VHF - what do you do?

[Mirelle]

OK! OK!

But, seriously, which is more of a danger to the mariner in distress - yotties clagging up Ch 16 (and 67 for that matter!) with fatuous "radio checks" or yotties like me with the thing switched off unless it's likely to be useful?

 

[DJE]

Re: OK! OK!

The worst are those that do both:- Don't keep a listening watch and then just switch on for a radio check or to call up their mates. There must be lots of them to explain the number of radio checks on 16 within 10 minutes of Solent asking for all checks on 67; and to explain the number of calls interupting distress traffic and having to be reminded of the "Selonce" in force.
How long do you listen between switching on and transmitting?

 

[Mirelle]

Re: OK! OK!

If you are referring to me, the answer would have to be measured in days.

I did call up the Thames Barrier, nine years ago.

 

[DJE]

Re: OK! OK!

Not intended to be personal but don't you think the two problems are related? If everyone kept a listening watch they would be aware of the volume of traffic, and of the coastguard's problems in dealing with it, and hopefully less likely to add unnecessarily to that traffic. Probably a forlorn hope though.

 

[Mirelle]

Re: The Titanic and the Californian, this is not!

"I am obviously deluded in my thinking that the sea is the last place of true humanity where everyone looks out for everyone else and will always help out when the fellow seafarer gets into trouble ... "

Well, yes, I would say that you might be, but consider adjusting your sense of humour first.

The usual reply from a British ships' officer, when asked for a position by another vessel, in the days before GPS, was, "Pleasant voyage!"

I once had to "carpet" someone for saying, to a yacht with the same request, "If you can't use a sextant, you shouldn't be here!" My sympathies were with the "offender"!

 

[snowleopard]

Re: As one of the one in five

I always monitor 16. Last month I picked up a non-DSC mayday and was the nearest vessel to the casualty apart from a couple of other boats near me who plainly weren't listening. By the time the coastguard got round to relaying the call via DSC I was half way there.

The distress situation was a mobo with 11 on board who was sinking. In the end the lifeboat got there just before me but had we been a few miles down the coast it would all have been down to me. The guys who didn't have their radios on carried on regardless and would happily have left those 11 people to drown.

OTOH it made me 2 hours late for the barbie.

 

[Mirelle]

Re: As one of the one in five

No flares on the sinking boat, then? Just a radio?

As you say, the lifeboat got there first.

 

[ShipsWoofy]

Re: As one of the one in five

what a silly argument.

The vessel had already communicated with the CG and Snowleopard. As far as they were concerned help was on the way. To then start setting off flares would have been confusing as a possible second casualty.

Had I been Snowleopard I may have requested a flare to be fired to confirm position, but otherwise it would be a stupid thing to do, unless the circumstances changed, i.e. the boat had sunk under them and they no longer had VHF communications.

This whole DSC is annoying is also a stupid point (talbot /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif). If a skipper hears a DSC alert he must go to the set to kill it. In the same vain, if a voice mayday is heard a 'good' skipper should also go to the chart table and write down the detail, deciding if his vessel is able to help. Both situations require the same action.

Are you the type who goes through life thinking 'someone else's problem'. I am sorry, but this is not the attitude to go to sea with.

If a member of my family drowned when there was a boat close enough to help I would take that skipper to court for .

[ QUOTE ]
ASSISTANCE TO OTHER CRAFT Regulations V/31, V/32 and V/33 require you: • to let the Coastguard and any other vessels in the vicinity know if you encounter anything that could cause a serious hazard to navigation, if it has not already been reported. You can do this by calling the Coastguard on VHF, if you have it on board, or by telephoning them at the earliest opportunity. The Coastguard will then warn other vessels in the area. • to respond to any distress signal that you see or hear and help anyone or any boat in distress as best you can.

4
MISUSE OF DISTRESS SIGNALS Regulation V/35 prohibits misuse of any distress signals. These are critical to safety at sea and by misusing them you could put your or someone else’s life at risk.

[/ QUOTE ]

By switching off your set you are contravening this law, yes, you may not hear it, but switching off the set is exactly the same as putting bungs in your ears and hands over your eyes.

Your attitude stinks, I bet you wont think twice to use your VHF to get help for yourself. There is no place for this selfish attitude at sea.

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

Re: As one of the one in five

Well said Dogwatch, and Fireball previously....

Will continue to monitor ch16 and put up with the crap broadcast....

