VHF radio nostalgia.

[JamesG161]

You best be on Ch 16 marine for Safety.
______
Saturday we were sailing to our favorite Cat Island, MS sunset anchorage.

Up comes the afternoon Thunder Storm and minor squall. We were tacking, since our destination was against an 15 knot East winds. We see the Squall with lots of Lightning and were 30 minutes from safe harbor.
Furled all sails and began to motor directly, for fastest arrival.

Now the rest of the story...

We noticed a full sails boat 2 nm astern and taking no reefing, in a soon to be 30 knot winds.
I hailed them on Ch 16. Pause... Hailed them again...
Finally we got a response. We moved to Ch 14.
Did the final radio confirmations.

These guys were Sailing from the Red River on OK, TX , border, down the Great Muddy, to Destin FL. In totally unfamiliar waters, dark arriving fast from Sunset and Lightning Storm. Boat was a ≈24' mid 1960's Pearson.

They now Hailed me as "The rescue boat" on Ch 14.

Long story short...
They followed us to a safe harbor. Dropped anchor just as Storm hit.
Do that on a smart phone! Maybe in a few years.
Jim...

PS: I did give them my cell number, if they needed any further help.
Happy Ending.

 

[pateco]

I use my VHF constantly. I require three bridge openings that need to be called on CH-9 just to get to the Atlantic, and then once we get out, our club race committee and shore committee use CH-68 for Race instructions, course changes, and protests.

I had my Uniden handheld die on me after cruising 5 bridges north on the ICW. The rarely used fixed VHF wouldn't power on. (found a bad butt splice the next day). I googled all of the bridges, and got phone numbers for the bridge tenders (It was not as easy as it should have been). Made it back to our dock using cell phone for openings. One of the posted numbers was incorrect, and we had to use our horn to call for an opening there.

Now I sail with a fully charged backup handheld, and I verify the Fixed VHF is working before we leave the dock. I also bought a can of spare propellant for the horn. Live and learn. lol

 

[JamesG161]

I use my VHF constantly.

Uniden handheld

I got this Xmas present and use it also for Ditch Bag and dingy travels.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01C73WWU8/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Submersible, floats too. $45

Jim....

 

[jssailem]

VHF is always on when cruising. Sure it can be a distraction. But there are the times when I marvel at the usefulness.

August 2017 cruise... starts out low cloud ceiling that drops about 3 hours out of port. Visibility down to .25 nm. Pretty good for Agustfog on the Sound.
Suddenly the Captain of the Port Townsend Ferry is calling me by ship name. We discuss my intentions and crossing his normal route. I let him know I have been plotting his transit for the past 15 minutes and that we expect him to pass clear our stern about .25 nm at present course and speed. He announces he will alter his course 5 degrees to Starboard and open up the distance. Never saw him but he passed about .5 miles astern.

Not more than 5 minutes later USCG VTS (Vessel Traffic Service) calls also by ship name and wants to know my intentions. I announce our course and intended route. CG comes back and tells me to maintain course north of VTS as there is a commercial vessel heading South in the North lane. The Tugs with barges often turn the corner at Admiralty Inlet tight and cruise the North lane when they can. We confirm our speed and course and stay .25 nm north of the lane. Gets a bit tight up around the opening to the strait on the north side, but their is often a nice current to ride if your timing is good.

Good info on the VHF radio. Never saw the tug and barge, but we did experience the wake.

Once we made the strait the fog lifted, the sun shown and the boat traffic that was in the fog was gone.

 

[JamesG161]

Boat was a ≈24' mid 1960's Pearson.

I got a PM from a SBO member and friend of the sailors on the boat that followed me.

Which BTW is another reason this site is now fast becoming No 1 on the internet for Sailors
______.
Correction to my post above.

Their boat is a blue water capable...
28’ Pearson Triton

They had begun reefing, which was not obvious to me [directly astern] at Dark Storm Sky Sundown. At no time was the boat in distress.

Since we don't have AIS, they referred to us as "the rescue boat" not from fear, but our offer to help.

During a very pleasant conversation on Ch 14, it was very apparent they were capable sailors.

I think we should do more ship to ship FM conversations for all sorts of fun and interesting stories of High Sea Adventures.
Jim...

