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

[Rigger Mortice]

Always on when underway. Frequently on when moored up.

A friend never has his on. I've spent a lot of time on his boat and have never seen the radio switched on.

 

[Vega1447]

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.

AFAIK the requirement to keep radio watch is only for vessels over a certain size, and for workboats.*"SOLAS boats"

 

[Seatrout]

+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

+2
Our VHF switches on automatically as soon as the boat power is on.
We don't get as many knobbers asking for radio checks here, any radio check I make is to another yacht or to the nearest marina at the start of the season.
Don't you find that the 'radio check fraternity' cause a domino effect? .... one does it followed by a flock of sheep.

 

[prv]

Don't you find that the 'radio check fraternity' cause a domino effect? .... one does it followed by a flock of sheep.

The problem is that people who don't really know what they're doing only hear the bad example of people checking with the Coastguard on 16 every time they go out. For obvious reasons they don't hear all the hundreds of other people *not* doing it.

Sunsail used to encourage people who took out its dayboats (retired old flotilla yachts kept at the "beach clubs") to always do a radio check with the office before they left. I reckon this accounts for quite a lot of the people who think it's the done thing to check every time you go out.

Pete

 

[johnalison]

We cruised here and abroad for 15 years without a radio but now that we have one, I would feel as if I were failing in my duty to keep a proper watch without it, though a series of DSC alerts can test my patience considerably (excluding Maydays of course).

 

[TeamSpirit]

Maintain my obligation when underway to always have a listening watch on 16 and 67 adding channel 11 and 12 as required. Use DSC calling between vessels when possible, but get fed up with numpty VHF checking and poor radio discipline/ open channels the latter of which I have often turned off.

 

[agurney]

On all the time, including overnight if at anchor.

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

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

I almost wonder if this is part of the problem.... if they were just a bit more 'direct' with misuse, then it might encourage people to think twice before banging out their standard Saturday morning radio check.

 

[Otter]

Big old Mayday going on 2 miles from us on Saturday, we could have been useful if nearer and I would have been an absolute heel to have had 16 turned off and never been able to help. We've only needed urgent help once and golly we were glad a nearby yacht was listening.

 

[sailorman]

Big old Mayday going on 2 miles from us on Saturday, we could have been useful if nearer and I would have been an absolute heel to have had 16 turned off and never been able to help. We've only needed urgent help once and golly we were glad a nearby yacht was listening.

Saturday, was that Shingle St

 

[sighmoon]

It's on, but how much we hear is another matter.

Now we're in the North East, there's only a noise from it every few hours - one of which was for us. I do wonder how many messages we missed among the background hubub along the South coast.

 

[Twister_Ken]

Always on 16 except when it's not - like 11 when entering Pompey, 14 when VTS is doing a traffic announcement, or 23 for CG weather. When I did my short range cert I'm sure I was told it was a requirement to keep a listening watch if you're equipped to do so.

Incidentally, I've noticed far fewer DSC alarms in the last couple of years. Maybe people have learned that they're counterproductive unless in a real emergency?

 

[dunedin]

+2
Our VHF switches on automatically as soon as the boat power is on.
We don't get as many knobbers asking for radio checks here, any radio check I make is to another yacht or to the nearest marina at the start of the season.
Don't you find that the 'radio check fraternity' cause a domino effect? .... one does it followed by a flock of sheep.

Dare I say it that most of the radio checks I hear on the Clyde, now increasing, tend to be with southern accents - I suspect they are mostly charter boaters (perhaps importing Solent practice - whether good or bad depending on opinion)

 

[Sans Bateau]

Dare I say it that most of the radio checks I hear on the Clyde, now increasing, tend to be with southern accents - I suspect they are mostly charter boaters (perhaps importing Solent practice - whether good or bad depending on opinion)

You may be right, there is probably a greater concentration of charter boats in the Solent which tends to lead to more radio checks. But what gives us (me) a great deal of amusement is the variety of calls from people 'unfamiliar' with radio practice, for instance, the persistent call to Cowes yacht Haven or Yarmouth harbour (for example) for a berth for lunch, (before they are politely directed to the correct channel by the CG) the chatter of the sport fishermen discussing how big theirs is! The chatter of Sharon and Tracey about which restaurant they are going to (etc). Most recently we had a discussion about the ice cream boat at Osborne Bay, love it!

 

[NUTMEG]

Always on 16 when aboard. Makes me feel all nautical! Anyway did the SRC so want to get me monies worth.

 

[Seajet]

Dare I say it that most of the radio checks I hear on the Clyde, now increasing, tend to be with southern accents - I suspect they are mostly charter boaters (perhaps importing Solent practice - whether good or bad depending on opinion)

Hmmm,

no bias there then !

There are a lot of gits with accents South of Aberdeen who have never been near the Solent either; for that matter I have heard radio ' discipline ' from HM warships which made me cringe more than once.

Galadriel,

you forgot listening to channel 10, the fishermens' chat; I know families who listened in and played ' count the swearwords per minute ' ...

 

[Leighb]

Always on, if in the River/Harbour on the appropriate channel and DW 16.

Harwich is a busy port and while it is always interesting to know what is going on, sometimes, like yesterday, Harwich VTS give out very important information that is relevant to yachts.

 

[prv]

what gives us (me) a great deal of amusement is the variety of calls from people 'unfamiliar' with radio practice, for instance, the persistent call to Cowes yacht Haven or Yarmouth harbour (for example) for a berth for lunch, (before they are politely directed to the correct channel by the CG) the chatter of the sport fishermen discussing how big theirs is! The chatter of Sharon and Tracey about which restaurant they are going to (etc). Most recently we had a discussion about the ice cream boat at Osborne Bay, love it!

Had a good one at the weekend - on ch12 (Southampton port commercial traffic control, for the non-locals) came a chirpy chappy saying "'ello, this is motorboat Zoom, can anyone give me any info about that Lancaster that's flying around overhead?"

Pete

 

[trapezeartist]

As others have said, I think it is an obligation of the radio licence to keep a listening watch on Ch 16. If not, I feel there is certainly a moral obligation to do so.

We did have a bit of unnecessary prattle between a couple of kayakers this past weekend, but someone fairly quickly stepped in and advised them firmly but not too impolitely to go to another channel.

 

[agurney]

Dare I say it that most of the radio checks I hear on the Clyde, now increasing, tend to be with southern accents - I suspect they are mostly charter boaters (perhaps importing Solent practice - whether good or bad depending on opinion)

That's fair enough; if i was chartering a boat I'd like to know that the VHF was operational.