Do you sail with the VHF on ? POLL

[Momac]

The regulation quite deliberately does not specify any sources of the information.
To suggest that there is some "spirit" to the regulation, that isn't written down, but that you think puts an obligation on all sailors, is nonsense.

What source other than VHF do you think a Mayday might be received by a boat at sea?

So if you did hear a Mayday you would ignore it because the law says you can ?

Far better to try to do something that might help even if that action proves to be successful rather than do nothing .
.

 

[Black Sheep]

What source other than VHF do you think a Mayday might be received by a boat at sea?

I suggest you look up distress signals. There's a handy page in Reeds. I take it that you have an illustrated table of life-saving signals on board, as required by Regulation 29?

So if you did hear a Mayday you would ignore it because the law says you can ?

Of course not. What have I written that makes you leap to that unlikely consclusion? Twice now I have quoted the part of the SOLAS regulations that explicitly require vessels to respond to distress signals, if they are in a position to be able to provide assistance.

 

[Momac]

Of course not. What have I written that makes you leap to that unlikely consclusion?

This....
''To suggest that there is some "spirit" to the regulation, that isn't written down, but that you think puts an obligation on all sailors, is nonsense''.

 

[creeks]

An example of the usefulness of people monitoring Ch.16 happened today in the Solent. I was entering the Hamble around lunchtime and heard someone in a rib call Solent CG with a Mayday relay. They were near the mouth of the Beaulieu and had heard a Mayday from a boat that had apparently lost power and gone aground somewhere near there but they didn't think Solent CG had picked it up, which it turned out they hadn't.
The rib then continued to act as a link between the stranded boat and Solent CG as the event unfolded as they could hear the casualty but Solent CG couldn't.
Another rib apparently, perhaps a bigger one, was able to tow the casualty into clear water at which point I believe the call was downgraded to a Pan Pan as they still had no power. I heard no more as I guess I was then out of range.
But if those ribs had not been monitoring Ch.16, then what? Solent CG could not hear the casualty even after they'd been alerted to the situation.

(Whether going aground at the mouth of the Beaulieu justifies a Mayday is another matter)

 

[capnsensible]

Rescuing 319 migrants at sea: one solo sailor's story - Yachting Monthly

 

[Chiara’s slave]

An example of the usefulness of people monitoring Ch.16 happened today in the Solent. I was entering the Hamble around lunchtime and heard someone in a rib call Solent CG with a Mayday relay. They were near the mouth of the Beaulieu and had heard a Mayday from a boat that had apparently lost power and gone aground somewhere near there but they didn't think Solent CG had picked it up, which it turned out they hadn't.
The rib then continued to act as a link between the stranded boat and Solent CG as the event unfolded as they could hear the casualty but Solent CG couldn't.
Another rib apparently, perhaps a bigger one, was able to tow the casualty into clear water at which point I believe the call was downgraded to a Pan Pan as they still had no power. I heard no more as I guess I was then out of range.
But if those ribs had not been monitoring Ch.16, then what? Solent CG could not hear the casualty even after they'd been alerted to the situation.

(Whether going aground at the mouth of the Beaulieu justifies a Mayday is another matter)

Might be justified if you’ve got a deep fin keel, even in good weather. A potential sinking is a mayday in my book.

 

[creeks]

Might be justified if you’ve got a deep fin keel, even in good weather. A potential sinking is a mayday in my book.

I believe the casualty was a motor cruiser, I recognised the name. Anyway I remember spending many unhappy hours sitting aground on sandbanks in fin keel yachts with never a thought of a Mayday even if that had been possible. It was just one of the hazards of racing in estuaries.
And I also remember deliberately grounding and drying out on a sandbank just for a scrub. And that was in the middle of the night because we were racing the next day! Problem was we only got one side done and never got round to doing the other side.?

 

[Chiara’s slave]

Motor boat, yeah, that's a bit off. They should do what we do, get off and push!

 

[capnsensible]

Motor boat, yeah, that's a bit off. They should do what we do, get off and push!

A guy I knew died doing that.

 

[dslittle]

I’m one of the small minority who only have it on very occasionally - on many trips not at all.

[Edit: having seen the reaction from someone I like and respect their sailing judgement I thought I’d add that it’s one of the habits I’m considering changing but sailing would feel very different]

I commend you for your EDIT.

Whilst you are considering changing, please take account of WHY you have a radio at all?

IF it is so that you can turn it on and call for help when something catastrophic goes wrong, think how you would feel if you watched yachts serenely sail past you, totally oblivious to your plight because their radios were turned off…

 

[Chiara’s slave]

A guy I knew died doing that.

I’m still here so far. You’d have to work at killing yourself in 40cm of water, but obviously you look out if theres a possibility of it getting deep very quickly. It’s very useful otherwise, we've left Bembridge at low water by leading the boat by the bowsprit on several occasions.

 

[boomerangben]

I trust that everyone keeps formal watches, assigns arcs of responsibility for their crew to keep watch for visual distress signals as well as keep attentive listening watch on 16? With the popularity of PWC, SUPs and other water sports whose participants are less likely to carry radios, is a visual lookout not just as, if not more important?
This thread has demonstrated the widely varying views, reflecting varied back grounds and varied circumstances and provides food for thought. I still have to balance listening watch vs battery life, not necessarily for my needs but the needs of someone else in distress. After all a flat battery is no good to anybody. Perhaps another spare is in order.

 

[newtothis]

If you don't keep your VHF on all the time, how are you going to be able to complain about all the numpties doing radio checks?

 

[LadyInBed]

 

[ylop]

Does that apply to pleasure craft? And also, to be pedantic, if I haven’t heard the distress call because the VHF is off then I haven’t received information from any source so am not bound by the following obligations. All the examples given in this thread seem to be crowded waters with minor issues where the boat can only tangentially help. That doesn’t mean I disagree with people for keeping the radio squawking during their sail but it’s a lot of nuisance for a tiny likelihood of being needed.

I don't sail in the crowded waters of the solent, last time I did was pre-DSC so not sure I am in a position to comment on them. However in quieter waters there's often less than one call an hour. If I sailed for the benefits of peace and solitude I'm not sure I'd head to the Solent though!

 

[TrondS]

I trust that everyone keeps formal watches, assigns arcs of responsibility for their crew to keep watch for visual distress signals as well as keep attentive listening watch on 16?

Yes, of course! A sharp lookout by eye and radar continously at all times for the person(s) at watch., and that includes monitoring the appropriate VHF channel(s).
Don't you?

 

[capnsensible]

View attachment 141053

Yes, pass it on, please.

 

[boomerangben]

Yes, of course! A sharp lookout by eye and radar continously at all times for the person(s) at watch., and that includes monitoring the appropriate VHF channel(s).
Don't you?

I don’t have a radar or a fixed radio, but a good look out of course

 

[RupertW]

I commend you for your EDIT.

Whilst you are considering changing, please take account of WHY you have a radio at all?

IF it is so that you can turn it on and call for help when something catastrophic goes wrong, think how you would feel if you watched yachts serenely sail past you, totally oblivious to your plight because their radios were turned off…

It’s not for that, it is purely for calling port control in major harbours, otherwise off.

 

[ylop]

It’s not for that, it is purely for calling port control in major harbours, otherwise off.

But if you were sinking, on fire, having a heart attack you would not turn it on? instead fishing out your flares?