One day, God forbid I ever need it, I hope that someone else is doing me the same courtesy.....

As an aside there was a call in the Thames Estuary on ch 16 on Sunday from a MOBO reporting being disabled and taking on water... not a mayday, they were trying to sort themselves out, and the call was to a vessel nearby informing them that they were unable to take avoiding action.... the CG overheard and got involved...... if that other vessel hadn't been monitoring ch16, then they could feasibly have run the Mobo down....

 

[Guest]

Re: OK! OK!...... Woah !!

Hang on a mo ........ I don't do radio checks to CG like some others do .... I may call another boat on an agreed channel - but thats it. I don't even do it after re-stepping mast ... so I am not one of the idiots clagging up ch 16 or 67.
The time I did call Solent CG (2 occasions in many years) ... one was when I was in trouble bouncing on Bembridge ledge with a mast about to break etc. - I called them direct on working ch. NOT 16 ....... second was when I got hit by a Jet Ski and they asked me to go to 16 for others to hear and watch out for the offender ......

As to "likely to be useful" .... I understand what you say and generally agree - but sadly I cannot predict when I may be nearest a casualty or person in need ....

For some reason this is being interpreted as an argument - why ?? We all have our preference when it comes to VHF use ... I think the abiding consensus here is that if we could cut out the idiots doing radio checks on 16 etc. ..... or am I wrong ?

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

Re: OK! OK!...... Woah !!

Nigel,

I'm not sure i've seen a consensus...?

Some seem to want to not monitor 16 at all.. and some want to monitor it at all times... not sure thats a consensus

I have my position of the latter, but willing and glad to debate its rights or wrongs.... not sure its been an argument..... just an expression of some obviously deep felt opinions...

 

[ShipsWoofy]

Re: OK! OK!...... Woah !!

I do wish we could be like other countries who have a calling channel, I think it is ch9.

Why can't the UK waters adopt such a scheme?

EDIT>> ch13 tends to be MN, before I am jumped on, I was referring more to a small ships calling.

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

Re: OK! OK!...... Woah !!

Hear Hear.... along with the other piece of common sense use of a channel for a rolling weather forecast......

 

[Guest]

Consensus .... read properly please waas referring to :

Getting idiots of making radio checks on 16 ..... didn't mean whether have listening watch on or not .....

 

[eigerwand]

I have always sailed with my radio turned on to Ch16. However I am becoming increasingly frustrated with DSC alarms in the solent and I may sail with it turned off in future.

Last weekend I think I heard at least 4 or 5 ear splitting alarms that demanded that I drop everthing, run down and deal with them. Invariably they are either someone 10 miles away who wants a tow (MMSI 00000000...) or a French all ships safety that I cannot actually receive.

The problem that I have is that they are literally alarming and are beginning to spoil my leisure activity.

Why can't DSC leisure radios

a) start at a lower volume and increase like a phone

b) use a more intermittent "ring tone" like a phone and not a smoek detector

c) allow me to set a range that I want to hear DSC alarms within (perhaps with an exception for the local CG?)
so that in the Solent I can filter out stuff that is too far away for me to either help or even hear.

To be honest whenever it goes off in the Solent I turn the radio off and on as its the quickest way to get rid of the noise
and then listen to the CG on Ch16 to see what its about!

 

[fireball]

As all DSC alarms have an originating ID and hopefully location I suggested that it would be sensible for leisure users to be able to filter out first call alarms depending on distance from transmision
- as you say -
you can receive a call from someone over 15 miles away that you cannot even contemplate attending (especially if you're in the solent) so why worry about them in the first instance - it wouldn't be that complex to sound the alarm if the same broadcast is received a second time - ie not acknowledged by the CG.

 

[DJE]

"..........Why can't DSC leisure radios

a) start at a lower volume and increase like a phone.............."

I've got an ICOM M421 fixed DSC and it does exactly that. The alarm starts at low volume and gradually builds to maximum.

 

[eigerwand]

yes you're right delaying the alarm and only sounding it on the second tx is much simpler than setting a distance that you might forget to change when crossing the channel.

 

[eigerwand]

well my simrad seems to have developed a fault - stops receiving after its been on for several hours - so perhaps I'll consider the Icom to reduce my blood pressure!

Of course the fault means that I can sail with radio on in perfect silence...

 

[snowleopard]

Re: As one of the one in five

So do you ignore maydays and assume someone else will help?