VHF Marine Radio – The Basics

VHF radios are essential to all boaters. This radio could potentially save your life or help you save the life of another. VHF radios are used for emergency and non-emergency situations, however, they are also used to alert boaters of information on the water – be it an approaching storm or a sinking vessel. 

The main channel you’ll need to remember when on your boat -- channel 16. This channel is used for emergency and non-emergency calls. All boaters are required to keep a constant watch on channel 16. Many boaters simply turn their radios off because they wish not to listen to static, etc. -- this is a major issue. Your radio should remain on and turned up at all times. There have been many situations where boaters did not have their radios on and as a consequence, were not aware and could not out run storms, or did not know about a sinking vessel close to them. In both situations, casualties could have been prevented if the captain would have simply left their VHF radio on.

Radio channel 16 may be used to hail other vessels or to make the first initial contact with a marina or restaurant when wondering where to tie your boat up when coming into dock.  However, you’ll need to switch over to another channel once you make contact with your party so that you’re not jamming up the main channels. At no point should you use your radio as a ‘telephone’ to chit-chat with other boaters or someone on shore.

Channels 6, 13, and 22A are also important channels for boaters to remember. 

• Channel 6 is reserved for intership safety use and is mainly used during search and rescue operations.
• Channel 22A is reserved for communications with the Coast Guard and should be for Coast Guard use only (not open to other vessels). This channel is used by the US Coast Guard when relaying marine information broadcasts. Since not everyone is interested in these broadcasts, the US Coast Guard will make their first initial contact on channel 16, letting all boaters know that they will make their announcement (that may or may not be important to each boater) on channel 22A, and that interested boaters should switch over to that channel immediately for more info. 
• Channel 13 is for navigational use between vessels. Large vessels us channel 13 (no need to use channel 16 for this situation first, channel 13 is both a calling and working channel) when relaying their intentions to one another and when they arrive at bridges and locks. Channel 13 is restricted to 1 watt, so be sure to switch your radio to low power when using this channel.

Channels 68, 69, 71, 72, 78A are all used as “working” stations and are available for you to use at any time (as long as no one else is using them) when you switch your conversation over from channel 9 or 16.



For a complete listing of all boating channels (including those in international waters), click here.

If you are trying to communicate with a boat that is nearby, make sure you set your radio on low power so that your signal will not carry further than it needs to. If you’re trying to communicate with a boat or location that is further away, you can use high power. In all situations, use kind language and no profanity. Vulgar language is illegal and can also offend other boaters, especially those with small children.

Now that you know the important radio channels, you may be wondering, “how on earth do I use this thing?!” The basics -- be sure to adjust the "Squelch" control as low as possible so that you don’t hear static or ‘white noise’. In order to make a call, hold the button on the microphone down, speak, and then release to hear the other boat or location’s reply.

Believe it or not, there IS a proper way of calling another vessel or on shore location.

First of all, make sure you are making your first contact on either channel 16 or channel 9. You’ll also want to listen in for a couple of minutes to make sure the channel is not tied up with another conversation.

1. Say the name of the vessel or location that you’re calling three times. Ex: Lake Travis, Lake Travis, Lake Travis.
2. The words "THIS IS", spoken once, and then the name of your vessel, also spoken once. Ex: THIS IS the motor vessel (insert name of vessel)
3. Say the word "OVER", and then await the station being called to reply.
4. The station will reply in the same manner that you called them. You should then designate a new channel to switch over to and continue the conversation. Once establish, speak the word "OVER". Ex: Please switch and listen to channel 68, OVER
5. Wait for the station to confirm the channel. They will then say “OVER” and you’ll both need to switch over to the new channel and continue your conversation by first contacting them in the same way as you initially did, but this time, on your designated channel.

Always move your conversations to a different channel in a non-emergency situation. If you are using channel 16, no one else can use it until you are off of that channel, which means any emergencies that need to be called in will have to wait.

In a distress and emergency situation, your call will be very similar to a non-emergency call, but much more complex. However, if the only thing you have time to say is MAYDAY, the name of your vessel, and what type of distress you’re in, that is fine as well. The key is that you give enough information so that the Coast Guard knows how to best respond to your call. You’ll need to stay by the radio and repeat this call periodically until you receive a response. You should also stay close to your radio incase more information is needed once someone replies to your call.

First, make sure you’re on channel 16.

1. Say “MAY DAY”, spoken three times
2. Speak the words “THIS IS”, once
3. Proceed to say your vessel name (spoken three times) 
4. Give the position of your vessel by latitude and longitude or by bearing (true or magnetic) and the distance to a well known landmark which will help a responding station located your vessel. Be sure to include all vessel movement such as course, speed and destination.
5. Speak what the nature of your distress is (sinking, fire, etc.), and the kind of help you require.
6. Speak the number of people on board.
7. Give any other information which might help in the rescue, such as length or tonnage of vessel, the type of vessel, the number of people onboard needing medical attention, color of the vessel, etc.
8. The word “OVER”, spoken once. 

If you are potentially in distress but are currently not yet in distress, then you can say “Pan-Pan” (pronounced “Pahn”) instead of “Mayday”. This should be used when referring to a controllable leak in your boat or something that is most likely fixable, but you may want to alert someone in case you do eventually need help or incase your situation goes bad.

If you hear a distress call in your area, you are required to respond to it. If you hear a distress call that is not in your vicinity, but that you could potentially get to, then wait several minutes to see if there are other boaters in the area that respond (if there are even any boaters in that area). If they do not respond, you are required to respond.

In summary:

• Always make sure you keep your conversations short and to the point when using a channel. Keep in mind that you may not be the only person who needs to use that particular channel.
• In non-emergency situations, make sure you switch over to a working channel (as listed above) once you make initial contact on channel 9 or 16. 
• Remember that ALL radio conversations are public and anyone on that channel can hear your conversation, including young children. Radios are not to be used for ‘chit-chat’.
• Always speak slowly and clearly so that the responding station can understand you.
• The more information you can provide when speaking with another vessel or the coast guard, the better.
• When speaking to a vessel nearby, switch your radio to low power. When speaking to a vessel further away, you may use high power.
• Always have your radio turned on and turned up. You never know when you or someone else may need information or help.

Have you even used your VHF Marine Radio? Let us know in the comments below.