Sweet 16?

[Ron]

Ch 16 Abuse and Inaction

I always have my radio on Ch 16 when I am sailing. I frequently hear broadcasts from south of San Diego. I am amazed at the amount of jabber on 16. Once I even heard two boaters get in a a fight on the radio in MDR. The one boater requested the other to meet him in the middle of the fairway to continue the fight "in person." Lots of radio checks, which bar we goin' to discussions etc on 16. On the other hand when a real emergency call goes out it seems strangely quite. I guess it's the "someone else will answer" mentality. I always will answer if I am in a position to do so - good karma as far as I am concerned. FYI if you are a member of BoatsUS/Vessel Assist or the like they are very good about helping with radio checks on an appropriate channel. They will give you great feedback on signal strenght, quality etc.

 

[Jim Madden]

Sweet 16

I monitor 16 with the ships radio and ch 13 and 14 with a portable at the helm.Being a sailboat there has been little opportunity to respond to distress calls of any type. Mostly I gather information on what's happening where.I have found that it is helpful to monitor ch 13 for the traffic through the locks with commercial boats. I can follow the patterns of traffic and know the best timing and routes in order to use the locks. Out in the Sound ch 14 VTS lets me know of the commercial traffic which helps me plan my passage through the shipping lanes and the shipping ports.

 

[Michael McCann]

Use Of VHF Radio

I always monitor channel 16, and the VTS channel (which is 14 in the Puget Sound). If it gets too busy I will turn the volume down if I'm in the mood for quiet. I like knowing what traffic is coming as our day sails, and usually a week end cruise will involve a crossing of the traffic lanes.

 

[ISailIslander28]

When I am out of the Lake

I usually don't run my VHF when I am going back and forth in Lake Charles. It is very small and doesn't have much boat traffic. However, whenever I start down the Calcasieu River/Ship Channel, I monitor 16 and 22 on the ships radio and have the hand held on Channel 13. The tug boat skippers use 13 all the time (Bridge to Bridge). I talk to almost every tug that I pass or passes me whenever I am ticking down the ICW. They seem to appreciate being in contact with us "little guys" and besides, according to the Inland Rules of the Road, you must come to an aggrement whenever you pass or overtake another vessel. I know the vast majority of us little guys don't do that but it is the Rule. I use "securitey'" calles whenever I am coming to a channel crossing to let the tug boats and others know that I am there too. Also 13 is the channel to reach the swing bridge operators. Capt. Pat Aguillard, Licensed Master/Instructor

 

[Tom Riley]

Lake boats not used to VHF

Lake boats like ours are not used to VHF chatter. Sometimes we use themn before races to see whether other boats are going to show up!At sea, monitor 16 and ship channels, but quietly, and use for getting dockage for the afternoon or overnight. Sometimes for hailing, but not often.

 

[sdennisf]

VHF

When I sailed in New England the traffic on channel 16 was terrible and they initiated a program to use channel 9 as the emergency channel. For the last 10 years I have sailed out of Galveston TX and you hear very little abuse of channel 16. I always monitor channel 16 and do hear a mayday occasionally.

 

[Capt. Sid]

Teach Proper Use

Where I sail channel 16 is usually reserved for first contact and emergencies. I monitor channel 16 everytime I sail. I have taught my children the proper use of the VHF and allow them to make most calls. The coast guard in my area will break in and tell any captain abusing channel 16 to switch to another channel. I do not think that it is a problem in my area as everyone seems to follow the proper protocol. I have heard many Pan Pan calls but never a Mayday. I would of course respond to any mayday or Pan Pan if I were near and able.

 

[Bob Early]

Weekdays vs Weekends

By way of a little background. We normally sail in Buzzards Bay, home to commercial fishermen and large vessels with tows headed toward or from Cape Cod Canal. Hundreds of pleasure yachts and thousands of sport fishermen. Along the southern "shore" of Buzzards Bay is the Elizabeth Islands, and the more famous / notorious passage is called "Woods Hole". There are other channels. The point being, the potential exists to get hurt real bad if one is not cautious enough.We normally monitor VHF 16, regardless of what crew or guests prefer. We have heard all the calls, slang, swears, people "sitting on the mike keyed on", maydays, pan - pan etc.The most "interesting" call was from a tug steaming, with a barge in tow, headed up the 4 1/2 mile channel from the bay to New Bedford Harbor. His call was something like this: Securitay, Securitay, Securitay This is the tugboat Warcry. We are approaching the stern of black hulled sailboat. You are blocking a restricted channel. Please respond. < repeat several times >.The weekdays are generally very quiet, maybe one call every 30 or more minutes. Weekends, it's a constant line of chatter, people being advised to do radio checks on 16, etc.We have heard a couple of calls for help "near" where we were sailing, but when we got within visible range, there were no visible needs apparent.By way of a suggestion, my boat as I got it, had a VHF installed, but the whole unit was located in the cabin, making it virtualy impossible to use from the cockpit, or even from the cabin if the diesel was running. My solution was to change the radio and adda RAM microphone in the cockpit. Now the radio is available from either the cockpit or the cabin, and with separate volume controls, am able to monitor the radio in the cockpit, while any folks in the cabin can turn down that speaker.BOb

