Sea Kayak Rescues and Small Boat Safety: VHF Radios and Mayday Calls

The Coast Guard often issues a pan-pan call on channel 16 after they receive a mayday from someone in trouble. And that someone in trouble can include sea kayakers.

How to Make a VHF radio Mayday Call.mp3

In the audio above, recorded by a coastal mid-Atlantic US vhf radio whatchstander, the captain of a sinking fishing boat broadcasts a mayday. He has hit a submerged object and is sinking fast.

Hamptom Roads, Va. Coast Guard picks up the mayday. Although the captain can't access gps coordinates, he can describe his position off local landmarks. He notifies the watchstander that he's activated his EPIRB (searach Amazon for epirbs and personal locater beacons), and is getting in to his liferaft.

The watchstander issues a pan-pan asking that all local boaters be on the lookout for the vessel in trouble.

The call's progression from mayday to pan-pan illustrates one of the beauties of vhf radio. If your radio is on and tuned to channel 16 you'll hear overheard these requests for help, and can pitch in to help if you're willing and able.

Likewise, count on local boaters to be on the lookout for you if you broadcast a mayday and the Coast Guard, in turn,m broadcasts a pan-pan call on your behalf.

Fiinal note: If you hear a pan-pan that relates to the waters you're paddling, reply to the Coast Guard on if you catch sight of whoever they're looking for.