Mayday or Relay or ?

[jonjo]

Re: Certificated

Thank you for your professional view on this.

I obtained a yachty calibre VHF operator's license about 15 years ago but do not recall attending a course that equated to a full day of instruction. Anyhow I was in the middle of a demanding refit at the time so I was remiss in not studying the course material outside of class hours.

I came away from that course with the distinct impression that a Mayday Relay was primarily intended to relay a VHF transmitted Mayday call and do not recall rehearsing an observed distress scenario.

Perhaps VHF courses should focus more on the observed distress situation. Even given the advice in this thread I would still stumble over the appropriate wording for an observed Mayday Relay.

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[TonyD]

Re: Certificated

Anyone wanting a refresher on correct radio emergency procedures could do worse that read through this site:
http://www.hmcoastguard.co.uk/comms.php

TonyD

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[Twister_Ken]

Aground Shingles

In your scenario in the opening post, then maybe something like:

Mayday Relay, Mayday Relay, Mayday Relay, this is Jonjo, Jonjo, Jonjo. Mayday unknown vessel. Unknown vessel aground Shingles making visual distress signals. Unknown vessel approximately 3 cables north west of Shingles Elbow buoy. Unknown vessel is a small red-hulled motorboat. Number of persons aboard uncertain, 3 so far observed. Jonjo unable to approach more closely but is holding position. Over.

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.writeforweb.com/twister1>Let's Twist Again</A>

 

[Sailfree]

Re: Certificated

Just read the excellent American site you recommended then surfed onto the Salvage Claim article and realised I am not sure of the final implications of sending a mayday.
Taking the example of a small boat about to be pounded to pieces on the Shingles Bank - Needles channel. The small boat have sent a Mayday. You are first on the scene, launch your rubber dinghy take a line to the distressed boat and tow them off. Maybe you also patch a leak and then tow them back to Lymington.
I now assume you are entitled to Salvage rights, what % of the boats value are you entitled to.
Now if I am honest here if I was the rescuer I would be happy to accept a pint and be the hero for the day but once I realise that the person in distress would not have to actually pay anything or lose their boat and all we are considering is how much salvage claim I am legally entitled to from their Insurance company am I tempted to claim? There was a little gel coat and toe rail damage to my boat.
You can imagine the scene. So would you claim and how much are you entitled to?
Yes I do realise it's our insurance premiums that will go up.
As a fledgling inept sailor that capsized a dinghy in front of the Ro Ro ferry in Poole once and the Captain seeing my lack of ability to right the inverted dinghy and wishing to sail sometime that year either called the inshore lifeboat or they were conveniently cruising in the vicinity could the RNLI have made a claim? It may be RNLI policy never to make a claim but are they entitled to?

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[whisper]

Re: Certificated

If I went to the rescue of someone and was successful but damaged my own boat then I would ask the rescued to pay for my loss. I assume he would get his insurance co. to settle it. Mind you, I'm not sure that the latter would agree without a lot of hassle. Suspect I'm being naive here.

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[jhr]

Re: Certificated

Suspect you are being naive, but I admire your faith in human (if that's an appropriate word to use in the context of an insurance company) nature in the face of all the available evidence /forums/images/icons/wink.gif

<hr width=100% size=1>Je suis Marxiste - tendance Groucho

 

[jonjo]

Re: Aground Shingles

Thankyou.

I shall practice that in my car on the way to work tomorrow.

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[jonjo]

Re: PBO account

I found the article that prompted my question on Scuttlebutt. Given the advice in this thread the Mayday call was a bit OTT.

March 2004 Page 61...

"the yacht crew finally started to use their VHF, but all they talked about was a tow. I decided that we couldn't stay there forever and a decision was made. We would put out a Mayday. [another yacht] "decided the crew was incapable... and confused."


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[stephenh]

Re: Certificated

thanks for the US VHF site

it says in part 3

“And speaking of telephones, a DSC equipped radio can call a land based

telephone without the intervention of a marine operator.”

How is this done ? Or not possible in the UK ?

I must have dozed off in this part of the course....

If someone would remind me I would be very grateful.

thanks

Stephen


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[BrendanS]

Re: PBO account

There's a lot more to the story than your short edited snippet.(It's in PBO magazine by the way if anyone is searching desperately through the mags!)

They had their outboard hanging off, were waving for assistance, and were asking for help, but very confused. In the circumstances, I'd probably have radioed for assistance also. The article says they 'put out a Mayday on the yacht's behalf''.The article doesn't mention if this was done as a relay or a straight mayday, so cannot make any assumptions.

<hr width=100% size=1>There is no such thing as "fun for the whole family."

 

[jonjo]

Re: PBO account

> There's a lot more to the story than your short edited snippet.

By definition!

I wanted to post a larger extract but I was mindful that this was the current issue the publishers expect people to pay for.

The essential facts are that the French skipper finally used the VHF to ask for a tow but the Brit skippers were getting irritated by the lack of cooperation and, reading between the lines, raised a Mayday or Mayday Relay to move things along.

The fact that the engineless yacht with a sickly crew was drifting into the Alderney Race was an additional factor, I agree, but did it warrant a Mayday?

The online US VHF guide someone pointed me towards suggested using a PanPan if a situation will not become critical for another half hour.

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