Position.

[Olivepage]

""Mayday - I'm just south of blah de blah" when any idiot who can read and has a digital radio - like me - can just spin off the numbers? "

Have you actually tried it.

I have one of those digital things but never actually used it other than to call marina, VTS and the like just as id did with non digital thing.

How can I be sure that it works without being surrounded by lifeboats and helicopters and being in awful trouble.

By the by - I bet I'm the only one on this forum who has a tar barrel on board to burn in case of emergency. Well its a big tin actually, but near enough.

[claymore]

I apologise for myprevious posting which contained one major error. I would not read out the numbers I would press the big red button. Beyond that i don't really like talking to anyone out there and if i was in trouble I would do my damndest to get myself out of it and another thing, you bugers would be the last ones I would call - come to think of it you annoying people are the last ones I would like to know if i was in trouble, or even just out there without being in trouble.

[Rowana]

- come to think of it you annoying people are the last ones I would like to know if i was in trouble, or even just out there without being in trouble.

Get out of bed on the wrong side this morning, did we?

Or are you just suffering withdrawl symptoms with the good ship Claymore not being in her natural environment?

Come up to Peterhead and I'll take you out on Rowana in order to blow the cobwebs away.

[Windfinder]

I would press the big red button.

Seems an odd thing to do in a crisis but can you tell me where it is? Mrs Windfinder's been nagging me for ages to find her red button.

Maybe a 3 dec place GPS lat and long would help?

[ljs]

Well hopefully my boat won't burst into flames on it's mooring in a gale or I'll have to call up Malin Head Coastguard Radio and tell them I'm located in Fanny's Hole and in a spot of bother.
Worth buying a DSC radio so I can push the button instead..

[Olivepage]

" I would press the big red button."

But have you ever actually pressed it?

How do you know the big red button is actually connected to something.

Is it possible/acceptable/legal to call coastguard and say " I'm going to press the tit in 2 minutes - give us a shout if it works"

Even the smoke alarms have a test Button.

[claymore]

Aw Hey - where's the trust here? Surely Icom wouldn't just put a big red button on the thing for the fun of it.....would they?

[Olivepage]

Well the Japanese sense of humour can indeed be inscrutable, and indeed even Icom kit can develop faults, particularly when intimately connected to non Icom kit.

The serious point is that with a non digital set you test it regularly by calls to marina, VTS etc etc, but the facility that you depend upon in an emergency is not tested.

Just seems a bit odd when such a cheap and simple device as a smoke detector has a test facility.

One of the tenets of safety planning is that you test things regularly - like lifeboat drills, fire drills and the rest.

I suppose as a back-up you can go on 16 and shout for help - if you know the BRB has failed.

As for trust - To quote slightly out of context " In God we trust - everyone else pays cash"

[Nick]

I suppose as a back-up you can go on 16 and shout for help - if you know the BRB has failed.

Isn't it still standard procedure at this moment in time to put out a conventional Mayday on CH16 after pressing the BRB?

Being a natural pessimist (recent studies show pessimists live longer happier lives) I would automatically assume that the BRB had failed and would put out a call on CH16. Apart from anything else, it would mean that non-DSC equipped vesels in my vicinity might come to my aid.

[Olivepage]

That certainly makes a lot of sense.

But I'm still hanging on to my tar barrel

Belt and braces - and a length of string in my pocket - thats my way.

[claymore]

Absolutebollocksnickmeoldfishpond.

Thats like sending an email then phoning up to see if they got it

[DaveS]

(recent studies show pessimists live longer happier lives)

Ah, scientific confirmation of what I've always believed. A pessimist's life is full of happy surprises. An optimist can only be disappointed.

How's that for some Wednesday afternoon philosophy?

[jim.r]

(recent studies show pessimists live longer happier lives)

Ah, scientific confirmation of what I've always believed. A pessimist's life is full of happy surprises. An optimist can only be disappointed.

How's that for some Wednesday afternoon philosophy?

Completely wrong, only an optimist could think things will be better than expected. Ye'd better sort oot yer will, Davie!

[Nick]

Absolutebollocksnickmeoldfishpond.

Thats like sending an email then phoning up to see if they got it

That may well be your opinion, and I am sure that you are entitled to it. Nonetheless, the procedure as laid out by the various safety organisations is , ifyou have a DSC radio onboard:

A DSC Distress Alert should be sent, which will then activate alarms in any DSC radios within range. This will alert any radio operators to listen
on the distress working channel for your subsequent MAYDAY call. The DSC alert containsyour identification number (MMSI) and a current position.

.........................................(from an RNLI document, but repeated in many places if you look)

The difference between current procedures and GMDSS is that DSC is used to transmit the initial call. For example, currently you would initiate the call on Channel 16 to agree a working channel, whereas the GMDSS procedure would send a DSC call on Channel 70 containing the proposed voice working channel. Once the other station has accepted the call then it can respond directly on the working channel.

If you are in distress, a DSC Distress Alert should be sent before the MAYDAY procedure. This Distress Alert will activate all alarms in any DSC radios within range and alert any radio operators to listen on the distress working chonnel (ie for VHF - Channel 16) for the subsequent MAYDAY call. The DSC alert contains your identification number and should contain a valid position (preferably as an automatic input from your navigation receiver).

.........................................(this from GMDSS GUIDELINES FOR SMALL BOAT USERS IN EUROPEAN WATERS )

Do not rely solely on the DSC alert. It should be followed immediately by the MAYDAY procedure on the appropriate distress channel/frequency (i.e. Channel VHF 16) as shown on the radio procedures sticker.


Simply pressing the red button only puts out your MMSI number, position and the designation 'undesignated distress'. The rescue services and all nearby vessels who pick this up will then listen out on Ch16 for your Mayday call. Not following up with a voice transmission is not only contrary to accepted procedures but is also IMO irresponsible.

I think you need to go on a course . . .

[Windfinder]

The rescue services and all nearby vessels who pick this up will then listen out on Ch16 for your Mayday call.

In reality all nearby vessels who pick this up will then pull the power cable out of the radio to shut the ****ing alarm off.