Right from the Horse's Radio - words from the FCC
HOW DO I CALL ANOTHER SHIP USING VOICE CALLING?
Make sure your radio is on.
* Select Channel 16 (156.8 Mhz) and listen to make sure it is not being used. NOTE: Channel 9 (156.45 Mhz) may be used by recreational vessels for general-purpose calling. This frequency should be used whenever possible to relieve congestion on Channel 16.
* When the channel is quiet, press and hold the microphone button, then call the ship you wish to call.
* Speak directly into the microphone in a normal tone of voice -- clearly -- distinctly.
Say "[name of ship being called] THIS IS [your ship's name and call sign (if applicable)]."
In order to prevent a short key i.e. talking before the radio is ready, I usually start with "Hello."
"Hello, Bodacious, this is Sancerre, Whiskey Delta Delta five seven five eight."
* Once contact is made on Channel 16, you must switch to a ship-to-ship channel. The ship-to- ship channels are listed in the chart on VHF Freqs and uses
* After communications are completed, each ship must give its call sign or ship name and switch to Channel 16.
Note from Capt. Dan: You'll notice that you say the name of the ship you're calling ONCE. In spite of the Coast Guard's abuse of this as well as Great White, Little Kitty and Stinky Woman, that's it. Just ONCE.
DO YOU WANT TO CALL ME?
Just listen for traffic on #16 and when it is clear, press and hold the mic key say "Hello, Sancerre, this is Bodacious."
If I'm on the water, I will respond, This is Sancerre, switch six-eight (69, 71, 72).
That's it!
Three S's: Short Sweet Switch.
WHAT IS THE MARINE DISTRESS PROCEDURE?
Speak slowly -- clearly -- calmly.
1. Make sure your radio is on.
2. Select VHF Channel 16 (156.8 Mhz).
3. Press microphone button and say: "MAYDAY --MAYDAY-- MAYDAY."
4. Say "THIS IS [your ship ID]."
5. Say "MAYDAY [your ship name]."
6. Tell where you are: (what navigational aids or landmarks are near).
7. State the nature of your distress
8. Give number of persons aboard and conditions of any injured.
9. Estimate present seaworthiness of your ship.
10. Briefly describe your ship (meters, type, color, hull).
11. Say: I will be listening on Channel 16."
12. End message by saying "THIS IS [your ship name or call sign] OVER."
13. Release microphone button and listen. Someone should answer. If not, repeat call, beginning at Item 3 above.
For sample emergency transmissions, click
HELP!
Chart 1 is essential to planning trips outside your home area.
Locally, we usually depend on "local knowledge," that is information passed informally by - we would hope - knowledgeable seamen.
Once you venture from homeport, or encounter a symbol on a chart you don't understand, Chart 1 becomes essential.
It's worth a few minutes to scan pages 4-6 in the introduction. You'll learn such things as where the shoreline is (generally mean high tide line), what country's charts are covered (comprehensive only for U.S.), that the U.S. is in Area B of the world and that in the rest of the world it's not Red Right Returning
You can download the entire document below, but it's huge. In this case, the book is better and worth keeping in your library.
View, Download and Print CHART 1
If it winks or blinks, it's in here.
This is a vital supplement to your charts.
Example: I was transiting the Big Sur coast in daylight in relatively benign conditions. My GPS wasn't working, so I was full-on Dead Reckoning.
My plot put me near Pt. Arguello and I wanted to get a fix using the light.
I scanned the shoreline. Couldn't see it.
I got my binoculars.
Still couldn't see it.
The chart said it is was 100' high and visible for 9 nm.
I still couldn't find it.
Download the Light List for Dist 11 and see if you can figure out why I couldn't see it in broad daylight.
Pt. Arguello Light, btw, is #210. You can use the FIND function in Acrobat to locate it very quickly.
Download - Light List
The government publishes 9 different Coast Pilots and each edition is divided into sectors, generally conforming to the coastal charts for the area.