vhf radio procedures

[ZEBRA]

i have had a few people lately asking the correct vhf radio procedures so here is a link to the main website page on the basic procedures .they can be printed if desired

www.northwaleskayakfishing.co.uk/id150.html

if anybody wants to do the vhf radio course and there is a few of us let us know and we can arrange a course we need 6 to run a course

[gerryw]

IMHO it is essential to do this course or a similar one.

I did mine at Hoylake Sailing School as part of a Coastal Skipper course. They have actual radios rigged up in different rooms to simulate any situation. They role play an event at sea having given you the basics of information about the emergency that you find yourself in and then have you make the appropriate PanPan or Mayday call. You repeat it till you are comfortable you've got it right. I tell you that even being in a warm room it brings it home just what you might feel in a real life-threatening situation.

Imagine going overboard clinging to the yak drifting towards those rocks in semi darkness....no time to look for that note you made on how to do a Mayday then...it needs to be ingrained and these courses certainly do that.

My course was at a school run by the Skipper of the Hoylake lifeboat. He made it very clear that no-one would be blamed for using a vhf radio without a licence - after all safety comes first. But he did ensure through the role play that we recognised that to learn to do it properly would save time, hassle and possibly more lives and that has got to be sensible.

Money well spent IMHO.

Gerry