DISTRESS TRAFFIC CONTINUED:

Further Procedures (Received

Mayday / Mayday Relay / Silence
Mayday)
• “Received Mayday”
• When a vessel has received a Distress Alert
from a distressed vessel, the radio operator
must wait and remain stand-by for a few
minutes until acknowledgement from RCC has
been received. Any ship receiving a distress
alert acknowledgement must transmit a
“RECEIVED MAYDAY” on VHF to the distressed
vessel, in order to let the distressed vessel
know that the alert was received.
 Received Mayday
• Procedure and Structure
• MAYDAY
• -Name of the distressed vessel (3 x, her call
sign uttered once)
• - Identification of the vessel receiving the
distress message (3x, call sign one time)
• - Ending of the message (RECEIVED MAYDAY)
 Example
• “RECEIVED MAYDAY” MV Ocean Queen –IRSL to
distressed vessel Pearl Head
• MAYDAY
• Pearl Head
• Pearl Head
• Pearl Head – Victor Romeo Sierra Echo
• This is Ocean Queen
• Ocean Queen
• Ocean Queen- India Romeo Sierra Lima
• RECEIVED MAYDAY
“Received Mayday” (supplementary)

• A vessel that has transmitted a “Received

Mayday” must transmit a supplementary
“Received Mayday” if she is “able to comply”
– that is: within short range of the distressed
vessel-giving her identification, position and
speed, her ETA at the distressed vessel and
any other important information.
 Procedure and structure of a
Supplementary Received Mayday
• MAYDAY
• - Name of the distressed vessel (3x, her call
sign uttered once)
• - Identification of the vessel able to comply
(3x, call sign once)
• - position, speed, ETA at the distressed vessel
• -any other relevant data
• -ending of the message
 Example
• “RECEIVED MAYDAY” (supplementary) from MV Ocean Queen –IRSL on
VHF
• MAYDAY
• Pearl Head
• Pearl Head
• Pearl Head – Victor Romeo Sierra Echo
• This is Ocean Queen
• Ocean Queen
• Ocean Queen- India Romeo Sierra Lima
• Information:
• My position: bearing zero four five degrees from distress position –
distance three miles.
• My course: zero three five degrees; my speed: one two knots.
• ETA distress position is within two five minutes.
• OVER
 “Mayday Relay”
• If a vessel has noticed that a vessel in distress is not able to
transmit a Distress Alert, she must transmit a Distress Alert Relay
(“Mayday Relay”) to the Rescue Co-ordination Centre or coast
station.
• Procedure and Structure of a Mayday Relay
• -Mayday (3x)
• -name of the coast station (3x)
• - identification of the vessel transmitting a Mayday Relay (3x, call
sign once)
• - Mayday
• - position of the vessel in distress
• - any other relevant information
• -ending of a message (MAYDAY RELAY)
 Example
• “MAYDAY RELAY” from MV Ocean Queen – IRSL
• MAYDAY RELAY – MAYDAY RELAY – MAYDAY RELAY
• Aveiro Radio - Aveiro Radio - Aveiro Radio
• This is Ocean Queen
• Ocean Queen
• Ocean Queen – India Romeo Sierra Lima
• MAYDAY
• Vessel in position three eight degrees one zero
minutes north / zero one eight degrees one zero
minutes East is on fire.
• MAYDAY RELAY
 “Silence Mayday”
• When a Search and Rescue operation is in progress, the
RCC or On-Scene Coordinator (OSC) will instruct other
vessels in the vicinity to keep radio-silence, unless they
have messages about the accident. Radio silence is
imposed to other vessels by the phrase “Silence Mayday”.
• Procedure and Structure of Silence Mayday
• - Mayday
• - All Stations (3x)
• - identification of the coast station transmitting a silence
mayday (1 time)
• - time of transmission
• -ending of the message
 Example
• SILENCE MAYDAY from Aveiro Radio to all
ships on VHF
• MAYDAY
• ALL STATIONS –ALL STATIONS –ALL STATIONS
• This is Aveiro Radio.
• Time: one three one five hours UTC –
• SILENCE MAYDAY
• “
 “Silence Fini”
• The ending of SAR radio-communication after a SAR
operation has been completed is indicated with the
phrase “Silence Fini”.
• Procedure and structure
• -Mayday
• - All stations (3x)
• -coast station’s identification
• -time of transmission
• -name and call sign of the vessel in distress uttered
once
• -ending of the message
 Example
• Silence Fini from Aveiro Radio to all ships on
VHF
• MAYDAY
• All stations- all stations –all stations-
• This is Aveiro Radio.
• Time: one four three zero hours UTC.
• Pearl Head –Victor Romeo Sierra Echo-
• SILENCE FINI
 Give answers to the following
questions:

• When and by whom must a Received Mayday be transmitted?

• When must a Mayday Relay be transmitted?

• When will a Silence Mayday be transmitted?

• When will a Silence Fini be transmitted?

• Why must the SMCP be used in VHF conversation?

• What is the difference between Repeat and Say again in VHF communication?

• What does Stand by imply in VHF communication?