Introduction

Distress alerting – Ship to shore

The Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) as described in
SOLAS Chapter IV defines the first functional requirement as:
"Every ship, while at sea, shall be capable
of transmitting ship-to-shore distress alerts
by at least two independent means, each
using a different radiocommunication
service".
three methods of transmitting a distress alert:
EPIRB
Digital Selective Calling (DSC)
INMARSAT
 General Regulations
▪ Distress calling procedures are compulsory for the
maritime mobile service and for correspondence
between ships, aircraft and survival crafts.
▪ No regulations shall prevent a coast station from
using any available means to give assistance to a
distress station.
▪ Distress signals/messages must only be transmitted
on the direct orders of the master or the officer-in-
charge.
Distress, Urgency and Safety frequencies

VHF:
▪ 156.8 Mhz (Channel 16)
MF:
▪ 2182 Khz
HF: Two most commonly used:
▪ 4125 Khz VHF Ch. 16 and MF 2182 Khz
▪ 6215 Khz
▪ 8291 Khz
▪ 12290 Khz
▪ 16420 Khz
▪ In distress situation, speech and radiotelephony
must be as SLOW and CLEAR as possible.

Click to play video

The international distress and calling
frequency
▪ 2182 Khz used by ship stations, aeromobile stations,
and survival craft stations.
▪ Coast stations open for public correspondence on
MF telephony, shall keep listening watch on 2182
Khz.
▪ Ship stations when not engaged in traffic, maintain
listening watch on 2182 Khz.
 Silence Periods
▪ It is of vital importance that all ships make every
attempts to listen to the international frequency
during the silence periods.
▪ The first 3 minutes of every hour and half hour. (eg.
1300H to 1303H; 2230H to 2233H)
▪ All transmissions on 2182 Khz must cease.
The Radiotelephony alarm signal

▪ Two substantially sinusoidal audio frequency tones

transmitted alternately.
▪ One tone at 2200Hz and the other at 1300Hz with
a duration of 250 milliseconds each.
▪ Shall be transmitted as continuously as possible of
at least 30 seconds, but not exceeding 1 min.
Distress

A Distress situation is one in which a vessel,

aircraft, vehicle, or person is…
▪ threatened by grave and imminent danger
▪ and requires immediate assistance.
Examples of "grave and imminent danger“ fire,
explosion, sinking or abandonship, piracy,
collision, listing, taking in water.
Distress signal
▪ Mayday
▪ voice procedure radio
communication
▪ derived from the French
venez m'aider
▪ Come help me
Distress Call
MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY,
This is
STOLT EGRET, STOLT EGRET, STOLT EGRET,
CALLSIGN LAPO4
MMSI 25701000
 Distress
MAYDAY Message
STOLT EGRET CALLSIGN LAPO4 MMSI 25701000
IN POSITION 09.15 SOUTH 102.10 WEST
20 degrees listing to port side
Danger of capsizing
Need immediate assistance
15 crewmembers
The weather is Northwesterly winds,
Gale 8 with rainshowers and
visibility about 5 nm.
Distress
MAYDAY, MAYDAY,Message
MAYDAY,
This is
STOLT EGRET, STOLT EGRET, STOLT EGRET,
CALLSIGN LAPO4, MMSI 25701000.
(brief pause)

MAYDAY
STOLT EGRET CALLSIGN LAPO4 MMSI 25701000
IN POSITION 09.15 SOUTH 102.10 WEST
20 degrees listing to port side
Danger of capsizing
Need immediate assistance
15 crewmembers
The weather is Northwesterly winds, Gale 8 with rainshowers and visibility about 5
nm.
Over
Distress Message Acknowledgement
MAYDAY
STOLT EGRET, STOLT EGRET, STOLT EGRET, CALLSIGN
LAPO4, MMSI 25701000
This is
BERGE MASTER, BERGE MASTER, BERGE MASTER,
CALLSIGN LANO2
RECEIVED MAYDAY
 Any mobile station acknowledging receipt of a
distress message shall, on the order of the MASTER
or PERSON Responsible for the ship, aircraft, or
other vehicle, transmit the following information as
soon as possible:
▪ Its name
▪ Its position
▪ The ETA and Speed towards the station in distress
Distress Communication between
Stolt Egret and Berge Master

Click video to play

Seelonce Mayday or Seelonce Distress

▫ means that the channel may only be used by the

vessel in distress and the coastguard (and any other
vessels they ask for assistance in handling the
emergency). The channel may not be used for normal
working traffic until 'seelonce feenee' is broadcasted.
Eg.
MAYDAY
ALL STATIONS, ALL STATIONS, ALL STATIONS
This is
BERGE MASTER, BERGE MASTER, BERGE
MASTER, CALLSIGN LANO2
SEELONCE MAYDAY
Seelonce Feenee

▫ means that the emergency situation has been

concluded and the channel may now be used
normally. The word prudonce (prudence caution) can
also be used to allow restricted working to resume
on that channel.
Eg.
MAYDAY
ALL STATIONS, ALL STATIONS, ALL STATIONS
This is
BERGE MASTER, BERGE MASTER, BERGE
MASTER, CALLSIGN LANO2
VESSEL IN DISTRESS “MV BRUNITA” at 2100H
UTC
SEELONCE FEENEE
 Mayday Relay
▪ When the station in distress is not itself in a
position to transmit the distress message
▪ When the Master or the person responsible for the
craft considers that further help is necessary
▪ When an unacknowledged distress message is
heard and one is not in a position to render
assistance.
MAYDAY RELAY, MAYDAY RELAY, MAYDAY RELAY
Distress Relay Message
ALL STATIONS, ALL STATIONS, ALL STATIONS
This is
BERGE MASTER, BERGE MASTER, BERGE MASTER, CALLSIGN LANO2 MMSI
257555000
FOLLOWING RECEIVED FROM STOLT EGRET CALLSIGN LAPO2 MMSI 257333000,
ON VHF CH. 16, TIME 1615 UTC:

MAYDAY
STOLT EGRET CALLSIGN LAPO4 MMSI 25701000
IN POSITION 09.15 SOUTH 102.10 WEST
20 degrees listing to port side. Danger of capsizing
Need immediate assistance
15 crewmembers
The weather is Northwesterly winds, Gale 8 with rainshowers and visibility about 5 nm.
USCG Rescues Northern Belle
Exercise
▪ Create a distress message
▪ Vessel Name MV Cap/Callsign
DUX2
▪ You are sinking and abandoning ship
▪ Your position 8 ° 44’ N 124 ° 55’ E
▪ 12 Persons on board
▪ Lt 0500H
Assignment
▪ Create a safety Message
▪ Your Vessel’s Name is MV Cap/Callsign
DUX2
▪ You encountered 10 floating
containers in position 8 ° 45’ N 124 °
34’ E Lt 0500H
▪ Tell all stations to keep a sharp look out