MAKING A VOICE DISTRESS CALL
Lift the red cover. Press and hold the
seconds. Your radio transmits your boat's location every few minutes
until you receive a response.
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NOTE: If the radio displays Enter User MMSI, cancel the automatic
distress call and make a normal voice distress call.
Making a Voice Distress Call
For future reference, write your boat's name & call sign here:
Speak slowly - clearly - calmly.
1. Make sure your radio is on.
2. On the radio, press the
of the display does not show 16, press the
3. Press the
PUSH TO TALK
4. Say "THIS IS {name of your boat (three times) and call sign/boat registration number
MAYDAY."
5. Say "MAYDAY {name or call sign of your boat}."
(once).}."
6. Tell where you are: (what navigational aids or landmarks are near, or read the latitude
and longitude from your GPS).
7. State the nature of your distress, e.g. are you sinking, medical emergency, man
overboard, on fire, adrift, etc.
8. State the type of assistance you need (medical, towing, pumps, etc.).
9. Give number of persons aboard and conditions of any injured persons.
10. Estimate present seaworthiness of your ship (e.g. how immediate is the danger due to
flooding or fire or proximity to shore).
11. Briefly describe your ship, giving the ship name (e.g. "Blue Duck is 32 foot cabin cruiser,
white hull, blue deck house").
12. Say: "I WILL BE LISTENING ON CHANNEL 16."
13. End message by saying "THIS IS {name or call sign of your boat}, OVER."
14. Release the
PUSH TO TALK
If you do not get an answer after 30 seconds, repeat your call, beginning at step 3, above.
DISTRESS
button to switch to Channel 16 (156.8 MHz). (If the corner
16/9-TRI
button on the microphone and say: "MAYDAY -- MAYDAY --
button and listen.
button for three
button again until it does.)
16/9-TRI
Lift the red cover
and press the
button.
DISTRESS