Chartering abroad: whose licence, whose MMSI?
You hold an RYA SRC certificate. You are joining a 14 m sailing yacht in Greece for a two-week bareboat charter with friends; the yacht is Greek-flagged and has a fixed DSC VHF, an EPIRB and a handheld. The charter company's briefing says: 'The radio licence is in the boat's folder, the MMSI is already programmed, and the EPIRB is registered - just don't touch the settings.' The fixed set displays an MMSI beginning 237, and the EPIRB label shows the same number. You have brought your own UK-registered handheld VHF, which has its own MMSI beginning 232. You plan to sail from Athens to the Cyclades, mostly 5-15 nm between islands, and to call marinas and harbour authorities on VHF. One crew member has no certificate and asks if he can make marina calls while you are ashore.
1. What documents and qualifications should you check before using the radio, and why is your SRC not the whole answer?
Read the worked answer
My SRC is an operator certificate: it shows that I am qualified to operate the radio. It is not a ship radio licence, and it does not register the yacht or authorise the EPIRB. Before using the set I would check that the yacht has a valid Greek ship radio licence in the charter folder, that the callsign and MMSI on the licence match the set and the EPIRB, and that the EPIRB registration is current and linked to the yacht.
I would also ask the charter company who is authorised to use the radio and what local operating instructions apply. In Greece, as elsewhere, the vessel's flag-state licence and the operator's certificate work together. If the paperwork is missing or the MMSI does not match, I would not assume that 'it is all on board' is enough. I would resolve it before departure, because an invalid or mismatched station identity undermines any distress alert.
2. Which MMSI should be used for a DSC distress alert from the yacht, and what are the dangers of using your handheld's UK MMSI instead?
Read the worked answer
A DSC distress alert from the yacht should use the yacht's programmed MMSI beginning 237, because that is the identity registered to the vessel, its licence and its EPIRB. Rescue coordination staff will link the alert to the yacht's details and to the beacon registration.
Using my UK handheld's MMSI beginning 232 would identify a different station, not the charter yacht. That could send the response to the wrong vessel name, flag and contact details, and it would not match the EPIRB if that also activated. In a distress, that mismatch wastes time and can create confusion about how many vessels are in trouble.
The handheld is still useful as a voice backup, but I would identify the yacht clearly by name and, if I had to use the handheld for a distress call, I would explain that the MMSI belongs to a portable set and give the yacht's identity and position. I would not use the handheld's DSC distress button casually as a substitute for the yacht's set.
3. The uncertificated crew member wants to call a marina on the fixed set. How should you handle this under the licence and etiquette rules?
Read the worked answer
I would keep responsibility for the radio with the certificate holder. A practical approach is that I establish the call, identify the vessel and confirm the working channel, then allow the crew member to speak under my direct supervision while I remain within earshot. That keeps the operation under a qualified operator and avoids an unqualified person making distress or urgency traffic.
I would brief the crew member first: listen before transmitting, use the vessel's name, keep the call short, use the working channel rather than Ch16, and say 'over' when handing back. I would not let an uncertificated crew member operate the set alone or make a MAYDAY/PAN PAN call unsupervised. If the marina asks a technical question, I would take over.
Etiquette matters here as much as the licence: marina calls are routine traffic, not distress traffic, and should not occupy Ch16 or Ch70. The crew member can gain experience, but the qualified operator remains accountable.