Do you switch on your VHF, or dont you bother?

[maby]

I agree, they seem to have the patience of saints on busy days like yesterday. Especially with the numpties who managed to continuously transmit and the endless calls for radio checks on 16.

We keep the radio on 16 (or dual watch 16&VTS) at all times. Perhaps it's because we are still relative newbies, but I don't find the chatter annoying - more usually it's interesting.

I have to say that my experience of Solent coastguard is less positive - I made a radio check call after installing a new radio and got a very short tempered reply from a lady coastguard to the effect of "YES, it is working - now go away!" - perhaps I caught her at a bad moment.

 

[prv]

I made a radio check call after installing a new radio and got a very short tempered reply

What channel?

Pete

 

[maby]

What channel?

Pete

16 - ok, I know I should have used 67, but I had been monitoring 16 for ages and hadn't heard a peep!

 

[prv]

16 - ok, I know I should have used 67, but I had been monitoring 16 for ages and hadn't heard a peep!

Hmm - it is unusual for them to be shirty when it's not busy. Oh well, just a bad day I guess.

Pete

 

[john_morris_uk]

We usually have the VHF on monitoring 16 - although I have been known to forget. I try to remember as I've been involved in a few rescues over the years - through CG asking us to offer assistance as the nearest vessel. Usually its engine failure and we have towed them into the nearest harbour.

Usually the wine store benefits, so its an incentive to keep listening.

In a slightly different vein, I was called several times under various circumstances in the Caribbean recently. Port control in San Juan, Puerto Rico got our name from our AIS and called us up to advise us about various cruise ship movements. Similarly a yacht called us asking if we had heard Pan Pan messages about a missing boat and was it us? (It wasn't and I'd already spoken to the CG as we were in the very area the boat was last seen in.) Then there was the trivial 'have you got a current weather forecast' from a yacht at anchor in a VERY remote anchorage.

I mention these as in the UK no-one ever calls us at all but it was nice to have the radio on even if its to produce the crew shaking me with, "I think someones trying to call us on the VHF skipper..."