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When hailing another vessel, less is always more, and there is an accepted way to make contact.
When you want to hail another vessel, you do so on Channel 16.
When hailing, follow these three steps:
Say the name of the vessel you are trying to contact three times
Give them the name of your boat
Invite them to reply
For example. if Christopher Columbus had had a radio, he might have said:
“Niña, Niña, Niña, this is Pinta. Come back.”
A typical response to being hailed would be:
“Pinta, this is Niña.”
Channel 16 is for hailing and distress only — once you have made contact, you must immediately go to another channel, leaving Channel 16 clear for other users. The most common non-commercial/recreational ship-to-ship channels are 68, 69, 71, 72, 78A.
So Columbus might reply to the Pinta:
I hear you, Pinta. Switching to channel 68.”
Once on the new channel, you need to start the hailing process all over again, since there may be other users on that channel already.
When you are done with your conversation, you can say “Out. Back to 16.”
More women than ever before have discovered the boating lifestyle. Whether at the helm or as a valued second mate, they are enjoying the benefits of boating. Here are some great tips from some seasoned female skippers who train hundreds of women each year as part of the Freedom Boat Club DIVA program.
Nothing beats getting out on the water and making memories that last a lifetime with those you love. When a child enters the family, it makes sense that you want to start sharing those special times with them too! As you can imagine, there are definitely some challenges involved with bringing your toddler on board, but with a few tips and tricks, and a positive attitude, you can start creating those everlasting memories!
Every time you go out boating, you should be sure to take the following items in a “Go Bag” or “Ditch Bag”.
Keep your bag in the same place in your house, somewhere easily accessible, so you will be sure to grab it every time you go boating.
Always keep it fully stocked — never “borrow” items from it for home use!
Because Freedom Boat Club has such helpful, friendly dock staff, our members never have to worry about casting off, or securing the boat when they return.
But not every slip has such helpful staff, so it is important that you know how to secure a boat to a dock!
From a practical safety standpoint, boaters should always wear a PFD (Personal Flotation Device). However, every U.S. state has different laws regarding the wearing of PFDs, so you should always check your local laws to see what is applicable.
When hailing another vessel, less is always more, and there is an accepted way to make contact.