 

[Rick486]

Lying in bed reading at night I have the VHF handheld on the night stand on scan with a bunch of channels. Very interesting and sometimes amusing to listen to comms on a fairly busy stretch of water between New York and the Cape Cod Canal. Especially when the weather is not so good.

 

[Doug4bass]

One disturbing practice the local USCG is using is to have the boat in distress have them try and call the station on a cell phone. Time and time again. I always learned in the Aux classes and ASA that you would stay on VHF (not vhs) so boats in the vicinity could maybe help. The coasties are going to try to get them to do their work for them anyway....

 

[jssailem]

The coasties are going to try to get them to do their work for them anyway....

Doug, While that feels like the CG is skipping out, I see it as just the opposite. They are acting in the best interest of all parties involved.

1. Start with me the taxpayer: They are conserving my tax dollars in their budget if the issue can be "Safely" handled by a boater in the vicinity of the emergency.
2. The boat in Distress: If a boat is nearby and can "Safely" resolve the issue before the CG can get to the site then that has to be good for the folks and boat at risk.
3. For the CG: If they can use their radio to marshal resources and protect the boat and crew at risk then they are faithfully doing the duty they are charged to fulfill. There is no way we the public are willing to pay to have the CG everywhere just in case someone might get in trouble.
4. And we the boater listening to our VHF going to the aide of a boat and crew in need: We are following the law of the seas that dictates all boats will render aide and support to a mariner in need.

It is the responsibility of all boaters to assess the situation and communicate with the CG the nature of the emergency and if they can "Safely" render aide to the boat and crew having the emergency. You are not asked to do the job like the CG. You are asked to render aide but not put your boat or crew at risk. The worst case is a boater going to render aide and getting in trouble where now there are two boats in trouble.

 

[dlochner]

The coasties are going to try to get them to do their work for them anyway....

I'm not quite sure what you mean by this statement.

In the distant past, the CG would go out and tow boats in that ran out of gas. Those days are long gone. The CG's job is to protect life first, the environment second. If there is a real emergency, they will be there. But if the emergency is that you weren't paying attention to your fuel gauge, hey, TowBoatUS and Seatow are there to help you out.

While there are good reasons to use VHF as the main communication avenue, there are also good reasons to use cellphones. Sometimes information needs to be passed that just does not need to be broadcast publicly. Off the top of my head would be giving my phone number out so that the CG could contact my family.

 

[Doug4bass]

If you guys were in a distress of some sort...wouldn't you want other vessels to monitor? ?
Has nothing to do with contacting next of kin. ( maybe later). Had a friend a few years ago almost run aground powerless because the coasties where looking for a civil "rescue" boat.
Sorry...no Tow Boat or great cell service on Gitchie Gumme.

But my main point being: whats with the cell phones?

 

[Doug4bass]

Sometimes information needs to be passed that just does not need to be broadcast

????????

 

[Doug4bass]

The CG's job is to protect life first, the environment second

Environment second?????

 

[dlochner]

Doug, yes, if the choice is to save a life or protect the environment from an fuel spill, coral damage or some other environmental damage, I hope that the CG and all of us would choose to save human life first.

As for the use of cell phones vs VHF, VHF should be first so that nearby good samaritans can respond. However, there may be other factors, such as information privacy or excessive non emergency traffic on the VHF that makes a cell phone a preferred communication method. The signal may also be clearer on the phone.

Down here on the lowest Great Lake, we are almost always within range of a cell phone tower.

 

[Al Schober]

I have 3 VHFs aboard: a handheld, a late model fixed mount with antenna at the masthead and a RAM mike, and an old crystal unit with the antenna on the radar mount (in case I lose the mast). The old crystal unit gives the best audio quality - people comment about it! Rarely use them anymore - basically for bridge operators. Just one opinion.

 

[jssailem]

Just one opinion

And a mighty fine opinion it is AL.

 

[Jacktar]

CG monitors channel 16 on Rescue 21 system with 100 watt repeaters, they do not monitor any cellphone or other radio channels except sometimes CB channel 19. The rescue system 21 can pick up your VHF transmissions and provided them a bearing to you as well. Cant do that with a cellphone. Courtesy of a CGAux Watchstander, your welcome.

 

[Al Schober]

Funny you'd mention CB radio. Heard a story that CB radio was developed by aliens as part of their search to look for intelligent life on Earth. They didn't find any..

 

[Jacktar]

Think you are right, still looking for them myself