Learn to Use Marine VHF

If you're making a list of essential equipment for your boat, a good-quality VHF marine radio belongs near the top.

"When people ask me about buying a radio, I tell them it's a little like that slogan they used to use in those credit card ads–"˜Don't Leave Port Without It,'" says Jim Welday, a radio communications watch stander at the Coast Guard station in Annapolis, Maryland.

Welday, who also goes on boater-assistance patrols with the Coast Guard Auxiliary, recently rescued a boater who had been stuck on a shoal in heavy weather for two and a half hours before the patrol boat finally spotted him. "We asked why he didn't just radio us, because we could have been there within a few minutes," Welday says. "But he said he didn't have a radio. I couldn't believe it."

If you're injured, are experiencing serious engine trouble, or have run aground and need a tow, you need to get help–fast. Calling for help on a VHF marine radio reaches all first-responders–the Coast Guard, marine police and commercial towing services–and may also net you assistance from a nearby boater, who can get to your vessel much faster.

ICOMMounted VHF radios generally output 25 watts of power and can transmit about 20 miles along line of sight. A quality antenna, mounted as high as you can get it, will help.

To use a cell phone would require loading it with direct-dial numbers for the Coast Guard, the fire department, towers and the harbor police–and you would miss reaching nearby boaters, because cell phones can call only one source of help at a time and coverage often is spotty. Call for help on a CB (citizens' band) radio, and you'll most likely reach a trucker. The Coast Guard doesn't even monitor CB channels, and few well-equipped boats have CB radios at all.

EASY ON YOUR WALLET

Fortunately, you don't have to take out a second boat loan to afford a marine radio. Boating supply stores routinely sell them for between $100 and $600, depending on the quality and extra features you want. And they're often on sale.

There are two basic categories of VHF-FM marine radio: a fixed-mount model that's installed permanently in your boat, or a battery-powered hand-held version that you can take with you wherever you go. The fixed-mount radio usually puts out 25 watts of power and can transmit (along line-of-sight) up to about 20 miles. The hand-held puts out between one and six watts of power and transmits about four or five miles.

It doesn't take a technician to recognize the difference: the fixed-mount is best because it has a longer range; the hand-held is okay for calling marinas or nearby boats, taking in the dinghy or using as a second listening-post. The best scenario is to have one of each, and use the hand-held as a backup in case the fixed-mount model malfunctions or your boat loses electrical power.

Be sure to mount your antenna as high as you can–atop the mast, for those who own sailboats, and on the flying bridge or radar arch for power boaters. The higher the antenna, the better your transmission and reception.

Unless you're venturing far from home, a garden-variety radio ought to be sufficient. If you want to spend a little more, buy one of the new models that has DSC (digital select calling), a device that links to your GPS receiver. When you push an emergency button, it alerts the Coast Guard to your exact position and gives rescuers a detailed description of your boat. To activate this feature, you must register your DSC radio, which can be done free through BoatUS, which will pass that information on to the Coast Guard and the Federal Communications Commission.

Another useful extra is a remote microphone that you can install in your cockpit or, with a hand-held radio, clip to your shirt-pocket. The mike contains an extra speaker and has command buttons that you can use to change channels and control the volume without having to go back to the main radio set. Some marine radios have built-in loud-hailers–a kind of electronic megaphone–so you can project your voice to another boat without actually having to go on the air.

HOW TO USE IT

But simply buying a radio doesn't fulfill your responsibilities when it comes to communications about safety. You need to know how to use it properly as well.

Read the directions that come with the radio you buy. After turning the radio on, select the channel you want to use and adjust the "squelch" button, which helps minimize static and background noise. If you want the radio to keep scanning selected stations until it reaches one that has voice traffic on it, learn how to program and use the "scan" button. To speak, key the handset by pressing the square or oval shaped button that sticks out at the side of the microphone, hold the mike two to three inches from your mouth, and speak in a slow, steady voice. Don't yell and don't whisper.

Before you key the mike, think about what you want to say. Speaking into a microphone, even on a VHF radio, makes many people nervous. For a routine transmission, such as asking another boat when it will rendezvous with yours, if you jot down a rough outline first, you can make your message a lot smoother–and easier to understand. It's a good idea to keep a pen and paper near your radio anyway.

GLEN JUSTICEMost hand-held VHF radios output one to six watts of power and transmit four to five miles. They are useful as a backup to a mounted radio, and as portable units for use in a dinghy or ditch bag.

Also, make sure no one else is speaking before you press the button to transmit your own message, or you will blur both messages. On a marine radio, only one person can use a channel at a time. When you've finished using the microphone, make sure you don't leave the mike key in the "on" position. If it is, you'll keep transmitting inadvertently, and prevent others from using that channel.

EVERYONE CAN HEAR YOU

Remember that, unlike a telephone, a marine radio makes everything you do public. When you want to call another boat, everyone within radio range knows you're trying to reach that vessel. Everything you say can be heard by anyone who has his radio on. And as long as you talk on a particular channel, you're preventing anyone else from using it. So there's a strict protocol for using a marine radio.

Here's the way it works: each channel on your radio has been designated for a specific use. Channel 16 is reserved for reporting emergencies and for initial contacts with other vessels or radio users. Whenever your radio is on, you should be monitoring 16. If you want to call another vessel or radio user, you can "hail" it on Channel 16. But you don't want to tie up channel 16 for long, so as soon as you get an answer, you need to the party you are calling to switch to a working channel, such as Channels 68, 69, 71, 72 or 78, and carry on your conversation there.

