Help Take The Search Out Of Search And Rescue!

PUT SAFETY FIRST!

Use your VHF Radio

When You’re In Trouble, Cell Phones May Not Work!

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The use of a cell phone from a boat has many disadvantages including:

• Area geography may limit or block a cell phone signal, making the cell phone unusable
• Caller’s location cannot be determined using radio direction finders
• 911 calls from maritime locations are frequently misdirected to police or fire departments, which may delay any water rescue response
• A cellular call cannot be monitored by other boaters
• It may not be possible for the caller to be contacted by the rescue boat or aircraft.

When You Need Assistance, Use Channel 16

• Have all persons put on life jackets!
• Transmit “MAYDAY, MADAY, MAYDAY, THIS IS (BOAT NAME), (BOAT NAME), (BOAT NAME)”
• Report your location (Latitude and longitude if known, or “We are 3 miles west of Smith Point”), or last seen reference point (buoy, landmark, etc.)
• Report the nature of your emergency (Boat flooding, on fire, on the rocks, etc.)
• Report the number of people aboard including yourself.

Wait for a response for 10 seconds, and if there is none, repeat the message.

Be prepared to give the following information:

·        Description of the boat and its seaworthiness (“Boat is a 30 foot white inboard with a blue canopy.  Engine has stopped due to flooding and boat is in danger of sinking.”)

·        Condition of any injured persons.

·        What assistance is needed (“Need to have children removed from the boat and we need a pump and tow.”)

WHEN A CELL PHONE IS YOUR ONLY MEANS OF MAKING DISTRESS CALLS

Take the following precautions before leaving the dock:

• Make sure the battery is fully charged
• Keep the cell phone in a waterproof bat that floats
• Have the U.S. Coast Guard (Marina Office) and other appropriate water rescue phone numbers with you.  Have them highly visible.  It is useful to tape the numbers to the phone.
• When you first place the distress call, immediately give your:

1. Cell phone number
2. Vessel name and/or description
3. Position and/or location
4. Nature of the emergency
5. Number of people on board
6. Repeat cell phone number before ending the call

• Speak slowly so you can be clearly understood

VHF CHANNELS & THEIR USES

FOR SAFETY’S SAKE, USE THEM PROPERLY!

Purposes (Intended Use)                                        Channel

Distress-Safety-Calling                                                16

Ship-to Ship (Safety Only)                                      6

Digital Selective Calling (DSC)                         70

(Distress, Safety, and General)

Channels available for Recreational Boats            Channel

Ship-to-Ship or Ship-to-Shore              9,68,69,71,78

Ship-to-Ship only                                                     72

Boater Calling Channel                                              9

Marine Operator                                             24 to 28 and 84 to 87

For Great Lakes, St. Lawrence                               88

Seaway, Puget Sound and Strait of

Juan De Fuca and their approaches only

Navigational                                                               Channel

Bridge-to-Bridge                                                            13

Lower Mississippi River and adjacent                     67

Waters only

REDUCE POWER TO 1 WATT ON CHANNELS 13 AND 67

WHEN USING VHF

• Use the low power setting (1 watt) except during emergencies.

Provided by Aquatic Resources (Wallop/Breaux) Trust Fund.  Administered by the U.S. Coast Guard.

USCG INFOLINE (800) 368-5647

National Boating Federation

P.O. Box 4111