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

[Sans Bateau]

When I say switch it on, what I mean is when you are setting off to sail/motor somewhere. I have read on here that some peeps dont switch on because of the rubbish which bends ones ear all the time, radio checks etc, I do sympathise with that. A boat which I believe exercises VHF 'off' is a HR called Latimer Lady. If anyone knows them, can you tell them that I tried for some time to call them on Sunday morning as they left Newtown Creek, I tried to call them to tell them they had a pick up buoy or pot marker under the sugar scoup, wrapped around the top of their rudder. Of course it may be completely harmless, but then again, if it has a rope trailing, just waiting to be drawn into the prop when they next engage reverse it could cause a nasty situation for them, or if the thing some how jammed the rudder. Whichever way, it was best removed and I tried for some time (even doing a radio check myself on Ch67 to make sure I was transmitting!) to contact them but it seems they preferred radio silence.

Maybe radio silence is not such a good thing.

 

[puddock]

Always have at least the handheld, in the cockpit, turned on. Apart from anything else, just to be nosey... Thankfully, we are not blighted with the apparent constant chatter experienced by those down south, often going the whole day with nothing but the scheduled forecasts being broadcast.

 

[RupertW]

This is a bit of an anchor thread in the making - different camps with different ideas.

I very rarely switch the VHF on - occasionally when entering a strange harbour and looking for a berth, and then only once I'm approaching the marina. I go to sea for peace and quiet as much as anything else, and to get away from technology (apart from the bits that I like of course - echo sounder, handheld GPS for occasional use, fridge and autopilot)

 

[KellysEye]

I always kept in on on 16. Notification of weather was one thing but it can be handy for other things. Off Bonaire at night a cruise ship called us to tell us they were going to pass close but not to worry. Off Trinidad at night a ship towing an underwater array 2.25 miles long called and said we would pass in front of him. We called back and said as a sailing boat we can't guarantee our speed so we were happy to pass behind, he said thank you. One interesting thing was we asked how to locate the end of the array, he said there was a white strobe on it, we called back to say we couldn't see it, they had forgotten to turn it on.

 

[John.edwards]

on every time channel 16

 

[ianfr]

on every time channel 16

+1

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

on every time channel 16

+1

I can understand people getting sick of the constant misuse, but you never know when your help might be needed, or when you might need to be contacted.... answer is to avoid the Solent!

 

[FullCircle]

+1

I can understand people getting sick of the constant misuse, but you never know when your help might be needed, or when you might need to be contacted.... answer is to avoid the Solent!

I forwarded a Mayday relay 2 years ago - Coastguard could not pick up the transmission...... I motored back toward them, but luckily the high speed rib got there before me.
Therefore, I would like to think someone else might help me one day.

 

[Sailfree]

On Ch 16 until the third time emergency warning beeps drown everything for routine weather or traffic info - cancelled by going below and pressing Ch 16 - then OFF for rest of trip!!

 

[neil1967]

On every time - with dual watch as appropriate. Solent coastguard was busy this sunday dealing with boats with ropes around their props, engines not starting etc etc. I have to say they have amazing patience and sound reassuringly confident and competant.

Neil

 

[Deleted member 36384]

Always on, usually when berthed or moored as well just for curiosity purposes. I could be tempted to switch it off if it was regularly annunciating an alarm but I haven't experienced such conditions. I have had reason to respond to Mayday a few times over the years all of which used the VHF to announce their distress.

 

[colingr]

I have to say they have amazing patience and sound reassuringly confident and competant.

Neil

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.

 

[prv]

I listen to Ch12 in Southampton Water and the central Solent - much more use hearing what commercial traffic is up to than yotties blathering away on 16. Switch to 16 once we're into the western arm of the Solent and beyond.

As for the OP - if you were close enough to see gear wrapped round their rudder, could you not have just hailed them directly?

Pete

 

[Halcyon Yachts]

on every time channel 16

+1

It would be terrible to think that someone just a few miles away could be in trouble and just because you are enjoying some radio silence you couldn't hear their cries for help!

