Ship Compass Knots/Bends Morse Code Marine VHF

Note
International rules allow for new simplex marine VHF channels, the extra channels are created by splitting existing duplex channels. If you are planning to acquire a Marine VHF radio, it may be advisable to check whether the new allocations could impact on UK frequency allocations or the choice of radio best suited to your requirements.
 
The rest of this page is intended as a reminder of the Pro-Words anc calling procedures that you learned when preparing for the Marine VHF Radio test.

• AFFIRMATIVE - Yes or that is correct
• ALL AFTER ‐ Everything that follows word or phrase indicated
• ALL BEFORE ‐ Everything before word or phrase indicated
• CORRECT ‐ Confirms that repeated message is correct
• CORRECTION ‐ I have made an error
• I SAY AGAIN ‐ I repeat, (repeating a phase may avoid confusion)
• I SPELL ‐ I will spell the last word
• IN FIGURES ‐ The following figures are to be written as figures
• IN LETTERS ‐ The following numerals are to be written in letters
• MAYDAY - Vessel is in imminent danger
• NEGATIVE - No or Incorrect
• NOTHING HEARD ‐ Unable to hear any reply
• OUT ‐ End of conversation
• OVER ‐ Your turn to speak
• PAN-PAN - Vessel in srerious trouble but danger less imminent than Mayday
• PRIORITY - Call is urgent
• PRUDONCE - You can use the radio if you are careful not to block Mayday traffic
• RADIO CHECK ‐ Please tell me the strength and clarity of my transmission
• READ BACK ‐ Repeating the message just received
• RECEIVED ‐ Receipt acknowledged
• SAY AGAIN ‐ Repeat your message
• SECURITE - Broadcasting navigational information e.g. weather warning
• SEELONCE DISTRESS - Maintain radio silence, I am trying to hear a Mayday
• SEELONCXE FEENEE - You can now use the radio channels normally
• SEELONCE MAYDAY - Maintain radio silence, I am trying to broadcast a Mayday
• STATION CALLING ‐ Whoever is calling me on the radio
• THIS IS ..... ‐ Identified name/callsign of vessel/station making the call
• TRAFFIC ‐ Radio communications
• WAIT....MINUTES ‐ We cannnot take your call at the moment, please wait before trying again
• WRONG ‐ Incorrect
• YACHT - Adding the word Yacht to a vessel callsign indicates that it is a sailing vessel

Start of routine conversation

between a vessel called Taldan and a vessel called Digi
Taldan ... Digi, Digi, Digi this is Taldan, Taldan, Taldan
Digi ... Taldan this is Digi
Taldan ... Switch to channel ___
Digi ... Switchting to channel ___
----Both vessels switch to channel ___
Taldan ... Digi this is Taldan
----Vessels are now clear of ch16

The Mayday Call

Many books quote the word MIPDANIO. The letters help some sailors to memorise the Mayday call sequence
Mayday
Identity
Position
Nature of Distress
----Describe problem.
Assistance Required
----Describe help needed
Number of Persons on board
Any other Information
----Anything else that could help
Over

An example call

Mayday, Mayday, Mayday
This is ___,___,___
My location is ___
I am on fire
Require a fire extinguisher
There are ___ Persons on board
My MMSI nnumber is ___
Over

The Pan-Pan Call

Pan-pan, Pan-pan, Pan-pan
All stations, all stations, all stations
This is ___,___,___
My position is ___
----Describe problem.
I have ___ persons on board
over

The Pan-Pan-Medico Call

Pan-Pan Medico, Pan-Pan Medico, Pan-Pan Medico
This is ___,___,___
My position is ___
----Describe medical problem.
I have ___ persons on board
Over

Phonetic Alphabet

Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, Echo, Foxtrot, Golf, Hotel, India, Julliette, Kilo, Mike, November, Oscar, Papa, Quebec, Romeo, Sierra, Tango, Uniform, Victor, Whiskey, Xray, Yankee, Zulu
Wun, Too, Tree, Fow-er, Fife, Six, Sev-en, Ait, Nine-er, Zero, Day-see-mal