Contributing Writer Tom Dawson
Writer / Instructor
It can happen when you least expect it, a beautiful day out on the water can turn into a disaster. Unlike being on land, where the response time from emergency personnel can be measured in minutes, on the water it can be hours. This means you are going to be the first responder to any emergency onboard, are you ready?
Over the course of the next few articles we will discuss some of the things you need to consider being prepared for when an emergency situation arises. Simple emergencies you might be able to handle without help, others may require assistance. If help is needed, who are you going to call and how are you going to get ahold of them. In this article we will take a look at different ways to summon help.
Cellphones
Smartphones have taken over our lives, they can do so many amazing things and more features are added daily. But they may not always be the best tool to summon help while you are on the water.
Cellphone service is still spotty in many places and out on the water it is no different. Part of the problem is cellphones don’t have a lot of transmission power. They rely on being close to a cellphone tower. No towers, no service. When cellphones were introduced, they could have up to 3 watts of transmit power. Today cellphones transmit power is about .75 watts, so if a tower is not close enough you have no service.
The other potential problem with cellphones is who are you going to call? Do you know the number for the watch stander at the local Coast Guard Station? How about the number for the local commercial towing company? These numbers are easy to add as contacts in your phone, have you done that yet?
VHF Marine Radio
If you are a coastal boater there is no reason not to have a VHF Marine Radio. The Coast Guard monitors channel 16, 24 hours a day. Channel 16 is the hailing and distress channel and if you have a radio, it should be turned on and tuned to that frequency. Using a cellphone is a private conversation with one person, using a marine radio let’s anyone with a marine radio turned on and within range to know you need help.
Where a cellphone has about .75 watts of transmit power, a fixed mount marine radio can have up to 25 watts of transmit power. This creates a ship-to-ship range of up to 34 miles and ship-to-shore range of about 69 miles.
If you need to summon help with a marine radio there are two types of emergency broadcasts, life threatening (Mayday) and non-life threatening (Pan-Pan.) Both messages follow the same procedures. To summon help repeat the message type three (3) times, then state the name of your vessel, description, position/location, nature of the emergency, and number of people on board.
When the Coast Guard watchstander responds they will likely ask you to repeat the information and may even ask you to do so more than once. Don’t worry your message is being recorded, but the watchstander is making sure you’re relaying all the information correctly. It’s easy to make a mistake under stress and sometimes you can forget a significant detail.
In some parts of the country the Coast Guard may be using the i911 service and if you have cell service, they will send you a text that launches a connection to our cellphone’s GPS so they can get your exact location and track your position as help is dispatched.
Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (PIRB) and Personal Locator Beacon (PLB)
These beacons are devices that alerts search and rescue services via satellite in case of an emergency at sea. Most recreational boaters probably don’t need to consider getting a PIRB unless they plan on voyages that take them way offshore.
However, coastal boaters and those on the Great Lakes might want to consider the smaller PLB. These devices are designed to be worn on a lifejacket or kept at the helm station. In addition, PLBs can be used on land by hikers, hunters, etc. that like to head deep into the backcountry.
The beacons must be registered with NOAA and when they are activated, they transmit your location and other details you have included in your registration. This includes vessel identification information, along with information about their vessel’s home port. There is even a place to include information that you would typically put into a Float Plan.
Signaling Devices
Last up in communication devices are the most basic ways you can signal for help, a mirror, whistle, flag, and pyrotechnic or electronic distress signals. The Coast Guard requires visual distress signals on boats over 16 feet on coastal waters and the Great Lakes.
Pyrotechnic distress signals have a 42 months shelf life before they must be replaced. The newer electronic distress signals with LED lights can be used in place of the pyrotechnic devices. If you opt to use an electronic device you will also need to carry a distress flag and whistle for daytime use.
Although not required, but recommended, a signal mirror, and whistle should be attached to your lifejacket. These items come in handy if you find yourself in the water. Commercial airline pilots are trained to watch for and report sighting of mirror flashes. And you can blow a whistle longer than you can yell for help.
For details on Federal requirements for signaling devices visit the USCG Boating website and download a copy of, A Boater’s Guide To The Federal Requirements For Recreational Boats.
If you would like to learn more about emergency communications consider taking a basic boating course. If you live in Florida the Florida Fish and Wildlife has a list of approved courses on their website. America’s Boating Club also offers a course on marine communication systems.
Next month will look at some of the lifesaving essentials you should consider having on board.
Stay safe on the water!
Links in the article:
https://floatplancentral.cgaux.org/download/USCGFloatPlan.pdf
https://myfwc.com/boating/safety-education/courses/
https://americasboatingclub.org/index.php/courses/boat-systems/marine-communication-systems
https://www.amazon.com/Safe-Boating-Southwest-Florida-Waterways/dp/B0D2L7RWBX
https://www.amazon.com/Barret-Bondens-Local-Knowledge-Recommended/dp/B0DCJYC18B
https://www.amazon.com/stores/Thomas-E.-Dawson/author/B092T2173B
Thomas E. Dawson
Cape Coral, Florida
Thomas E. Dawson is a member of the Cape Coral Sail and Power Squadron. If you plan of visiting Lee County, Florida, Dawson is the author of two books about boating there, Safe Boating in Southwest Florida Cape Coral Edition and Barret Bonden’s Local Knowledge Recommended - Things You Wish Someone Had Told You About Boating Here! Both books are available on Amazon.
