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Day Skipper - Part 2 - Distress
signals
You can never have too many marine pyrotechnics on board, but remember
that they have a shelf life of three to four years and should be replaced
regularly. The minimum recommended are as follows:
Inshore up to five miles from land
two hand-held red flares
two hand-held orange smoke generators
Coastal up to seven miles from land
two red parachute rockets
two hand-held red flares
two hand-held orange smoke generators
Offshore over seven miles from land
four red parachute rockets
four hand-held red flares
two buoyant orange smoke generators
Always fire parachute flares in pairs within about a minute of each
other. Other boats in the area may not be sure about seeing the first
flare, and a second confirms any doubts which a potential rescuer may
have. They should be aimed slightly downwind they are designed
to turn towards the wind once fired.
Hand-held flares can be seen up to seven miles on a clear night, and
orange smoke can be seen up to three miles during daylight and is particularly
visible to rescue aircraft.
Other help signals
Slowly raising and lowering the arms
Continuous sounding of a foghorn
A ball over or under a square shape
International Code Flags N over C
SOS in Morse code sent by any means . . . - - -
. . .
How to send a Mayday
When
If there is a threat of grave and imminent danger requiring immediate
assistance to a vessel or person
How
Turn on your VHF radio set to full power
Select Channel 16
Adjust squelch
Think carefully about what you are going to say (write it down if necessary)
Squeeze the pressall switch and speak very slowly and clearly
It's very easy to gabble away in an emergency. Remember that when someone
hears your call, they will want to write it down. Give them a chance.
If you can, write down the message as you say it, which should slow you
down.
What
Firstly, the Distress Call:
"MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY, this is PROSPECTOR, PROSPECTOR,
PROSPECTOR"
Secondly, the Distress Message:
"MAYDAY PROSPECTOR
MY POSITION"
[Try to give a range and bearing from a well-known point. A latitude and
longitude bearing may seem easier to you but it doesn't paint a visual
picture for anyone listening who doesn't have the right chart]
MY PROBLEM
[Describe what is causing the grave and imminent danger]
ASSISTANCE REQUIRED
[What help do you need? You, at the scene, are the best judge of what
is required]
USEFUL INFORMATION
[Type of vessel, number of people on board, colour of hull or superstructure,
and so on, or any other distinguishing marks that will help your rescuer
recognise you]
OVER
[Release the pressall switch and await a reply]
IF YOU EVER HEAR THE WORD 'MAYDAY' ON A RADIO,
GRAB A PENCIL AND PAPER AND WRITE DOWN THE MESSAGE.
The RYA runs one-day courses on VHF radio operation, which end in a
simple written and practical test. Even if you are the ship's radio operator
(who is required by law to pass the test) it's certainly worth your while
taking the course.
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