Article by Capt. Mark Sampson
Anyone with a VHF marine radio has undoubtedly heard at one time or another a distress call or some sort of safety notice on Channel 16. Such broadcasts could be as simple as a notice to mariners about a log floating in the inlet or as critical as a boat on fire miles from shore. No matter where they are or what they are doing, all reliable information about what’s happening on the water is important to boaters because it can help to keep them safe, as well as allow them to provide assistance others who might be in grave danger. The three primary safety calls broadcast on the radio are Security, Pan-Pan, and Mayday. Each one denotes a different level of distress or urgency, but all are important for mariners to tune-in and listen to.
The “Security” call (properly pronounced “say-cure-it-tay”) usually involves some sort of warning to mariners about a possible hazard to navigation. The Coast Guard will often broadcast Security calls on Channel 16 and inform listeners to tune to Channel 22 for more details. Such a broadcast might sound like: “Say-cure-it-tay, say-cure-it-tay, say-cure-it-tay, this is US Coast Guard Station Hampton Roads Virginia Group, for an unscheduled safety marine forecast concerning a log floating in the Ocean City Inlet switch and listen to Channel 22-Alpha.” Hearing that, anyone boating through that area would do well to switch to Channel-22 and get the scoop about the log so they don’t run over it. Security calls can be about bad weather, floating debris, buoys that have moved or have a light out, an area restricted to navigation (like when we had the air show) or anything deemed important for mariners to know. Last week, the Coast Guard did a Security call about a dead whale floating ten-miles offshore of Ocean City.
Security calls are not reserved for Coast Guard broadcasts only. Anyone who wishes to notify other boaters of some sort of hazard can make a security call. On foggy days, it’s not uncommon for skippers to broadcast that they are traveling in or out of the inlet, or other high traffic areas, so other boaters will know to watch out for them. “Say-cure-it-tay, say-cure-it-tay, say-cure-it-tay, this is fishing vessel Pork Chop outbound of Ocean City Inlet, standing by on Channel-16 for any concerned traffic.” A quick broadcast like that not only alerts other boats of their presence and direction, but also lets them know how they can be contacted if needed. Simple precautions like that can prevent a disaster on the water.
Security calls are often made by assistance towboats when they are towing an object or disabled vessel through the inlet or any other busy area if they need other vessels to steer clear and minimize their wake.
A Pan-Pan call (pronounced “pon-pon”) is like a Coast Guard “Amber Alert” and is their way of letting all boaters know of someone who is in need of immediate assistance. A Pan-Pan broadcast would occur on Channel-16 and is a way of saying “hey everyone shut-up and listen for a moment because something is going on out there and people are in need of immediate assistance!” A Pan-Pan would not likely be broadcast for a boat that’s just broken down and needs a tow back to port. Instead it would be used for such emergencies as a vessel on fire, one that’s taking on water, a medical emergency or a person in the water. Such a broadcast might sound like; “Pon-pon, pon-pon, pon-pon, this is US Coast Guard Station Hampton Roads Virginia Group relaying an urgent safety marine broadcast for the fishing vessel Pork Chop, a 32-foot fishing vessel with four passengers onboard that is taking on water at coordinates 37-degrees 59.4 North, and 074-degrees 44.9 West, or approximately 27-miles southeast of Ocean City Maryland. All vessels in the area are requested to keep a sharp lookout, assist if possible and report all sightings to the US Coast Guard.”
Because of its high priority, a Pan-Pan broadcast would be delivered in its entirety on Channel-16 so everyone in the listening area will hear it without having to switch to another channel, as is done with security broadcasts. As soon as they hear “Pan-Pan”, skippers should immediately grab something to write with and be ready to record the coordinates of the vessel in trouble so that they can then quickly determine if they are close enough to render aid. If so, they should advise the Coast Guard of their ability to assist.
Everyone knows what a “Mayday” call is all about. It’s a distress call that signifies that a vessel and/or anyone aboard are in grave danger. You would certainly call a Mayday if your boat was sinking or on fire, or if someone was so severely sick or injured that professional first aid is needed. When you call “Mayday” on the radio it is a way of telling everyone else on the channel to “shut-up and listen” because you need help right away. Such distress calls should always include the name of the vessel, location, how many people are aboard and nature of distress. As long as they can hear the transmission, the Coast Guard will always respond to Mayday calls, and it’s usually best to give them a chance to do so first, before calling back to the stricken vessel yourself. However, if the distress call is not being answered, then it would be right to call them back and do what you can – which could be as simple as relaying info to and from the Coast Guard, or as involved as running to the other boat and recovering passengers from the water. Either way, properly monitoring the radio, particularly Channel-16, and paying attention to Mayday (and Pan-Pan) calls could result in saving the lives of fellow boaters.
”Mayday-Mayday-Mayday, this is the fishing vessel Pork Chop. We have struck an object and are taking on water fast. We have four passengers onboard and are located at 37-degrees 59.4 North, and 074-degrees 44.9 West. We cannot keep up with the incoming water and need immediate assistance!” When someone puts out such a call, the next transmission they will likely be from the Coast Guard responding to the plea for help. They will coordinate the rescue and provide as many resources (vessels, aircraft, pumps, medical assistance, etc.) as necessary and/or available at the time. Anyone else monitoring the call should listen-in and stand ready to assist if they are able.
In a perfect world everyone would always put to sea and return home safely, with nothing but fun tales to tell about their time on the water. But incidents occur and problems arise, and when they do, a working VHF radio can be a boater’s best friend. To get the best use of that radio, every boater must understand and know how and when to use “Security, Pan-Pan, and Mayday” to stay safe, help others, and request assistance.
Capt. Mark Sampson is an outdoor writer and captain of the charter boat, “Fish Finder”, docked at the Ocean City Fishing Center.
