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=VHF Channel 16= VHF Channel 16 is a frequency used on the VHF marine radio broadband at 156.8 Mhz. Under FCC regulations channel 16 must always be maintained while underway on all vessels. A listening watch on channel 16 is not required on vessels subject to the Vessel Bridge-to-Bridge Radiotelephone Act who are also participating in a Vessel Traffic Service system when the watch is maintained on both the vessel bridge-to-bridge frequency and a designated VTS frequency (47 CFR 80.148 (b)). Section 80.369 of the FCC's Rules states that VHF Marine Channel 16 (156.800 MHz) is the international voice, distress, urgency, safety, call, and reply channel for ship, public, and private coast stations. The Coast Guard continually monitors Channel 16 and treats any distress call received as an emergency that should be immediately investigated. Prohibited Channel 16 communications include: false distress or emergency messages, superfluous communications, messages containing obscene, indecent, or profane words or meaning, general calls (calls not addressed to a particular station), routine messages and radio tests.

Distress


Channel 16 VHF’s main purpose is for the communication of distress messages. The priority of this frequency is to effectively connect and allow for the communication of vessels in distress to assistance. When initiating a distress call, the vessel should initially send out the distress by pushing the distress button located on the VHF itself. This will send out the distress over digital selective calling to all ship and shore stations. When the distress is received by an RCC, they will then follow up the message with communication over Channel 16. A distress call is initiated over Channel 16 by hailing “MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY” accompanied by your vessels MMSI (Maritime Mobile Service Identity), vessel position, nature of distress, and number of persons onboard.

An Example of a Distress call over Channel 16 VHF:

“MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY THIS IS MOTOR VESSEL FUSTINA, FUSTINA, FUSTINA. MAYDAY – FUSTINA – CALSIGN GOLF JULIET UNIFORM SIERRA – MMSI 123456789 POSITION 50 DEGREES 21 MINUTES NORTH – 005 DEGREES 50 MINUTES WEST – FIRE IN ENGINE ROOM – REQUIRE IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE – 25 PERSONS ON BOARD – OVER”

Urgency
Channel 16 is also used when urgency messages are required to be broadcasted. The radio message used for Urgency messages is pan-pan repeated three times. ex. “PAN-PAN, PAN-PAN, PAN-PAN.” Urgency messages take priority over all other messages on Channel 16 except for distress calls. Urgency messages are those that have to deal with the safety of a ship or a person, and you are requesting assistance, in order to make things right, from any appropriate source. Some examples of situation could include but are not limited to: Shifting of Cargo and listing, lost engine power or steering, taking on water and needing additional pumps, fire on board that isn’t life threatening but requires additional fire fighting equipment, urgent medical care or advice, man overboard where the person is not going to immediately die if not recovered, but assistance is needed in the search and rescue.

Example of an Urgency Call on VHF 16:

“PAN PAN, PAN PAN, PAN PAN, THIS IS M/V FUSTINA, FUSTINA, FUSTINA CALLSIGN GOLF JULIET UNIFORM SIERRA – MMSI 123456789 POSITION 50 DEGREES 22 MINUTES NORTH 005 DEGREES 50 MINUTES WEST CARGO SHIFTED, LISTING TO PORT, REQUEST VESSEL STANDBY ME UNTIL SITUATION RECTIFIED – OVER”

Safety
If a safety message is brief and to all stations, then it will also use channel 16 for broadcast. Safety messages will use the word Securite repeated three times before the message is spoken. Safety messages usually contain information regarding the safety of navigation or a weather warning. Safety messages will take the priority over all other spoken messages of VHF 16 except for distress and urgency messages. Most of the time, safety messages will be initiated on Channel 16 to gain the attention of mariners and then switch to another working channel to finish the longer and more detailed message so that it does not interfere with the possibility of a distress or urgency message on Channel 16.

An example of a Safety Call on VHF Channel 16:

“SECURITE, SECURITE, SECURITE – ALL STATIONS, ALL STATIONS, ALL STATIONS THIS IS CLYDE COASTGUARD, CLYDE COAST GUARD, CLYDE COASTGUARD FOR A GALE WARNING LISTEN ON CH 10”

Ship Station Licenses Required for Commercial Vessels
Commercial vessels that are required by statute to carry radio equipment must apply to the FCC for a ship station license. The ship station license specifies the type of radio equipment that the vessel is authorized to use. All radio equipment must be properly licensed, and type accepted for maritime use. Ship stations are specifically prohibited from employing unlicensed or unauthorized radio equipment, such as unlicensed or unauthorized amateur or aircraft transceivers.

Sea Area A1
Sea area A1 is n area within the radiotelephone coverage of at least one VHF coast station in which continuous Digital Selective Calling (DSC - a radioreceiver that performs distress alerting and safety calling on HF, MF and VHF frequencies) is available, as may be deﬁned by a Contracting Government to the 1974 SOLAS Convention. This area extends from the coast to about 20 miles offshore

The United States, however, does not participate in Sea Area A1. Instead they use Rescue 21 which is maintained by the US Coast Guard.

Background
When radio communications became available to anyone who knew how to manipulate frequencies there were few laws prohibiting what could be said over the air. The superfluous talk prevented important traffic or distress calls from being heard. Ship's watch officers also chose radio frequencies that suited their fancy. There was little to no conformity throughout the maritime industry when monitoring the radio. The FCC was created by the Communications Act of 1934, which sets the laws and expectations of radio usage. The Act set up the means for making designated traffic and distress channels, like VHF Channel 16. Laws from the FCC and IMO, today, still set the standards of compliance for all maritime radio usage.