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Wkh4distressurgency&othersignals20 01 18 PDF
Wkh4distressurgency&othersignals20 01 18 PDF
Wkh4distressurgency&othersignals20 01 18 PDF
4
Distress, Urgency and Other Signals
Contents
INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................................... 2
DISTRESS SIGNALS ................................................................................................................................... 2
URGENCY SIGNALS .................................................................................................................................. 3
SAFETY SIGNALS ...................................................................................................................................... 4
SIGNAL FLAG RECOGNITION ................................................................................................................... 4
USE OF SIGNALS TO WARN OF DANGER ................................................................................................. 5
The use of light signals ........................................................................................................................ 5
The use of fog signals .......................................................................................................................... 6
Divers’ Signals ..................................................................................................................................... 6
DAY/NIGHT SIGNALS ............................................................................................................................... 6
Vessel day signals ................................................................................................................................ 6
ADDITIONAL GUIDANCE: DISTRESS & SIGNALS ...................................................................................... 8
Flares and Smoke signals .................................................................................................................... 8
Sound Signals ...................................................................................................................................... 9
EXAMPLES OF DISTRESS, URGENCY AND SAFETY RADIO MESSAGES ..................................................... 9
Mayday................................................................................................................................................ 9
Mayday Relay .................................................................................................................................... 10
Pan-Pan ............................................................................................................................................. 10
Securité ............................................................................................................................................. 10
INTRODUCTION
Whilst most communications at sea are by radio a wide range of other sound and visual signals
remain in use to alert a distress or urgency situation or to ensure safe navigation. Even when a radio
message is being transmitted, vessels will sometimes employ a second visual back up in case their
radio transmission goes unheard or to alert other vessels within visual range.
You need to be able to recognise a distress and urgency signal, in whatever form it is sent, as well as
any locally important day and night signals used by vessels to prevent collision.
DISTRESS SIGNALS
‘Distress’ is the most serious form of emergency and means that a vessel, vehicle, aircraft or person
is in grave and imminent danger and requires immediate assistance. Distress flares and radio are
the most obvious ways of signalling distress but there are several others and you should be familiar
with the internationally recognised signals below.
Radio distress voice messages are prefixed by the word MAYDAY spoken three times - this indicates
that the sender is in grave and imminent danger and requires immediate assistance. A Mayday
message has absolute priority over all other transmissions.
Distress Message:
Mayday Mayday!
Identity This is ...vessel name and MMSI
Position Lat/long or bearing and distance from a charted position
Distress e.g. on fire, sinking, man overboard
Assistance Required Request Immediate assistance
Number of persons Number of people involved
Information Other information which might help rescuers
Over Over
URGENCY SIGNALS
Urgency is a lesser degree of emergency than a distress and means that a vessel, vehicle, aircraft or
person is in urgent but not imminent danger, i.e. the danger is not immediately life threatening, but
could become so if assistance is not forthcoming. It would apply to a vessel which is disabled but not
sinking or in any immediate danger, or when urgent medical advice or attention is needed.
Urgency messages given over the radio are prefixed by the words PAN PAN spoken three times and
indicate that a vessel or station has a very urgent message concerning the safety of a ship or person.
SAFETY SIGNALS
Safety messages given over the radio are prefixed by the word SECURITÉ (pronounced
SAY-CURE-E-TAY) spoken three times (or the displayed words ’All Ships’ Safety’ when digitally alerted
on the DSC radio). They indicate that the station - usually a Coastguard Centre - is about to transmit
an important navigational or meteorological warning.
The message is transmitted on a working channel after an announcement on VHF Channel 16. You
should note the message content if the event is within our watch sector and log any relevant
information.
Safety messages may be broadcast by a vessel at sea, either to warn that the activities/position of
the sender pose a risk to other vessels in the vicinity, or to warn of a local navigational hazard.
Typical examples include vessels engaged in underwater operations or survey work, live firing in the
case of warships and warnings of floating obstructions such as a partially submerged container.
