Mayday Protocol
It’s a Typical Summer Day With the Usual Chatter on the VHF.
Suddenly You Hear “Mayday, Mayday, Mayday!” Now What?
If you’re careful, prudent
and have a bit of luck, you’ll
probably spend a lifetime
on the water and never
have to send a mayday. But
there’s not much you can
do about all those other
mariners out there, whether
they’re the skipper of a tug
with a tow half a mile long
or two guys in a 15-foot
bass boat. When someone
develops a problem that is
life-threatening, they’ll send
a mayday, and you might be
the person who hears it. What to do?
The first thing to do is … nothing, other
than noting the location of the vessel
broadcasting the mayday. If you have
been on the radio, cease all transmissions
and stand by. While you’re waiting for
the Coast Guard or a vessel that may
be closer to respond, figure out your
distance from and heading to the vessel
in distress. This could be the first entry in
your radio log if, like a lot of skippers, you
don’t routinely maintain a radio log. If you
get involved with a mayday, whether as
a rescuer, a relay vessel or the vessel in
distress, a prudent mariner would note
the channel, time and content of radio
traffic in the logbook. While radio logs
are only required for vessels larger than
65 feet, any involvement with matters
related to safety at sea should be noted
in the logbook. If you’re the skipper of
the 15-foot bass boat, the logbook might
be any piece of paper available; the
important thing is to have a record of your
involvement, if at all possible.
If, after the second mayday broadcast,
you hear no radio traffic responding to
the mayday, it is appropriate for you to
respond. The first thing to do is establish
contact with the troubled vessel, and just
as with sending a mayday, there is a format
for that, derived by the Coast Guard to
avoid any possible confusion from having
more than one vessel broadcasting the
word “mayday.” That word, laden with
meaning and tradition, is only to be used
by the originating vessel, i.e., the one in
trouble. The correct identifying phrase is
“Vessel in distress,” and that is how you
make contact.
the Coast Guard or another
vessel that may be closer or
better suited to participate
in the rescue. Note that
this is done as a separate
radio call. The accepted
and Coast Guard standard
protocol is to say, “Coast
Guard station, this is vessel
(your boat’s name), I have
a vessel on Channel 16 at
(their location) that states
he is (on fire, sinking, etc.).”
Then give your location.
You may be asked to relay
what information you have regarding
number of people aboard, the distressed
vessel’s name and so on. The Coast Guard
will then make an attempt to contact the
distressed vessel on Channel 16.
Note that this procedure is different from
previous protocols in which the relay
vessel uses the phrase “Mayday relay.”
The word mayday used by stations other
than the originating vessel has given
rise in the past to confusion when other
stations have heard partial transmissions
and assumed there to be more than one
emergency, with the relay vessel(s) also
being in distress.
“Vessel in distress, this is (your boat’s
name).” Verify your reception of their
location and the nature of their distress
(sinking, fire …) and give your location,
speed and your estimated time of arrival
at their location (see “When You’re the
Rescuer”).
Next, in a second call, you need to
attempt to relay the mayday message to
If you are not involved, either as a relay
or as a rescuer, when you hear the word
mayday, you are required to immediately
cease all activity on that frequency. This will
be confirmed by the Coast Guard as soon
as they respond to the mayday. They will
announce who they are, and this will be
followed by the words, “Seelonce Channel
16.” In practice, this phrase is rarely used,