Pete

 

[Sans Bateau]

As for the OP - if you were close enough to see gear wrapped round their rudder, could you not have just hailed them directly?

Pete

No, not that close. Remember they were raising their anchor, engine running etc.

 

[puddock]

Don't we have an obligation to monitor Ch 16 ???

 

[jbweston]

I monitor ch 16 when underway, unless I'm on a port control channel.

This is influenced very much by being in West Sweden. When I was in the Solent I found VHF a right pain in the neck.

Last week as it is early in the season we were often the only boat in sight, so (even ignoring legal obligations) if anyone's calling for help I might well be the only boat for miles around and ought/want to go and give them a hand. I don't think we heard more than two or three calls a day on Ch 16 apart from routine coast radio nav warning and weather announcements.

Even in the summer when there are lots of boats out, apart from Stockholm and Lyngby Radios (respectively the Swedish and Danish coast radio stations covering the whole area with repeater masts) there's very little VHF traffic - perhaps once every half hour or hour when someone calls intership on 16 before going off to working channel. The Swedes seem not to have fallen into the habit of chattering away to each other, or perhaps they just use their mobile phones.

Personally I think all these VHF calls are a product of the modern idea that people should keep in touch all the time and that somehow sailing is 'safer' if we are chattering away to someone - a bit like whales telling all their pals 'I'm still here. Are you still there?'. Elephants in the same herd do the same by frequent low mumbling. On land my wife and children and I work on the principle that no contact means everything is OK and if there's an accident or serious illness we can get in touch or the if it's bad enough the police or hospital will do it on our behalf - which leaves us free to call for social reasons when we feel like it rather than having to report in at regular intervals to prove we are still alive.

But the fact that I don't want to transmit doesn't stop me listening out.

 

[BruceDanforth]

I will monitor it if there is bad weather.

I monitor ch 16 when underway, unless I'm on a port control channel.

This is influenced very much by being in West Sweden. When I was in the Solent I found VHF a right pain in the neck.

Last week as it is early in the season we were often the only boat in sight, so (even ignoring legal obligations) if anyone's calling for help I might well be the only boat for miles around and ought/want to go and give them a hand. I don't think we heard more than two or three calls a day on Ch 16 apart from routine coast radio nav warning and weather announcements.

Even in the summer when there are lots of boats out, apart from Stockholm and Lyngby Radios (respectively the Swedish and Danish coast radio stations covering the whole area with repeater masts) there's very little VHF traffic - perhaps once every half hour or hour when someone calls intership on 16 before going off to working channel. The Swedes seem not to have fallen into the habit of chattering away to each other, or perhaps the just use their mobile phones.

Personally I think all these VHF calls are a product of the modern idea that people should keep in touch all the time and that somehow sailing is 'safer' if we are chattering away to someone - a bit like whales telling all their pals 'I'm still here. Are you still there?'. Elephants in the same herd do the same by frequent low mumbling. On land with my wife and children we work on the principle that no contact means everything is OK and if there's an accident or serious illness we can get in touch or the if it's bad enough the police or hospital will do it on our behalf - which leaves us free to call for social reasons when we feel like it rather than having to report in at regular intervals to prove we are still alive.

But the fact that I don't want to transmit doesn't stop me listening out.

 

[Seajet]

I always understood that with the VHF licence comes an obligation to listen.

I don't think the chatter in the Solent is as bad as it used to be, but the call alarm drives me nuts, DSC was a terrible move.

We once took part in a search for a woman knocked overboard by the boom, alerted by the VHF call we and a lot of other boats were searching long before the lifeboat and helo got there; while the search was sadly unproductive - she was wearing white waterproofs on a rough day - at least we knew what was going on and were able to try to help.

 

[Baggywrinkle]

Always on now it can be controlled from the cockpit. Croatia is pretty quiet in the main, but it's very useful for navigation warnings and weather updates too.