ITU WRC-07 · GMDSS · VHF CH 16

MAYDAY / PAN-PAN / DSC Distress Cockpit Card

Fill in your vessel's MMSI, call sign, and hull details. Print on A4, laminate, and mount beside the VHF radio at the chart table.

EMERGENCY VHF / DSC PROCEDURE · CHANNEL 16 (156.800 MHz · 25W)
STOCKHOLM · SE
VESSEL NAME
SY AURORA
Sierra Yankee · Alfa Uniform Romeo Oscar Romeo Alfa
CALL SIGN & PHONETIC
SD2491
Sierra – Delta – Two – Four – Nine – One
MMSI (DSC ID)
265 418 920
Two Six Five · Four One Eight · Nine Two Zero
VESSEL DESCRIPTION & EPIRB
Sloop · 12.2 m (40 ft) · POB: 6
White hull, navy sprayhood & bimini
EPIRB 406: 9D0E42A18C001F1
MAYDAY — DISTRESS ONLY when a vessel or person is in GRAVE AND IMMINENT DANGER (sinking, fire, explosion, man overboard, abandoning ship) and requires immediate assistance.
1. SEND DIGITAL ALERT (DSC)
Lift red [DIST / DISTRESS] cover. Press & HOLD 5 seconds until continuous tone sounds. Wait 15s for Coast Guard DSC ack.
2. SELECT CHANNEL 16 (25 WATTS)
Confirm VHF is on Channel 16 (156.8 MHz · 25W). Press & HOLD microphone [PTT] button to speak slowly and clearly:
3. READ ALOUD INTO MICROPHONE:
1. Distress Signal (×3)
“MAYDAY · MAYDAY · MAYDAY”
2. Station Identity (×3 + Call Sign + MMSI)
“THIS IS SY AURORA · SY AURORA · SY AURORA
CALL SIGN: SD2491 (Sierra – Delta – Two – Four – Nine – One) · MMSI: 265 418 920”
3. Repeat MAYDAY + Identity
“MAYDAY SY AURORA · CALL SIGN SD2491 · MMSI 265 418 920”
4. Position (Read from GPS / Chartplotter)
“MY POSITION IS: LAT: ___° ___.___′ N / S LON: ___° ___.___′ E / W (or true bearing & distance from landmark)”
5. Nature of Distress
State clearly: Sinking / Taking on water · Fire on board · Man Overboard · Grounding · Dismasted & drifting · Abandoning to liferaft
6. Assistance Required
“I REQUIRE IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE”
7. Persons on Board & Vessel Details
“6 PERSONS ON BOARD · Sloop · 12.2 m (40 ft) · White hull, navy sprayhood & bimini · EPIRB: 9D0E42A18C001F1”
8. End Transmission
“OVER” — Release [PTT] button immediately and LISTEN on Channel 16.
PAN-PAN — URGENCY Urgent situation concerning safety of vessel or person, NO immediate threat to life (engine/steering failure in clear water, dismasting without sinking, urgent medical advice).
Select Channel 16 (25W) · Hold [PTT] · Read aloud:
“PAN-PAN · PAN-PAN · PAN-PAN — ALL STATIONS · ALL STATIONS · ALL STATIONS — THIS IS SY AURORA · SY AURORA · SY AURORA, CALL SIGN SD2491, MMSI 265 418 920 — MY POSITION IS [LAT / LON] — [STATE PROBLEM & ASSISTANCE NEEDED] — Sloop · 12.2 m (40 ft), POB 6 — OVER”
FALSE DSC DISTRESS ALERT — IMMEDIATE CANCELLATION

1. Switch off transmitter immediately or press [CANCEL / CLR]. 2. Switch on, tune to Channel 16, press [PTT] and announce: “ALL STATIONS × 3 — THIS IS [VESSEL NAME], CALL SIGN, MMSI — PLEASE CANCEL MY DISTRESS ALERT OF [TIME UTC] — MASTER — OVER.”

KEY DISTRESS TRAFFIC WORDS: SEELONCE MAYDAY (Radio silence ordered) · MAYDAY RELAY (Relaying distress for another vessel) · PRUDSCENCE (Restricted working resumed) · SEELONCE FEENEE (Distress ended)
ITU / NATO PHONETIC ALPHABET & MARINE DIGITS
A AlfaB BravoC CharlieD DeltaE EchoF FoxtrotG Golf H HotelI IndiaJ JuliettK KiloL LimaM MikeN November O OscarP PapaQ QuebecR RomeoS SierraT TangoU Uniform V VictorW WhiskeyX X-rayY YankeeZ Zulu0 Zeero1 Wun 2 Too3 Tree4 Fower5 Fife6 Six7 Seven8 Ait9 Niner