with us
Over "
 
Daedelus said:
This is the latest format, the double reporting of identification information is at the special request of CG and similar organisations who undertake rescue. (You wouldn't believe how many boats have the same name).

The bits I have put in italics are not actually spoken but give you guidance as to what goes where.


"Mayday, Mayday, Mayday
This is (name of boat x 3) Yacht Calamity, Calamity, Calamity,
Callsign Mike Hotel Whisky Bravo 3 MMSI 234001234
Mayday (name of boat) Yacht Calamity Callsign Mike Hotel Whisky Bravo 3 MMSI 234001234
My position is 50º 46’N 001º 17’W [or]
From St Catherine’s Light 175º 5 miles
Nature of Distress I am sinking, on fire, have a MOB etc
I require immediate assistance
No of people on board We have 3 people on board, one of whom is a child of 8 years
Other useful information We are abandoning to our liferaft & have a set of flares with us
Over "
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Good luck with all of that. I was sailing my boat at the time, I heard the initial Mayday and just about registered that I thought I heard St Catherine's light, but callsign and co-ordinates, forget it. The nearest paper and pen is somewhere in the cabin, I think they're under the biscuit tin.....

Oh well, said my bit.
 
I very much hope to remain inexperienced in sending emergency messages but my impression from listening in to a good number over the years is that although there are good reasons for a prescribed format, people should not worry unduly about it. I have heard radio calls for "Help" which ended up with a satisfactory outcome with guidance from the CG. I do keep a mayday card by my radio, but I think I shall have a look at it to see if it needs bringing up to date (I have a DSC version on one side and non-DSC version on the other).
 
Triassic said:
Personally speaking after a career working in the emergency services I am of the view that the "approved" format exampled by the Op is far to complicated and long winded for an initial transmission. The most important thing to establish in an emergency is a means of communication from which help can be co-ordinated. Once contact has been established relevant detail can be exchanged, you don't need to include it beforehand.

A simple "Mayday, Mayday, Mayday, yacht name just south of St Catherine's point" should be all you need to initially transmit. Everyone will immediately know if they are in a position to help or not and either respond or listen in to see if they are needed, once contact has been established with someone the vessel in distress can pass all additional detail.
Click to expand...

Absolutely totally agree. Wasting time repeating call signs and complex (and non memorable) MMSI numbers at the start before clarifying the emergency and assistance required is largely a waste of time - particularly if just hit the red button that has just transmitted the MMSI and position, and the coast guard have boat details registered on CG66 (or successor). Also my boat position is clearly shown on broadcast AIS.
There is zero chance I would use the formal format if in a real emergency.
It is an academic, pointless and impractical format.

So I would use mayday X3 , boat name x 3, description of position (not yet lat long, as DSC already sent it), statement of emergency and assistance required. Exactly as Triassic above.
If after that I have time (ie not fighting a fire or going back to pick up MOB), I might repeat boat name, people on board and give lat long. But more likely when short handed to be busy trying to resolve the situation.

In the extremely unlikely event of multiple simultaneous distress signals from similar named boats in similar location (sudden sever gale in lake Solent?) then MMSI might be worth adding if you have enough crew to have a dedicated VHF officer.

Tin hat on for incoming. But the standard / RYA format does not stand up to scrutiny of getting imperative data over quickly, as opposed to bureaucratic detail slowly.
 
Triassic said:
Good luck with all of that. I was sailing my boat at the time, I heard the initial Mayday and just about registered that I thought I heard St Catherine's light, but callsign and co-ordinates, forget it. The nearest paper and pen is somewhere in the cabin, I think they're under the biscuit tin.....
Click to expand...

Again a very practical statement of reality.
And of course the coastguard already have the MMSI and position via DSC without needing to state it (error prone) or them write it down. If ambiguous which “Crisis of Calshot” is which if both calling distress simultaneously then just ask for more clarification. And as this probability of happening of two same name boats at the same time is a probability similar to a lottery ticket win (extremely rare but possible), better to ask for extra data in the extremely rare event than waste time in an over complex theoretically pure process slowing down the 99.99% situations.
 
The difference in time between saying the prescribed form of mayday and any shortened version is negligible. Learning the prescribed method or using a prompt card standardises a mayday response with critical information that reduces search time due to confusing caused by sold on radios, unregistered radios, same boat names, for example. I don’t see any problem or down side in transmitting a mayday using the proscribed format. In fact following a proforma, checklist can actually save time.
 
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