VHF channel 67: Small craft safety channel

[embis]

Reading up a bit about VHF marine Radio and have a question or two:

I understand that Ch 67 is the small craft safety channel:

1)what size constitutes a "small craft" for these purposes? 

2) why would size matter when it comes to safety.....Why have a separate safety channel just for small craft?

 

[john6767]

It think 67 is used by the coastguard when dealing with small craft for the purposes of SAR, which I would take really to mean leisure craft rather than commercial shipping.  If you contacted the coastguard then could invite you to switch to channel 67.

Not relevant on inland waters really though!

[embis]

1 minute ago, john6767 said:

Not relevant on inland waters really though!

Thanks John,

Yes, hopefully I will never have cause to speak to the coastguard!

[Martin Megson]

I believe it was mainly used by Southampton CG dealing with the many small boats in the solent.  In an emergency I would always use channel 16 as not only the coastguard but other vessels are likely to be monitoring it.  

[Alan de Enfield]

Channel 74 is the 'inland waterways frequency' for C&RT waters

[john6767]

14 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Channel 74 is the 'inland waterways frequency' for C&RT waters

Channel 74 is designated as a "Port Operations" channel, so really not for "ship to ship" communications, but in use 74 tends to be used for all communication on CRT waters like the Severn, because that is what everyone is monitoring.  I guess technically you should be using 16 if you are contacting another boat.

 

31 minutes ago, Martin Megson said:

I believe it was mainly used by Southampton CG dealing with the many small boats in the solent.  In an emergency I would always use channel 16 as not only the coastguard but other vessels are likely to be monitoring it.  

I think you are correct there.  It was quite amusing on the course, as that was all based on Southampton and Portsmouth, and my test was a PAN PAN to Portsmouth coastguard from a yacht, hopefully I will not ever need that one!

[Alan de Enfield]

1 hour ago, Martin Megson said:

I believe it was mainly used by Southampton CG dealing with the many small boats in the solent.  In an emergency I would always use channel 16 as not only the coastguard but other vessels are likely to be monitoring it.  

When did you do your radio course ?

Some time ago the Coastguard ceased keeping a listening watch on C16 as GMDSS has replaced the emergency call / emergency channel.

From the RNLI :

The UK Coastguard and Irish Coast Guard have ceased a dedicated Ch16 headset watch

Instead, commercial ships and the Coastguard now monitor a special digital channel with DSC radios.

Edited March 6, 2017 by Alan de Enfield

[rusty69]

You can also contact the coastguard by dialing 999 in an emergency.

[ditchcrawler]

12 minutes ago, rusty69 said:

You can also contact the coastguard by dialing 999 in an emergency.

I was talking to the Coastguard at Yarmouth some time ago about that and he said its a problem because only the coastguard could hear the call when someone close by could be  of more use and then when the Lifeboat is launched they have problems talking to the casualty as well. Mainly a problem with boats that go out up to about 3 miles for the afternoon. On most rivers and canals it probably dosent make much difference.

[rusty69]

13 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

I was talking to the Coastguard at Yarmouth some time ago about that and he said its a problem because only the coastguard could hear the call when someone close by could be  of more use and then when the Lifeboat is launched they have problems talking to the casualty as well. Mainly a problem with boats that go out up to about 3 miles for the afternoon. On most rivers and canals it probably dosent make much difference.

Its probably more suited to members of the public who don't carry a VHF around with them.

Edited March 6, 2017 by rusty69

[Scholar Gypsy]

1 hour ago, john6767 said:

Channel 74 is designated as a "Port Operations" channel, so really not for "ship to ship" communications, but in use 74 tends to be used for all communication on CRT waters like the Severn, because that is what everyone is monitoring.  I guess technically you should be using 16 if you are contacting another boat.

 

I think you are correct there.  It was quite amusing on the course, as that was all based on Southampton and Portsmouth, and my test was a PAN PAN to Portsmouth coastguard from a yacht, hopefully I will not ever need that one!

And similarly Channel 14 on the Thames tideway (well most of the bits narrowboats use anyway).

In theory Mayday should be on 16, but in practice it is more effective to use 14.

Edited March 6, 2017 by Scholar Gypsy
error

[Martin Megson]

3 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

When did you do your radio course ?

Some time ago the Coastguard ceased keeping a listening watch on C16 as GMDSS has replaced the emergency call / emergency channel.

From the RNLI :

The UK Coastguard and Irish Coast Guard have ceased a dedicated Ch16 headset watch

Instead, commercial ships and the Coastguard now monitor a special digital channel with DSC radios.

Alan,

I did my RYA SRC course in June 2016.  And you have only quoted half the RNLI statement. The full quote from the RNLI site - (http://completeguide.rnli.org/vhf-radios.htm - is as follows (I have highlighted the relevant wording: 

A VHF radio will enable you to summon help by calling the Coastguard and alerting other vessels. Up until recently this was done with a mayday call on Ch16. However, the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) has changed. There is no longer a legal requirement for any ship or coast station to maintain a manual watch on Ch16. The UK Coastguard and Irish Coast Guard have ceased a dedicated Ch16 headset watch and now monitor this via a wall-mounted loudspeaker. Please check with other countries if going abroad.

Instead, commercial ships and the Coastguard now monitor a special digital channel with DSC radios. To transmit a distress message on this channel you will need a DSC radio.

Edited March 6, 2017 by Martin Megson

[Iain_S]

Our "local" coastguard use Ch 67 for weather reports and safety announcements, most of which are not applicable to large ships. They advise "small craft" to standby for said reports/announcements on Ch  16.

[ditchcrawler]

From the OFCO site 

[Alan de Enfield]

54 minutes ago, Martin Megson said:

Alan,

I did my RYA SRC course in June 2016.  And you have only quoted half the RNLI statement. The full quote from the RNLI site - (http://completeguide.rnli.org/vhf-radios.htm - is as follows (I have highlighted the relevant wording: 

A VHF radio will enable you to summon help by calling the Coastguard and alerting other vessels. Up until recently this was done with a mayday call on Ch16. However, the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) has changed. There is no longer a legal requirement for any ship or coast station to maintain a manual watch on Ch16. The UK Coastguard and Irish Coast Guard have ceased a dedicated Ch16 headset watch and now monitor this via a wall-mounted loudspeaker. Please check with other countries if going abroad.

Instead, commercial ships and the Coastguard now monitor a special digital channel with DSC radios. To transmit a distress message on this channel you will need a DSC radio.

Having done the course so recently I am sure it will have been explained what the phrase 'wall mounted loudspeaker monitored' means.

From the MCA :

"...a 24 hour 'loudspeaker' watch is kept by selected Coastguard co-ordination centres."

A 'loudspeaker watch' also means that a call on C16 could be missed as the operators will have their ear-phones on monitoring other radio traffic. It relies on someone else being in the room, on watch, and hearing the call. It is not guaranteed that the CG will respond.

Edited March 6, 2017 by Alan de Enfield

[embis]

16 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Having done the course so recently I am sure it will have been explained what the phrase 'wall mounted loudspeaker monitored' means.

Alan, Please elucidate. Sounds self explanatory to me?

[Alan de Enfield]

32 minutes ago, embis said:

Alan, Please elucidate. Sounds self explanatory to me?

See post number ???#

(Somewhere just above your post)