Red Flare reporting - what procedure should I have followed?

FulmarJeddo

FulmarJeddo

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On Sunday I was sailing down the Essex coast from the River Blackwater to the Medway with 5 other boats from our club. About a mile from my position a fishing/angling boat set off a red hand held flare. I had no idea of the nature of the distress. One of the other boats in our party that was nearer the "casualty" tried calling the Coastguard but got no response, he had problems with his radio all weekend.

In my view a red flare meant Mayday. I knew what I should do if I had heard an unanswered Mayday radio call, but was a little uncertain of what to do in this case. I issued a Mayday relay call, "mayday relay" x3 then the name of my vessel x3. At that point I wasn't sure whether to pass the details of the emergency or wait for a response first. I opted for just saying over and waiting for a response. Once answered I gave the details as Far as I could being about a mile from the casualty.

I obviously turned round and made best speed towards the casualty. The other boat with the weak radio got there ahead of me and was able to pass me the details and I relayed it to the Coastguard. When I arrived on scene I was able to give a full update to the CG.

It turned out it was an engine failure due loss of oil. Two of our boats offered him some oil, and as the vessel was not in any imminent danger and the skipper believed he could restart with some extra oil, the CG asked if I was happy to downgrade from a Mayday.

The oil was transferred but was still unable to start and Clacton Lifeboat was tasked.

The casualty felt they were unable to anchor as they wouldn't be able to get the anchor up without the engine running. Two of us stood by until the Lifeboat arrived.

I'm not sure why the vessel was unable to radio for assistance, it appeared reasonably well equipped with aerials and a radar scanner. The occupants were also using mobile phones, so could have called for assistance.

My concern was should I have made it a Mayday relay as it was only a mechanical breakdown, but then I didn't know that when I saw the Red flare.

Also rather strangely, there were other fishing/angling boats around, that would have had ample power to tow him to safety, but made no offer of help.
 
Not quite the perfect radio protocol but no worries. You did all the right things, thought out of the box as necessary, acted in accordance with the old unwritten code of the sea and in the end got the right result.

Well done :encouragement:
 
Pedantically I think it would have been correct to have called the Mayday Relay with something like "red flare sighted", an indication of its position, and any information you knew at that point (type of boat firing it, etc). But only as a matter of technical interest, absolutely no criticism implied of the way you handled it in reality.

Mayday Relay is correct for a red flare, you don't know why they're setting it off, there could have been someone bleeding to death on the deck below their gunwale. Can be downgraded if appropriate once the situation becomes clearer, as it was.

Some odd behaviour from some of the others involved, including the casualty boat firing a flare instead of just making a non-Mayday radio or phone call, but sounds like absolutely the right thing from you and your fellow club boat :encouragement:

Pete
 
You did just fine. To do it by the book, in the Mayday Relay call you'd include the info about your position and what you have seen, e.g. " I have sighted a red flare on a small boat, possibly a fishing boat, about a mile to my NE". But what you did was great and certainly it is correct to call a Mayday if you see a red.
 
You did the right thing - Mayday Relay was definately appropriate, given the SOLAS protocols for use of a red flare.

For the record, the correct format would be :

Mayday Relay x 3
This is xxxx x 3
Mayday Relay
Red flare sighted in position xxxx (can be bearing and distance from fixed point, or from your position)
Identity and details of source unknown
This station proceeding (or whatever you are doing)
Ends
This is xxxx, out.

But it sounds like you did fine.
 
chanelyacht said:
You did the right thing - Mayday Relay was definately appropriate, given the SOLAS protocols for use of a red flare.

For the record, the correct format would be :

Mayday Relay x 3
This is xxxx x 3
Mayday Relay
Red flare sighted in position xxxx (can be bearing and distance from fixed point, or from your position)
Identity and details of source unknown
This station proceeding (or whatever you are doing)
Ends
This is xxxx, out.
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Thanks, now stored in a suitable location in my brain.

RYA training is a little lacking regrading Mayday Relay best practice, this is odd since it is statistically more likely we will find ourselves in a Relay situation rather than be a Mayday originator.
 
chanelyacht said:
You did the right thing - Mayday Relay was definately appropriate, given the SOLAS protocols for use of a red flare.

For the record, the correct format would be :

Mayday Relay x 3
This is xxxx x 3
Mayday Relay
Red flare sighted in position xxxx (can be bearing and distance from fixed point, or from your position)
Identity and details of source unknown
This station proceeding (or whatever you are doing)
Ends
This is xxxx, out.

But it sounds like you did fine.
Click to expand...

Thanks Channelyacht for clarifying that. It is more or less what I thought I should have said, after the event, and the prompts I got from Dover CG.

I will update the prompt cards I have on the boat in case I find myself in the same situation in the future.

