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Standard Marine Communication Phrases.

 CONTENTS ON PAGES: 3

4 - 15: General. 68 - 83: Pilotage.

16 - 40: Distress: 84 - 123: Vessel Traffic Service:

Fire; Position and direction;
Flooding; Tidal Information;
List; Traffic Image;
Disabled and adrift; Position;
Collision; Course;
Grounding; Arrival;
Piracy; Anchoring;
SAR; Canal, locks and convoy;
Person Over Board; Handing over;
41 - 46: Urgency:
Manoeuvrability; 124 - 135: Intership communication;
Cargo (spilling);
Ice; 136 - 150: Intra-ship communication:
47 - 67: Safety: Anchoring;
Wind; Berthing;
Sea State; Casting off;
Tides; Helm orders;
Visibility; Engine room orders.
Ice;
Navwng;
Lights;
 5

When spelling is necessary, only the following spelling table should be used:
When spelling is necessary, only the following spelling table
should be used:
 6

Numbers must be spoken in separate digits ……,

for example:
“My position is:
29 degrees 58 minutes North / 013 degrees 12 minutes East at 2100 hrs. UTC”.

“My position:
bearing 168 degrees from Royal Sovereign Lighthouse,
distance 7.4 miles at 0855 hrs. Local Time”.

……, unless they refer to rudder angles in wheel orders.

“Starboard 15”.
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Use the following message markers

as often as possible:
INSTRUCTION:……(only given by authorities)
ADVICE:……
WARNING……
INFORMATION:……
QUESTION:……
ANSWER:……
REQUEST:……
INTENTION:……
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example

“Mistake ….. correction”

is used when incorrect information
has been given.
"Mistake - correction .............. "
"Mistake: correction ........... " is used when incorrect information has
been passed through.
 12

“Repeat” (or “I say again”)

is used when an important message
or part of a messages is repeated.

example
 13

“Say again” is used when a message

or part of a message has not been
clearly understood.

example
"Repeat' is used when an important message or part of a message is repeated.
"Say again" is used when a message or part of a message has not been clearly heard.
The VHF-transceiver button is pushed to talk and released to listen.
Dangerous situations may arise when after mistakenly having used "Repeat" the button is "pushed
to talk", while the operator intends to listen.
 8

Always answer
“You must …..”
with
“I will…..”
"You must.. ..... " - "I will ..... :'
Coast stations often give instructions or advices, followed by "You must... .. ".
Always answer " You must ..... " with "I will .. ... " to indicate that you have
understood and indeed will execute the instruction.
mu
 VHF / DSC - COMMUNICATION
Non-GMDSS vessels
(e.g. small vessels) GMDSS vessels

Announcement &
Announcement & acknowledgement by
acknowledgement Digital Selective
on VHF Calling (DSC)

Message by conversation on VHF

• A Routine Message is transmitted to ensure safe navigation.
• Routine communication comprises intership communication,
exchange of data in port operations, communication between vessels
and VTS-stations, inshore radar stations, pilot stations, bridges
• A non-GMDSS vessel announces a routine message on the VHF by
addressing the receiving station or ship, after which she identifies
herself by giving name and call sign.
• This method is called "Address and Identify".
• The receiving station will then acknowledge the reception of the
announcement by using the same method.
• If conditions for establishing contact are unknown or expected to be
bad, the addressing and identification must be done three times.
• ("Holly Radio - Holly Radio - Holly Radio - this is MV Christina Papa
Kilo Alfa Hotel - MV Christina Papa Kilo Alfa Hotel - MV Christina Papa
Kilo Alfa Hotel").
• When conditions are good, the best way to establish contact is to
address once, and identify twice ("Halifax Radio, this is this is MV
Christina, MV Christina Papa Kilo Alfa Hotel';'
• After first contact has been established, addressing and identification
is done only once.
Announcement (by non-GMDSS vessels).
Intership communication
and communication between
ship and coastal station
is announced on VHF.

M.V. Anticosti - V8SH

VTS Halifax Radio

 10

Answer to the question:

“How do you read me?”.
I read you bad / signal strength 1
( = barely perceptible);
I read you poor / signal strength 2
( = weak);
I read you fair / signal strength 3
( = fairly good)
I read you good / signal strength 4
( = good);
I read you excellent / signal strength 5
( = very good).
If conditions for establishing contact
are unknown or expected to be bad,
addressing and identification must
be done three times.

When conditions are good,

the best way is to address once s

and identify twice.

s
Procedure and structure.
Example of a Routine Message on VHF by NON-GMDSS VESSEL.
 In case of an urgent message
(note: not an URGENCY message!)
“how do you read me”
is left out.

Example:

s
Urgent message
In case of an urgent message (note: not an Urgency message!) the phrase "How do you read
me?“ will be left out.
Instead, the actual message will follow immediately after the identification.
REMEMBER:

Always
ADDRESS AND IDENTIFY
after you have heard the word
“OVER”.
 DSC-announcement (GMDSS - vessels).
Intership communication
and communication between
ship and coastal station
is announced through
Digital Selective Calling.

When the DSC-acknowledgement

has been received, communication
by VHF will begin.

VTS
GMDSS-vessels announce a routine message through Digital Selective Calling (DSC).
After the DSC acknowledgement has been received, the conversation will continue
on a VHF-channel that is chosen by the receiving station or vessel.

Procedure and structure.

Example of a Routine Message on VHF by GMDSS VESSEL.
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in latitude and longitude.

Position:
“39 degr. 16 min. N /
027 degr. 15 min.W”.
 15

“Bearing”
(when the vessel’s position is related to a mark).

Position:
“Bearing 158 degr. from the Bassurelle, distance 1.5 miles”.
29 DEGR. 58 MIN. N / 013 DEGR. 12 MIN. E ON MARCH 31 2100 UTC.

134 DEGR. FROM BUOY NHR-SE, DISTANCE 6.5 MILES

ON JANUARY 13 10.25 LOCAL TIME.

159 DEGR. FROM FALLS LIGHT, DISTANCE 2.7 MILES

ON MAY 26 1925 ZONE TIME.

58 DEGR. 57 MIN. N / 013 DEGR. 5 MIN. W

ON JANUARY 31 05.25 UTC.

178 DEGR. FROM ROYAL SOVEREIGN LIGHTHOUSE,

DISTANCE 2.1 MILES ON AUGUST 5 12.00 UTC.

250 DEGR. FROM BUOY CA 4, DISTANCE 12.6 MILES

ON DECEMBER 31 0000 UTC.