Channel 16 chatter and an uncertificated crew member in Queen Charlotte Sound
You are relieving skipper of the 16 m charter launch Kererū in Queen Charlotte Sound. It is a calm Saturday and the water is busy. Your regular deckhand is away; his replacement has no Marine VHF Operator Certificate but has already used the radio twice. You hear a nearby launch holding a long, friendly conversation on Channel 16 about fishing. Your own radio is set to 25 W and dual watch on Channel 16 and 06. Earlier, the replacement called a Picton marina on Channel 06 to ask about berths. You also hear a brief 'radio check' on Channel 16 from another vessel. The charter party is aboard and listening. You need to set the radio and the crew straight without embarrassing anyone, and you are aware that a distress call could break in at any time.
1. Identify the breaches and explain why each matters.
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There are several separate issues:
- Long conversation on Channel 16. Channel 16 is the international distress, urgency, safety and calling channel. It is not for social chat. A long conversation blocks distress traffic and prevents other stations from calling. The two launches should move to a ship-to-ship working channel, such as Channel 06, or use a telephone.
- Using Channel 06 for a marina berth enquiry. Channel 06 is an intership channel, not a public correspondence or marina channel. The marina should be contacted by telephone or on a channel the marina actually monitors.
- Uncertificated operator. The replacement should not be operating the VHF. The skipper is responsible for ensuring that the radio is operated by a person holding the appropriate certificate. Listening and logging is fine; transmitting is not.
- 25 W at close range. High power is unnecessary for local calls and causes interference over a wide area. Use the lowest power that maintains the link, generally 1 W for nearby stations.
- Radio check on Channel 16. It should be brief, or made on a working channel, so that Channel 16 is not occupied unnecessarily.
2. What do you say and do to correct the situation without embarrassing the crew?
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I would deal with the crew quietly, not across the deck. To the replacement I would say: 'The radio is certificated equipment. For now, please listen and write down messages; I'll do the transmitting.' That corrects the breach without humiliating him in front of the charter party. I would then take the set: switch to low power for local calls, set dual watch to Channel 16 and an appropriate working channel, and confirm the squelch and volume are usable.
For the launch chatting on 16, I would call it on Channel 06, not on 16: '[Vessel name], this is Kererū on Channel 06. Suggest we move our conversation off 16; it is the distress channel.' That is a polite correction and keeps 16 clear. If the chatter continued and I heard no coast station intervene, I would report it to Maritime Radio on a working channel rather than argue on air. I would explain to the charter party, briefly, that Channel 16 is kept clear for emergencies; this turns the incident into useful passenger safety information.
3. A MAYDAY breaks in during the chatter. What do you do?
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I would stop transmitting at once, turn up the volume, and listen. I would write down the vessel name, position, nature of distress, number of persons and any assistance requested. I would not talk over the mayday, and I would not impose radio silence myself; only the station controlling the distress, such as Maritime Radio or the On-Scene Coordinator, can do that.
If the other launch kept chatting through the mayday, I would call it on Channel 06 and tell it to clear Channel 16 immediately. If no coast station acknowledged and I was in a position to help, I would acknowledge the mayday by voice and offer assistance, or send a MAYDAY RELAY if I had knowledge of a distress that was not being handled. I would keep a listening watch on 16 and be ready to move to the working channel nominated by the coast station. The earlier chatter is now irrelevant; the priority is to make sure the distress traffic gets through.