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Code of Practice
16 Radio Equipment
16.1 Radio Installation
16.1.1 A vessel should carry equipment for transmitting and receiving on the VHF Maritime Mobile band and for receiving regular shipping weather forecasts for the area of operation.
16.1.2 When the main aerial is fitted to a mast which is equipped to carry sails, an emergency aerial should be provided.
16.1.3 A vessel, other than one operating within 60 miles of a safe haven (area category 2, 3 or 4), should be provided with a radio installation capable of transmitting and receiving messages to and from a radio communication centre on land.
Having regard to the range limitations of VHF, radio equipment should be provided which has the range capability commensurate with that needed for the intended are of operation.
16.1.4 A vessel operating up to 60 miles from a safe haven (area category 2), but in areas where there is a low density of shipping and radio communications centres on land and when the certainty of good VHF coverage is in doubt, should be provided with a radio installation required by 16.1.3.
16.1.5 When the electrical supply to radio equipment is from a battery, charging facilities, or a duplicate battery of capacity sufficient for the voyage, should be provided. Battery electrical supply to radio equipment should be arranged such that radio communications should not be interrupted.
16.1.6 A card or cards giving a clear summary of the radio-telephone distress, urgency and safety procedures should be displayed in full view of the radio-telephone operating position(s). (Guidance on the format of suitable cards is given in Merchant Shipping Notice No. M.1119.)
16.2 406MHz EPIRBs
Requirements for the carriage of a 406MHz EPIRB are given in Annex 2.