 

[Frank940]

VHF

Aways monitor 16 when sailing keep volume low but able to hear if someone in trouble.Its just good seamanship.

 

[Rick D]

Kids and VHF

Good point about training kids early on the use of VHF. We did that with our daughter. However, my nephews got in trouble in Avalon many years ago on someone else's boat when they sent out a phoney mayday. Fortunately for them and the captain, they were on the local channel and the harbor patrol released them with a stern lecture and an inside tour of the lock-up. They had not been instructed on the VHF use. Otherwise, as I understand it, the owner had every chance of a major fine himself even tho he was off the boat at the time. Rick D.

 

[Tim McCarty]

Typically...

I do my radio checks on #9. I monitor 16/9 when I am on the water, and twice (in 12 years of sailing) have been involved in search and rescue. I don't normally "hail" other boats anymore...just pull out my cellphone and call.

 

[r.w.landau]

Phil, just a note

AOL sent "Sweet 16" e-mail right to the spam file.r.w.landau

 

[Pete M.]

VHF Misuse

On a busy weekend on the Chesapeake Bay, listening to Channel 16 is a nightmare: lots of meaningless chatter about where the fish are biting or someone ran out of beer....As a result, many boaters turn off their VHFs. Now and then the Coasties will come up on the air and tell some knothead to get off the Channel....but it doesn't help much.

 

[Phil Herring]

AOL

If AOL executives used their own email product the world would be a better place.

 

[Johnny]

VHF

I sail the intracoastal and the Gulf of Mexico, for leasure and the occasional club races.Leaving our slip we encounter a bridge in either direction (north or south) so our radio is always tuned to channel 9 at first, for the bridge openings. We then switch over to monitor 16, but generally keep it low, especially on the weekends, to avoid the yahoo chatter.Motoring outbound at John's Pass, which is quite narrow with tricky currents, we heard a call for assitance from a 17ft fishing boat, adrift and heading for the fenders.Of all the wild powerboats inbound and outbound speeding through, no one stopped to assist them.We turned our O'Day 222 with our little Nissan 5hp and brought it about their port side, where I was able to tie her off, and then reach their anchor line that was wrapped around the lower end of their outboard.They didn't call MayDay or Pan Pan, they simply asked for assistance. I will always keep my radio tuned, and my antenna connections clean just in case.

 

[Calif. Ted]

I've been hailed by CG cutters who were

checking every boat after Newport/Ensenada and also the Navy, by name from great distances (always amazed they can read my name) so it's pretty important to listen. As others have pointed out in our area we get the traffic from Los Angeles to Mexico and it can be way to much on weekends. I usually use a handheld and turn the squelch up a little so it's more localized but CG still loud & clear.

 

[Charlie]

A Friend InDeed

I turn on my VHS as soon as I board my S-2 27. Three summers ago we were caught in a freak storm on the Chesapeake Bay and grounded in the mouth of an unfamiliar creek. Eight foot waves were coming over the boat and we sent a May Day to the Coast Guard for assistance. They were assisting another troubled sailor and relayed our distress call to the Virginia Marine Patrol. Fortunately they were able to get us off the boat and they returned for two days after the storm to assist us in getting the boat off of the shoal. While we were on the radio with the Coast Guard they recommended that we switch over to our cell phone. It was a better connection. We carry two VHS radios on board, and use the handheld as a backup .

 

[THE PHANTOM]

VHF 16

VHF 16I sail on an inland lake; because of the possibilities of a sudden change of conditions I monitor the weather channel ... The only chatter I hear is the usual PHD ... Channel 16 is on for you never know ...

 

[David Levine]

VHF

Being on a lake in a non-busy area I have had it on 16 for hours on end without hearing anything. I plan to lave it on all night just to see if I do hear anything the next time I sleep aboard. It does work - I have checked that!

 

[william]

$2 lobsters

Not only do I monitor 16 for emergencies but when someone comes on and tells a vessel to go to another channel I follow them. Last year I heard of a lobster fisherman who was selling $2 lobsters from the back of his boat.