Note that, in some regions of the United States, the Coast Guard has asked recreational boaters to use Channel 9 as a hailing channel, to keep Channel 16 free for emergency use and for larger vessels. Check with your local Coast Guard station on what the practice is for your area.

Many channels have some dedicated use. For example, Channels 21A, 23A, 81A and 83A are set aside for use by the Coast Guard. You shouldn't be on these channels. If you have an emergency, call the Coast Guard on Channel 16, and the Coast Guard watch stander will answer you. If you need to talk with Coast Guard personnel at length–say, to provide details of your situation or describe your boat–they'll probably ask you to switch to channel 22A, the Coast Guard's working channel. But don't use that one until they ask you to do so.

Other channels to keep in mind: Channel 13 is for "bridge-to-bridge" traffic, to talk directly with large merchant vessels or drawbridge operators. You can call them directly on Channel 13 without having to hail them first on 16. And channels 1, 2 and 3 have been designated as weather channels, to carry government-provided local weather forecasts. Press the WX button on your radio, and you'll be switched to one of those channels. Try them out to see which one you can receive most clearly in your area. You can only listen on those channels; you cannot transmit.

Because using a marine radio is so public, there are other rules. First, of course, is don't use foul language on the radio, and don't transmit a false mayday (emergency) call. Both are violations of federal law. Second, there are time limits on the use of Channel 16 as a hailing channel. Once you've hailed another boat, you must wait 30 seconds before trying it again. After that, you must wait two minutes, and then 15 minutes. Also, never use Channel 16 for radio checks. The idea behind all these rules is to keep Channel 16 free so everyone can have a chance to use it.

Finally, there are certain phrases, called "pro words," that savvy radio operators employ, and you ought to learn them to help keep your transmissions understandable. Here are a few that every boater ought to learn:

This is means "this message is from____." Over means "I'm finished talking and now it is your turn." Out means "I'm hanging up and this conversation is finished." Roger means "I understand."

Notice the difference between Over and Out. In the movies, when someone says "Over-and-out," it may sound dramatic. But on the water, it is silly. He's saying, "Now it's your turn to talk. Goodbye."

SAMPLE CONVERSATIONS

Here's how a transmission should sound. When you start hailing another vessel, say the name of the boat you're calling three times, then give your own boat's name three times. Next, tell the recipient what channel you're on; if he has set his radio on SCAN, it may be difficult for him to tell.

Correct: "Intrepid, Intrepid, Intrepid, this is sailing vessel Bountiful, sailing vessel Bountiful, sailing vessel Bountiful, on Channel 16, over."

Amateurish: "Calling Intrepid, calling Intrepid. Come in, please."

The other boat should answer: "Sailing vessel Bountiful, this is Intrepid, over."

Then you say: "Intrepid, this is Bountiful. Request you switch to channel 71. Over."

After you switch to channel 71, contact the other vessel again and continue your conversation.

Correct (ending a conversation): "Intrepid, this is Bountiful. Roger, out."

Amateurish: "Okay, cap'n. Gotcha."

ICOMA remote microphone, or "command mike," puts control in the user's hand, rather than having to operate the radio from the primary set. A single radio can be operated from several stations.Finally, don't use CB-radio phrases such as "10-4," or "good buddy" or any name that is different from the name of your boat. Knowledgeable boaters will roll their eyes in frustration.

You also may want to learn the phonetic alphabet so you can clearly spell words that are difficult to discern. Under that widely-known system, each letter has a word-name that doesn't sound like any other. For example, it's often hard to tell S from F. But if you substitute sierra and foxtrot–from the phonetic alphabet–there isn't much doubt.

EMERGENCY PROCEDURES

There are especially important procedures for reporting emergencies to the Coast Guard or other authorities.

You should use the term Mayday for situations in which lives or property are in imminent danger. It's an Americanization of the French phrase, m'aidez, or "help me."

If the safety of your vessel is at risk, but no lives or property are in imminent danger, start your transmission with the term Pan-Pan (prounounced, after the French, "pawn-pawn").

When you just want to report navigational hazards, such as a large log floating down the river or a sudden squall in your area, start your message with Securite (pronounced "seh-cure-ih-TAY").

So, if your boat is on fire and sinking and you're calling for help, turn to Channel 16, press the mike key and say: "Mayday, , mayday, mayday. This is Bountiful, Bountiful, Bountiful. My boat is on fire and sinking fast, one mile east of buoy number 67 on Fishing Bay. My boat is a 28-foot sloop with a blue hull and white cabin trunk. I have four persons on board and we're all wearing life-jackets. No injuries. Request immediate assistance. Over."

If you have a GPS receiver and can provide the latitude and longitude of your position, that will be a big help for first-responders and other boaters.

Here's the kind of information that the Coast Guard will want to have if you're asking for help: the name of your vessel; your location; a description of your vessel (so responders know what to look for); what the problem is (person had a heart attack, you've hit a rock and are sinking); what kind of help you need (medical, tow); how many persons you have on board, including yourself; how seaworthy your vessel is (are you likely to sink anytime soon?); and that you will be monitoring Channel 16 on your radio.

One final tip: don't use your radio to shout at people, as in "Hey, you dummy–there's a six-knot speed limit in this channel." The offending boater probably doesn't have his radio turned on and wouldn't know you were talking to him anyway. Yet you'll be transmitting your anger to everyone for miles around. If you must yell at a nearby boater, buy a loud-hailer, and yell at him the old-fashioned way.

Art Pine is a veteran journalist who has served as a Washington correspondent for the Baltimore Sun, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal and the Los Angeles Times. He is a licensed captain and a longtime Chesapeake Bay sailor.