It was a hectic few minutes when I made the call as I was sailing in a brisk breeze single handed away from the casualty when I noticed the flare. I had to get the engine started, furl the Genoa and turn the boat round whilst trying to talk to the CG.
 
jonjo5 said:
RYA training is a little lacking regrading Mayday Relay best practice, this is odd since it is statistically more likely we will find ourselves in a Relay situation rather than be a Mayday originator.
Click to expand...

No it isn't. It is covered in detail on the SRC course. In the classroom environment my students always practise Mayday Relays. In fact this very "Red Flare" scenario is one of the questions in the written paper question bank.
 
mikemanor said:
No it isn't. It is covered in detail on the SRC course.
Click to expand...

Perhaps then you include more than jonjo5's and my trainer did*. I recall it being mentioned but not in detail. There was definitely nothing on DSC mayday relay (even though I did a DSC course, albeit before DSC sets were ubiquitous). Moreover whereas we all know the exact wording for a mayday, the exact wording (though not the thrust of the content) of a relay seems to be slightly different according to the source if you try and look it up. And I've definitely not been taught the procedure for relaying a relay (i.e. if I picked up a mayday relay which wasn't acknowledged). Does one cite the identification of the intermediate relaying vessels (in addition to your own)? I suspect I'd phrase my relay according to the information in the relay I received with an emphasis on putting the position of the original vessel in distress first, but I definitely don't have the wording learned by rote as I have for a regular distress call

*My course was actually a bit rubbish. I did however take the time to significantly augment my GMDSS knowledge afterwards, including mayday relay, all the DSC bits that were missed out, and anything I imagined I might one day need in a hurry...
 
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I think the OP is to be congratulated on his actions. Lets hope when faced with similar(ish) situations, we would all perform as well.
 
laika said:
Moreover whereas we all know the exact wording for a mayday, the exact wording (though not the thrust of the content) of a relay seems to be slightly different according to the source if you try and look it up.
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My recollection is that a mayday call starts

Mayday, Mayday, Mayday
Yacht Alpha, Yacht Alpha, Yacht Alpha
Mayday Alpha

with all subsequent messages starting "Mayday Alpha"

and that a relay would start

Mayday Relay, Mayday Relay, Mayday Relay
Yacht Beta, Yacht Beta, Yacht Beta
Mayday Alpha

to indicate that this is the Mayday situation involving Alpha, being relayed by Beta. However, if that's right I don't know what I'm supposed to say if I don't know the identity of the vessel in distress. Just omit that bit? If the CG are running two Maydays at the same time, how do they distinguish between them, on the radio, if the identity of either vessel is unknown?
 
JumbleDuck said:
...However, if that's right I don't know what I'm supposed to say if I don't know the identity of the vessel in distress. Just omit that bit? If the CG are running two Maydays at the same time, how do they distinguish between them, on the radio, if the identity of either vessel is unknown?
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JD you're a physicist! Just proceed through the Greek alphabet until everybody is suitably confused :D
 
A DSC (Class D) Mayday Relay is initiated with an All Ships Urgency Alert. (You don't send a Distress Alert because it is not you in distress). You now have the undivided attention of all on Channel 16 :)

You can then say in textbook fashion:

Mayday Relay, Mayday Relay, Mayday Relay
This is Your boat Name x 3
Your Callsign xxxxx Your MMSI xxxxxxxxx (Both now required)

Mayday received from Boat name, Callsign, MMSI - in this case Unidentified vessel firing red flares
Position of vessel in distress: Give best position eg approx. distance and bearing from your position.
Nature of Distress: eg Vessel sighted firing red flares, flames visible etc
Immediate Assistance Required (statement)
Any additional information: eg Can see liferaft in water, proceeding to scene etc
Over
 
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Like others above, I think you done good, 'FulmarJeddo'.

Only those who are embedded in this stuff daily - i.e. for their profession - can remember it all verbatim, without constant practice. Prompt cards help, but so does clear thinking and a liberal dash of common sense.

The CG people on the other end of the 'Urgency Message' are able to pick the bones out of some very garbled messages. That's an 'everyday' reality. You provided them with the 'What, Where' etc. and a means of them asking supplementary questions, if warranted.

I think that's the intention.

Perhaps it's opportune to ask you 'What would you rather have done different?'
 
I was off of the Buxey Sands and heard that relay. Not wishing to break the non disclosure rule, but the OP sounded very correct and seamanlike. Well done. I hope you are around should I ever let off a red flare. :-)
 
What would I do different?

I was crossing Lyme Bay on a calm and peaceful night when I saw flares. I altered course and drew up alongside expecting to hear about some dilemma? Nothing! They would not answer when I asked if all was well? They were just having a bit of amusement. Annoyed, I continued my course.

I'd probably do the same again. I hope these deliberate false alarms are rare.
 
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