Recreational vessels are defined by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) as those which are not required to carry a radio, which include nearly all pleasure craft less than 65 feet long.  Nonetheless, most boats on the Great Lakes and other large bodies of water do so for obvious safety reasons.  If you DO have a marine radio, you must comply with FCC regulations when using it.

Your radio is restricted to communications for safety purposes, or for the needs of the vessel, such s piloting, movement, making reservations, scheduling repairs, and obtaining fuel and supplies.  Casual banter and idle chatter are specifically prohibited.

Recreational boats, which for the most part carry the standard marine VHF radio (156-162 MHz), must monitor channel 16 at all times, and use it only for distress and safety and calling purposes.  Channel 9 is an approved calling channel (to marinas, other boats, etc.) but is not used for safety or distress messages.  If you radio has a scan feature, set it to scan channels 9 and 16, and whichever weather channel you receive.  Most scanning radios will stop on the weather channel only when an alert is broadcast. 

If you need to call a marina or another vessel, call it by name, identifying yourself as well.  When contact is established, both vessels should immediately switch to one of the intership channels, 68, 69, 71, and 78, and your conversation should be as short and direct as possible. Profane, indecent, or obscene language is specifically prohibited and can lead to heavy fines and court action.

Initiate your call using the name of the vessel or other entity you are calling, followed by the name of your vessel. Example: “Mermaid, Mermaid, this is Ulysses, over.”  The called vessel should respond, “Ulysses, this is Mermaid, switch to six-eight, over.”  You then respond with, “Roger, six-eight’” after which both vessels switch to channel 68 and conduct business briefly.  Each transmission should end with the word, “over,” to let the other party know you are done.  At the conclusion of the communication, when all individual transmissions are done,  each vessel should identify itself once again and signify that they are completely done by saying. “out.”  (Ulysses, out-- Mermaid, out.)  “Over” means you are done, and it is the turn of the other vessel to transmit.  “Out” means, I am done transmitting and am signing off.  Do not use “over and out’” since the two words are, by definition, mutually exclusive.  “Roger” means, “I have heard and understood you.”  “Wilco” means, “I understand and will comply.”  The entire vocabulary and protocol is usually set forth in the instructions you received with your radio, or you may visit www.boatsafe.com/nauticalknowhow/radio.htm  for additional information.  The use of terms like “10-4” and “come awn” will mark you indelibly as a tanktown hick.  

 

Part Two on Marine Radios coming soon.