My experience, just up the road in Pensacola, is that a number of calls are
missed by the local Coast Guard unit.  Private boaters have to relay
sometimes--and in some cases call on the cell phone to get a response. This is
one of the reasons I keep two radios on the boat--one on 16 and the other on
working frequencies as needed. Also keep the CG and Marine Patrol land line
numbers on the rapid dial Cell phone.

There can be several reasons the call is not heard--The signal may be
attenuated or blocked--either by low power, distance, buildings, interference
or other transmissions. The local Coast Guard station may be switched to a com
channel or on 22A, 16 apparently unguarded.  The person at the radio may be
away, be inexperienced or distracted. These type of things should not
happen--but realistically they do.

In our area the chopper has to come from Mobile, Alabama--if it is
available--and is at least 30 minutes response time.  Rarely can a
co-operative effort be affected by the Navy chopper at NAS Pensacola.  We
don't see the Auxiliary doing much SAR here.

The Utility boats take time to mobilize--and the RIB does not go beyond
Pensacola Pass.  Not applicable when there is a capsize--but we recommend that
if there is a medical emergency that the boat head for the pass and dock at
the Coast Guard station if no CG boat intercepts them.

I believe that this type of situation is what DSC is supposed to prevent.  Of
course the question then becomes does the capsized boat have a waterproof,
handheld VHF, that someone had the presence of mind to grab and activate--if
the handheld had the range to activate the DSC feature? However DSC is not
fully operational yet.

Regards,

Bob Austin

" There can be several reasons the call is not heard--The signal may be
attenuated or blocked--either by low power, distance, buildings,
interference or other transmissions. The local Coast Guard station may be
switched to a com channel or on 22A, 16 apparently unguarded.  The person
at the radio may be away, be inexperienced or distracted. These type of
things should not happen--but realistically they do. "

REPLY
Well, Bob, I keep three radios going with all three monitored at the upper
helm (16, 22, multi-scan), where I was.  There was nothing going on, and I
was about 1 mile from the USCG base.  It was like they just decided to stay
out of it altogether.  I cannot imagine their having a 16 outage for over a
half hour.

"In our area the chopper has to come from Mobile, Alabama--if it is
available--and is at least 30 minutes response time.  Rarely can a
co-operative effort be affected by the Navy chopper at NAS Pensacola.  We
don't see the Auxiliary doing much SIR here."

REPLY
We are over one hundred miles farther from Mobile than you, and that's where
our USCG chopper has to come from too.  Auxiliary may be limited by their
own regs from other than emergency (non life-threatening to themselves)
tows.

Rich Gano
CALYPSO (GB42-295)
Southport, FL (near Panama City)

If I do not hear Station Annapolis or Group Baltimore respond to a MAYDAY
call, I perform a MAYDAY relay and inform Station Annapolis of the info I
received. They will then try to communicate with the vessel calling. They
have the option of going to a relay antenna on the Chesapeake bridge and of
employing a transmitter amplifier. They can also switch to other antenna
locations, but I haven't monitored such transmissions.

In an unusual situation where I can receive something they cannot, then the
relay continues.

In a walkthrough of Station Annapolis, they made it clear that they "roll"
on a flare sighting, period. If they hear persons in the water, they roll.
At the same time, they perform their statutory function and coordinate all
other rescue agencies. Often, Maryland DNR Police in Boston Whalers can
reach some scenes first. The Annapolis Fire Boat will also respond. One
night with people in the water on the far Eastern boundary of Annapolis
Harbor, the governor's yacht assisted with her search lights.

At no time does one hear either of the towing companies come on the air
unless they are the closest vessel to the scene - they report that fact to
the USCG controlling station and they are authorized to respond. Meanwhile,
the USCG vessel is underway and will proceed until a rescue is effected or
they are on-scene. USCG has paramedics on board and they will often take
over primary care if there are injuries.

This works pretty well once the controlling station declares "Seelonce
MAYDAY" to get daytime traffic off the air. They often go to their
high-powered relay transmitter to dominate the air. The only thing louder
I've heard is the FCC and that's rare.

Ron Rogers
Annapolis, MD

Ron Says:
If I do not hear Station Annapolis or Group Baltimore respond to a MAYDAY
call, I perform a MAYDAY relay and inform Station Annapolis of the info I
received. They will then try to communicate with the vessel calling. They
have the option of going to a relay antenna on the Chesapeake bridge and of
employing a transmitter amplifier. They can also switch to other antenna
locations, but I haven't monitored such transmissions.

REPLY:
And that's the right thing to do, and so would I, if I would not have been
stepping on the conversation between the commercial tow operator and the
civilian boat on the scene.  Despite his obvious inexperience and improper
reporting, the civilian did a bang-up job of rescue.

Rich Gano
CALYPSO (GB42-295)
Southport, FL (near Panama City)

I understand that. There is the option of going to 22A to see if the USCG
station is working there. Locally, if you hear the USCG station request that
their deployed vessel "go up;" this means that they are going to an
encrypted channel. This isolates, at least, the patrol vessel from easily
monitoring 16. The station operator should have developed the knack of
monitoring 16 while handling encrypted or other traffic, but some of the
radio operators I've heard are callow youth fresh out of training. Summer
weekends are often handled by the USCG Auxiliary and they are more
experienced at handling communications.
Ron Rogers

----- Original Message -----
From: "Rich Gano" ganor@bellsouth.net
| Ron Says:
| If I do not hear Station Annapolis or Group Baltimore respond to a MAYDAY
| call, I perform a MAYDAY relay and inform Station Annapolis of the info I
| received.

| REPLY:
| And that's the right thing to do, and so would I, if I would not have been
| stepping on the conversation between the commercial tow operator and the
| civilian boat on the scene.  Despite his obvious inexperience and improper
| reporting, the civilian did a bang-up job of rescue.

Ron, just to be clear "going up" has nothing whatsoever to do with going
encrypted!  It refers to shifting upward toward a higher channel number,
from 16 to 22, from 23 to 81 or 83, etc.  Has nothing to do with encryption.
Among points, current encryption capabilities on CG equipment so limits
range, it is rarely used any more.  Wish I'd bought more Nextel stock when I
learned that.

Bob Peterson
(DSO-CM D11-NR)

-----Original Message-----
From: trawler-world-list-bounces@lists.samurai.com
[mailto:trawler-world-list-bounces@lists.samurai.com] On Behalf Of Ron
Rogers
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2004 6:28 AM
To: Rich Gano; Bob Austin; 1 trawler list
Subject: TWL: Re: RE: Mayday handled by a commercial tow outfit

I understand that. There is the option of going to 22A to see if the USCG
station is working there. Locally, if you hear the USCG station request that
their deployed vessel "go up;" this means that they are going to an
encrypted channel. This isolates, at least, the patrol vessel from easily
monitoring 16. The station operator should have developed the knack of
monitoring 16 while handling encrypted or other traffic, but some of the
radio operators I've heard are callow youth fresh out of training. Summer
weekends are often handled by the USCG Auxiliary and they are more
experienced at handling communications.
Ron Rogers

----- Original Message -----
From: "Rich Gano" ganor@bellsouth.net
| Ron Says:
| If I do not hear Station Annapolis or Group Baltimore respond to a
| MAYDAY call, I perform a MAYDAY relay and inform Station Annapolis of
| the info I received.

| REPLY:
| And that's the right thing to do, and so would I, if I would not have
| been stepping on the conversation between the commercial tow operator
| and the civilian boat on the scene.  Despite his obvious inexperience
| and improper reporting, the civilian did a bang-up job of rescue.

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