Boating is considered one of the most relaxing activities, and nothing compares to a quiet evening watching the sunset off the bow or a fun packed day with your friends on the water. However, the weather in Florida can change in the blink of an eye and having the tools to stay safe is crucial.
One of the most important things you can have on a boat is a VHF (very high frequency) radio. Boating and fishing should be as safe, as it is fun.
Emergencies appear out of the blue, and this is one of the most important reasons why all recreational boats should consider having a VHF Radio on board. Unforeseen situations shouldn’t catch you unprepared.
Example Scenario:
Skiffs are a very popular model in Florida, and while these boats are rather small, they could still benefit from having a VHF Radio on board.
The miles of rivers in the middle of nowhere sound like a dream world for a skiff captain, but emergencies could quickly turn them into a less dreamy world. Getting lost in the middle of nowhere or sinking could become very real, very quickly. A VHF Radio could save you in such a situation.
There are two types of Marine VHF Radios: Marine Handheld Radios and Marine Fixed-mount Radios.
The hand-held VHF Radio is smaller and portable, taking its power from batteries. This Marine VHF Radio is useful even in case your boat’s battery dies or electrical system fails. It is also useful in the case your boat is sinking and you’re forced to abandon it.
A fixed-mount VHF Radio is installed permanently on your boats dashboard and takes its power from your boat’s electrical system. No electrical system, no radio.
Below are steps and things to remember when beginning to use your VHF radio.
As mentioned above, channel 16 is not intended for testing purposes. You can perform a radio test on any of the other open channels (68, 69, 71, 72, 78A), as they are designed for conversational purposes. Turn the radio on (make sure it’s the one-watt power setting), key the microphone, and call radio check three times, followed by your boat name and location.
For example, “Radio check, radio check, radio check. This is Marina’s Boat in Gasparilla Marina”.
After this, wait for a reply. Proper etiquette states someone tuned into that channel will generally reply shortly to confirm they hear your test call.
It is important to know and remember these channels to maintain proper channel etiquette and to not clog up the radio waves. This could prevent important calls from getting through.
As seen above, each VHF Radio channel has a designated purpose. Channel 16 should not be used unless there is an emergency. Thus, there is no room for radio testing or casually holding a conversation here.
There are a few regulations when it comes to VHF Radio usage: transmitting music, using either obscene or objectionable language, or subversive transmissions are strictly forbidden. It’s important to also keep your Marine Handheld Radio away from the reach of children, as the airwaves are constantly monitored.
You can still communicate with another vessel if necessary. You can do this by calling their boat name either two, or three times, adding your boat name afterward, and finishing with “over”.
Your initial call – “Seastar. Seastar. Marina’s Boat on channel 72. Over.”
Their response should sound like – “Marina’s Boat, this is Seastar. Switch Channel 68. Over.”
Your reply should sound like this – “Marina’s Boat, switching 68. Over.”
A conversation like this basically means that both boats will switch their radios to channel 68, which is used for hailing and normal conversation. If you want to terminate the conversation, you could either say “Marina’s Boat, returning to stand by channel (mention the channel number)” or “Marina’s Boat. Out.”. It is a good practice to not use “over and out” when using the radio, as these terms are conflicting.
The Mayday call should be used only for those situations in which either life or property is in immediate danger. This is an important remark since “Mayday” should not be used for situations such as running out of fuel.
Of course, if running out of fuel becomes life-threatening, as you’re in a channel and you have no possibility to anchor, then you should use the “Mayday” signal. In short, this signal means that all the rescue and search operations available act immediately. The situations where you should use “Mayday, mayday, mayday” followed by your boat name and last known location are:
The Digital Selective Calling (DSC) is a feature that is available on all fixed-mount VHF Radios. By pushing just one button, a signal containing your location is sent to the Coast Guard. In order to properly use the DSC feature, you need to make sure that the radio is connected to GPS, be it internal or linked to a different GPS on the boat.
Safety is a must when boating. Even if the weather looks good, the waters can be unpredictable and rush you into situations where you might need help. A Marine Handheld Radio is easy to carry around and can become your ally in case of any unforeseen situation if you don’t have another Marine VHF Radio on your boat.
