Sit in the cockpit, turn the dial, and learn which channel is for what. Then learn to spell over the radio, and how to make a call that could save your life.
VHF in thirty seconds
A marine VHF radio talks in a straight line, so it reaches as far as you can see: roughly 5 to 25 nautical miles between boats, much further to a ship or a station on a hill. It has two power settings, 25 watts for distance and 1 watt for close by. You hold the microphone, press the key, wait a moment, talk, and let go to listen.
How to learn this lesson
Turn the sound on and put your phone close. Tap a channel to hear what is said there, tap a letter to hear it, and use the little spelling box to spell your own boat name. The voices are computer made, with a radio crackle on top. A real radio crackles a bit like this too, with more wind in the background.
No sound? Turn the volume up, and on an iPhone check that the silent switch is off.
Spell it on the radio
Type your boat name or a call sign and hear it spelled, letter by letter. Good practice.
Study sheet
Everything in one place, with no sound needed.
Channels (international use, check your country)
Channel 16: Distress, safety and calling
The most important channel on the radio. Mayday, Pan-Pan and Securité calls start here, and rescue centres and ships listen to it all the time. You also use it to call another boat, and then both of you move to a working channel to talk.
Channel 70: Digital calls only (DSC)
Not for voice. Your radio sends short digital bursts here, like the automatic distress alert that carries your boat ID and position. If you talk on 70 nobody can understand you, and you block the alarms.
Channel 6: Intership safety
Boats and ships talking about safety, and the channel used when rescue boats and aircraft work together on a search.
Channel 13: Ship to ship navigation safety
Big ships agree here how to pass each other safely, bridge to bridge. A small boat may use it to tell a ship what it will do, but keep it short and let the ship work.
Channel 12: Port operations
Harbours and port offices manage their traffic here: asking permission to enter, finding a berth, waiting for a lock. The exact channel changes from port to port, so check the pilot book or the harbour guide.
Channel 72: Boat to boat working channel
Once you have called another boat on 16, you both agree on a working channel and move there. This is where you can talk about lunch, anchorages and the weather, and keep 16 free.
Phonetic alphabet
A Alfa
AL-fah
B Bravo
BRAH-voh
C Charlie
CHAR-lee
D Delta
DELL-tah
E Echo
ECK-oh
F Foxtrot
FOKS-trot
G Golf
GOLF
H Hotel
hoh-TELL
I India
IN-dee-ah
J Juliett
JEW-lee-ETT
K Kilo
KEY-loh
L Lima
LEE-mah
M Mike
MIKE
N November
no-VEM-ber
O Oscar
OSS-kah
P Papa
pah-PAH
Q Quebec
keh-BECK
R Romeo
ROW-me-oh
S Sierra
see-AIR-rah
T Tango
TANG-go
U Uniform
YOU-nee-form
V Victor
VIK-tah
W Whiskey
WISS-key
X X-ray
ECKS-ray
Y Yankee
YANG-key
Z Zulu
ZOO-loo
Numbers
0 Zero
ZEE-roh
1 Wun
WUN
2 Too
TOO
3 Tree
TREE
4 Fower
FOW-er
5 Fife
FIFE
6 Six
SIX
7 Seven
SEV-en
8 Ait
AIT
9 Niner
NIN-er
Radio words
Over
I have finished speaking. It is your turn to answer.
Out
The conversation is finished. No answer is expected.
Say again
Please repeat what you said.
Radio check
How well do you hear me? A good answer is "loud and clear".
Stand by
Wait. I will come back to you in a moment.
Mayday
A person or the boat is in grave danger and needs immediate help.
Pan-Pan
Urgent, but nobody is in immediate danger. For example engine failure, drifting, or someone sick.
Sécurité
A safety message for everyone: a danger to navigation or a weather warning.
The Mayday call, in order
Mayday, Mayday, Mayday.The alarm: say it three times.
This is Sea Dragon, Sea Dragon, Sea Dragon.Who is calling: your boat name, three times.
Call sign Whiskey Hotel Fower Tree Too.Your call sign or MMSI, in the phonetic alphabet.
Mayday, Sea Dragon.Mayday and your boat name once more, to start the message.
My position is two miles south of Koh Phangan.Where you are. Latitude and longitude, or a distance and bearing from a landmark.
I am sinking.What is wrong.
I need immediate help.What you want.
Four persons on board.How many people are on board.