Does anyone else listen to CH16?

[snooks]

Coming back from Exmouth yesterday I was surprised at:
a) The amount of yachts being called by war ships on Ch16, with no reply (even when the yachts in question had their sail number read out)
b) the number of yachts sailing through the Lulworth firing range

Is there any excuse for either of these?...I think not

The day before we heard a Pan Pan for two missing divers, we were able to join the search, we didn't find them, but they were found safe and sound

How would people feel if they had sailed through a search area unaware that were missing people in the area could have been saved by them?

A final note, have boatusers given up waving back?

 

[Guest]

I always wave back and found most actually do ..... except some of the powerboaters .... now that is not a knock on PB's - just an observation ... maybe its because they are often hanging on for dear life that thewy can't free one arm to do it ????

 

[JeremyF]

I know its no excuse, but in the Solent there's so much 'radio check please' communication, that I'm inclined to switch the thing off. If Channel 80 marina's were used for radio checks, then listening on 16 would be much better.

Its a shame that there is no digital DSC radio check function built into the specification. Press a button,and the land station responds with a digital message if the signal is strong

Jeremy Flynn

 

[dickh]

On my boat the VHF is always on Ch16 during the day and on passage, it usually only gets turned off when at anchor or moored up. I find it quite interesting to listen and you will hear any relevant messages. We were at anchor one evening when we heard a very faint mayday, the coastguard also heard it and asked if anyone else had, we replied as well as 3 or 4 others. It was a childs voice with giggles so it was eventually disregarded - sounded as though it was a child playing with the vhf and reading from a crib card.

 

[dickh]

Re: waving back...

On the East Coast 90% of people wave back, including motor boats, who seem to be much better behaved than on the south coast, mostly displacement craft - very few fast motor boats.

 

[jimi]

I usually have mine on dual watch 67/16. However it does get turned off when there is incessant interference which drives me absolutely potty! Often it is then forgotten to be switched back on.

 

[Guest]

I'm afraid your right about Ch 16. So few yotties listen in on 16 these days. I dont know why, but it seems to be a combination of different thoughts, a) It drains my batteries if I leave it on (wrong). b) It spoils my tranquility to have all this traffic blaring out all the time. c) Because the radio is below I can't hear it anyway, so why bother. It's a shame because it would bother me if I had passed a fellow boater in distress and not had the radio on to hear his, or the CG call. Last year I gave Thames CG a call with my safety traffic including passage plan and ETA at destination and then re-tuned to 16, some 4 hours into my passage I had a call from Dover CG asking me if I had seen a particular yacht that had given a partial distress call. I was able to asist in as much as I had not seen the yacht or that there was no vessel within my eyesight, this helped them redifine their seach area and I was not bothered again, so it does help if everyone monitors Ch 16, and it's a legal requirement anyway?

 

[snooks]

I'm a yotti, been brought up to wave, and usually get a response when I'm on a yacht. Even had a fisherman wave back once! (and it wasn't a "get away from my nets" wave either)

But yesterday it was interesting that I was waving and few yachtsman waved back, didn't know if it had anything to with the fact I was on a powerboat!!!

 

[Rob_Webb]

I blame overcrowding for both these problems (again)!

Radio - too much chuntering on by people who obviously have never attended a radio operator's course, making Ch16 in the Solent area simply unbearable.

Waving - in the Solent there is so much traffic that it feels like trying to wave to every car you pass on the road!

 

[milltech]

Following your example I would be monitoring 16, but there have been times in the Solent when I've switched it off because I cannot stand to hear another stupid person trying to raise another boat that won't answer. When the speaker is spouting 100% of the time it can get too much.

John

 

[jollyjacktar]

A shot across the bow

That may improve the listening skills on ch16, probably get a few waves as well.

 

[robp]

I'm amazed by the amount of people, many that I know, who don't listen. In the Solent it is for the reasons mentioned many times here. Also, it's probable that monitorng is therefore left to those plenty who are on air. If a set is available it should be monitored.

Waving - it does seem to be unecessary unless there are unusually few out. I always return a wave though. Unless it was a Centaur steadfastly motoring into the wind whilst I was on starboard tack. Refused to deviate from his chosen track and then had the audaciity to wave! No, there was nothing discernable wrong with his craft.

 

[Twister_Ken]

Bring on DSC

>I've switched it off because I cannot stand to hear another stupid person trying to raise another boat that won't answer<

This is one of the things DSC should help with. Providing you know the MMSI of a buddy-boat, you can 'dial' them direct without making contact via Ch16.

 

[Guest]

Re: Bring on DSC

Now tell me I'm stupid ... but having a MMSI still means going across the airwaves ??

So now we have a change from the Yottie with his School-book call on 16 to his / her pal ... to that of a million MMSI's going out via the ether overcrowding this new development ????

I think I'll sit with the 'funnies' on 16 etc. I have had many a laugh listening to some smart-arse on the VHF and then another giving 'em hell for being on air on 16 etc. etc. etc.

There ought to be a recording available commercially of some of 'em .... they make Benny Hill sound positively dull !!

 

[snooks]

Re: Bring on DSC

The DSC radio also gave us an alert before the Pan Pan message (the previous day), this enabled us to slow the boat and get the logbook and pencil ready to take down the message. Technology working well, how clever!

 

[snooks]

Re: Bring on DSC

Knowing the MMSI enables you to "call" like a conventional telephone, the DSC set at the other end rings...don't know if it's like a Nokia Mobile with different ringtones tho!! If someone calls you from their DSC to your DSC you can save their MMSI for future calling....that way you don't have to use CH16 to call them and change to an intership channel.

Agree about the VHF conversation but as you'll remember when you were examined for the VHF License you'd also have signed the official secrets act, stopping you telling the world details of VHF conversation....

booo! to official secrets! ;-)

 

[JeremyF]

Re: Bring on DSC

Another good thing about DSC is that you can leave the volume down low, and when you get a call, it alerts very loudly, at least in the NASA.

Kim,

How about putting MMSI as a field in the user profiles. I've only got one MMSI in my directory so far. I must be HUFF - hard up for friends!

Jeremy Flynn

 

[Twister_Ken]

Re: Bring on DSC

>Now tell me I'm stupid ... but having a MMSI still means going across the airwaves<

On a ship to ship call the initiating DSC call goes digitally on Ch 70, so no impact on Ch16. No more "Dipwick, Dipwick, Dipwick, this is Prolapse, Prolapse, Prolapse". Of course, having established contact the communicating vessels have to go to voice on a working channel (with the working channel being automatically selected by the initiating station) , but the initial on Ch 16 will not happen.

 

[RupertW]

I'm one of the non-listeners, despite all the good reasons for listening.

I grew up on boats without electronics, even using paraffin nav lights until 1988 so being on boats with constant voices jabbering away spoilt the sounds of sailing for me. Also, when doing watches it's very hard trying to sleep when a voice starts talking just when you are dropping off.

I will listen in bad visibility near busy harbours and headlands and loved having a DSC when sailing from France to Greece in February. If anyone was in distress (and we heard two false alarms), then the radio would beep loudly so we could turn up Ch 16 and find out what was happening.

Perhaps people who listen to the VHF all the time also keep listening to talk-shows on the car radio for hours on end hoping for traffic reports.

Rupert

 

[cgull]

I think its important to listen to know whats going on around you, part of the "big picture"

I pride myself in never having asked for "radio check" to CG on 16!

On 16 late last season did you hear the call about the dog that leapt overboard from a Red Funnel ferry halfwayacross the Solent, and the captain would not stop and go back for a look.
Do you want to know the rest of the story?