See also the examples starting on p. 4:9.
The station is equipped with an Aldis Signalling Lamp and you can flash the ‘dot, dot, dash’ warning
to a vessel which is observed to be on a course that will bring it into danger, e.g. drifting onto rocks
or shoals. (Even if the recipients do not know the meaning of the signal, the fact that they are being
signalled to may alert them to the danger.) Point the lamp directly at the target using the sight - just
a few degrees off target can greatly reduce its effectiveness - and operate the trigger in a positive
manner.
The Aldis lamp may be used to indicate to an already stricken vessel that its situation has been seen
and help is on the way. This should only be done after the Coastguard has been contacted and SAR
assets have been tasked. Follow the instructions of the Coastguard. The usual signal is three long
flashes.
The use of fog signals
For information on sound signals used by vessels in poor visibility and when manoeuvring etc., see
Additional Guidance.
Divers’ Signals
The recognised ‘I require assistance’ signal used by divers is
one arm extended with a clenched fist waved from side to
side over the head.
If this signal is observed you should look for
the attendant dive boat which should be
flying flag Alpha. If the dive boat has clearly
not seen the diver, then the Coastguard
should be alerted immediately.
Note: many divers routinely use surface marker buoys (DSMB’s) that look like
inflated orange sausages to mark their position. The marker buoy does not indicate
that the diver is in distress.
DAY/NIGHT SIGNALS
To prevent collision all vessels must display navigation lights at night and in restricted visibility. In
addition vessels engaged in certain activities, such as towing or fishing, or in certain situations, such
as at anchor or not under command, must also show distinguishing lights by night and shapes (day
signals) by day. Identification charts regarding navigation lights are kept on the counter and the left
hand door of the secure cupboard.
Vessel day signals
Vessel Day Signals are illustrated in the diagram overleaf (note: all signals except the diver’s flag are
black). You should be able to recognise the ‘diver down’, ‘Not Under Command’ (NUC) and ‘Vessel
Aground’ day signals and also identify other locally important signals using the quick reference
material displayed in the station.
Sound Signals
Sound signals used by vessels in poor visibility
Mayday
“Grave and imminent danger to a person, ship, aircraft or other vehicle requiring immediate
assistance”
Information Example
Mayday MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY
Identity THIS IS Yacht Calamity, Calamity, Calamity, MMSI 234001234
MAYDAY Yacht Calamity
Position My position is 50° 11’N 003° 46’ W
Danger Swamped in a rough sea and sinking
Assistance I require immediate assistance
Number of persons I have five persons on board
Information Abandoning to life raft
Over OVER
Mayday Relay
Where the station transmitting is not the vessel in distress.
Information Example
Mayday Relay MAYDAY RELAY, MAYDAY RELAY, MAYDAY RELAY
Identity THIS IS Yacht Vigilant, Vigilant, Vigilant MMSI 234003456
MAYDAY Yacht Calamity MMSI 234001234
Position Position 50° 11’N 003° 46’ W
Danger Swamped in rough sea and sinking
Assistance Require immediate assistance
Number of persons Five persons on board
Information Abandoning to life raft
Time (optional) 1245 UTC
Over OVER
Pan-Pan
“A very urgent message concerning the safety of a ship, aircraft or other vehicle, or the safety of a
person” but no grave and imminent danger.
Information Example
Pan-Pan PAN-PAN, PAN-PAN, PAN-PAN
All ships, All Ships, All Ships [or UK Coastguard x 3]
Identity THIS IS Motor Yacht Unfortunate, Unfortunate, Unfortunate,
MMSI 234002345
Position My position is 50° 10’N 003° 45’ W
Danger Total engine failure and drifting
Assistance I require a tow
Number of persons I have five persons on board
Information I am a 20 metre motor yacht with a flying bridge and a white hull
Over OVER
Securité
A safety message such as a navigational or meteorological warning. Details follow on a working
channel.