Responding to Mayday

[snowleopard]

The previous thread on calling for the lifeboat got me to thining of a similar incident this time last year - same location, same time of day but that time it was a mayday - a mobo taking water. We heard the mayday and immediately responded and headed for the casualty. In the end the lifeboat got there about 5 mins before us. What surprised me was the number of other boats in the area who just sailed past. Maybe they weren't listening or perhaps they thought someone else would deal with it. So let's have a poll...

 

[alant]

If it looks as if other vessels are unaware, would not a MAYDAY RELAY be appropriate?

In this instance, the RNLI turned up, but can you be sure the call has been heard, unless you hear a CG responce?

 

[graham]

Only once have I heard a Mayday that noone else responded to.Unfortunately it didnt contain a position. We tried to make contact but no reply so contacted the Coast Guard to report what little we knew. It was loud and clear to us but without any position all we could do was push on and hope they were OK.

10 minutes later we overheard them report to the CG that they had had a man overboard but had recovered him safe and well. It shows the value of DSCwhich would have broadcast the position automatically allowing the skipper to concentrate on the rescue.

Alls well that ends well but if the MOB had needed medical attention or if they couldnt find him then the lost 10 minutes could have been crucial.

 

[snowleopard]

In the incident in question the coastguard was coordinating and asked for other vessels to assist. There was no question of people being unable to hear if they had their radios on.

 

[tillergirl]

I think you make an assumption that may not be true when you say there was no question of people being unable to hear. I was alongside a boat yesterday in the Estuary. My radio picked up a Securite message from the Coastguard; his did not. A moment later we both picked up a ship to ship call. There may be a problem of course with the other set/aerial but VHF can be fickle. Also on my neighbours boat there is no chance at all of hearing the radio when he is doing 7/8 knots. The engines are too loud. Incidentally the securite message was about a waterlogged container (green with red doors!)

 

[snowleopard]

Anyone who can't hear a call from the CG when in sight of their aerial needs to do a radio check!!

 

[Slow_boat]

It's difficult for me to hear my vhf when the motor's on. How did we all manage before vhf?

 

[Cornishman]

Very slightly off subject, but several years ago while I was examining a candidate for Yachtmaster® Offshore Power we received a Pan Pan from a yacht adrift close to the TSS and he could see a fog bank close by. No wind, and the engine would not start. The potential YM responded through Brixham Coastguard and we set off at about 20 knots to the given position. To cut a long story short the candidate was a marine engineer and quickly fixed the problem. A relieved owner handed over five £10 notes to be shared amongst our crew!
The moral is that it could just be worth your while to do the right thing! Oh! Yes, the candidate passed his examination.

 

[Bilgediver]

Your second vote is badly worded.......it isn t a matter of RNLI. It is a matter of coastguard who then looks at available resources.....It is up to the coastguard to respond to DSC and then if a yachtie is nearby that yachty should make sure he and coastguard are in tune with each other ..

Many times up here the coastguard will check to see if there is a nearby vessel before calling out the life boat.

 

[bilbobaggins]

[ QUOTE ]
Anyone who can't hear a call from the CG when in sight of their aerial needs to do a radio check!!


[/ QUOTE ]

That's always supposing you know exactly where their antennae are....

For a good number of years, there was a patch of Falmouth Bay which was a complete 'dead spot' in respect of the HMCG VHF comms. You simply could not get two-way with Falmouth Coastguard, even though you were in direct line-of-sight of Pendennis Castle and could probably have done visual Morse right in their window......

Now, a 'line of soundings'- or rather, of Radio Checks - that's something you can readily check-out for yourself, next time you're down that way with nothing much to do./forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I'm led to believe there are several similar 'dead spots' around our coasts.... the fishermen will know where they are, and so will the local lifeboat crews. Wouldn't it be useful if someone with 'The Knowledge' published a chart of the VHF 'black holes' for us....?

/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[cagey]

side effect of gps and gmdss are that people give their posn with great precission which is of course enormous help to the rescue sevices, but have thought for some time the old way ie " 3 miles SE from Pendennis Castle" is usefull to the passing sailor as when your helming you know if your near to " 3 miles SE from Pendennis Castle" where as 050 etc N 005 etc W means gives little clue to some one elses posn

 

[oceanfroggie]

[ QUOTE ]
We heard the mayday and immediately responded and headed for the casualty.

[/ QUOTE ]Good on you. Interesting Query for you. Did you did respond on VHF immediately to the boat issuing the Mayday, or did you respond to the CG's subsequent request for help? Or did you make contact with the vessel in distress because the CG didn't respond to the distress call, and then you issued a subsequent Mayday Relay call to the CG?

Vessels equiped with marine VHF are obliged legally to maintain a watch on ch16 when at sea. One of the reasons I prefer ICOM is their implementation of tri-watch and priority scanning is superior to other brands I also use.

 

[graham]

Are you sure there is still an obligation to listen on 16. i thought the introduction of DSC made it optional now? PS I may well be wrong on this.

 

[dombuckley]

Back in those days, the only way of calling for help was by flares - sort of concentrated the mind when expiry dates were close!

It's not just us leisure users who can be guilty. One night about 10 years ago I was crossing Biscay, saw a red flare go up and went to investigate. Turned out to be a dismasted yacht, drifting without power or navlights, right in the middle of the shipping lanes. We were surrounded on all sides by the lights of big ships, and yet we were the only vessel to go and investigate; the only answer to my Mayday Relay was a portuguese warship 20 miles away.

Big thumbs up to the Portuguese, who not only took them to the nearest port, but also managed to hoist the yacht on board without damage.

 

[snowleopard]

I called the CG to offer assistance. 'Mayday Brixham Coastguard this is Snow Leopard...'

 

[Danny Jo]

The second question doesn't have a button for "I listen to Mayday relays etc with an interest that borders on the unhealthy, perhaps even ghoulish, and would drop any other commitments if in the vicinity of a vessel in distress, but they alway seem to be 60 miles away from me."