Marine Radio Channel Etiquette

[dragon48]

I believe Google led me in the right direction. I'm just posting here to verify.

If I'm in a recreational boat and want to initiate a non-emergency conversation, such as "Where are the fish?" can I assume I should be using channel 9?

Ty

 

[KEWB-N1EXA]

I believe Google led me in the right direction. I'm just posting here to verify.

If I'm in a recreational boat and want to initiate a non-emergency conversation, such as "Where are the fish?" can I assume I should be using channel 9?

Ty

9 is for calling you then switch to a non commercial channel like 68

Peter N1EXA

 

[dragon48]

9 is for calling you then switch to a non commercial channel like 68

Peter N1EXA

Thanks

 

[TailGator911]

There is a homegrown militia club here in my neck of the woods that practices maneuvers, target shooting, etc that now use FRS radios, but a couple of years ago they were on Marine frequencies, using marine radios in the woods. Now and then I hear hunters in Nov using them, too. I guess there is no one to police them so they figure they can use whatever radios work for them. The closest marine environment would probably be the Ohio river down in Cincy, or up north on Lake Erie. I'm kind of surprised that some of the hams in the area have not pursued this. They sure would be if one of these yoyos turned up on their beloved repeaters...who ya gonna call?

 

[toolman60]

If you can get over the hunters here using Marine freq during hunting season it would surprise me. And they also there in summertime.

 

[jaymatt1978]

Ironically the marina down here in Cape May the Mariana monitors channel 16 and asks boaters to switch to channel 9

 

[ko6jw_2]

Look at the plus side. They are out in the woods away from bodies of water where they can't interfere with legitimate users and unlike users of Baofengs, they can't end up in the ham bands or anywhere else except marine channels. Added to that they have radios that are water resistant which is good for hunting etc.

 

[hill]

Channel 9 is an alternate calling channel and it can still used as a non commercial channel.

 

[KEWB-N1EXA]

Channel 9 is an alternate calling channel and it can still used as a non commercial channel.

Around New Bedford Harbor Or Buzzards Bay You start A rag chew about fishing on ch 9 you will be told to move on.

Call on 9 get your boat go up 1 to ch10 or 4 down to ch5 for traffic but fish talk is up on 68 , 72 and such. don't even attempt

stuff on 6,11,12,13,14 that's for the big guys !

 

[KEWB-N1EXA]

Ironically the marina down here in Cape May the Mariana monitors channel 16 and asks boaters to switch to channel 9

You call on 16 on Buzzards bay between the USCG and US ARMY Engineers you will be told to move !
16 is An advisory...You can announce your intentions but don't call your fishing buddys.

 

[dragon48]

Even the Coast Guard doesn't like to use channel 16 for non-emergency calls. I was monitoring the channel most of the day last Saturday, and the Miami Coast Guard would announce things like turn to channel 22 for a small craft advisory, or turn to channel 22 for information on a Right whale sighting.

 

[KEWB-N1EXA]

We have a Hurricane barrier at the entry of the harbor so Tugs with Barges will state their intention and full size fishing trawlers will state
thier Passing intention (Port to Port ) and such on 16 and switch to 13 for Bridge Navigation. the Cape Cod Canal will call on 16 to a vessel
and have them switch to 13 or 14...It comes down to if your under 65 feet long or not a Tug Boat with a barge on a cable there is no need
for you on 16...It tends to become a free for all in the summer with the boaters thinking its thier own private toy.

Ch22 is the long winded Anouncments from the Coast Guard...I find the pre recorded 10 minute mono logs to be annoying.

 

[dragon48]

Ch22 is the long winded Anouncments from the Coast Guard...I find the pre recorded 10 minute mono logs to be annoying.

I'm glad that there weren't any boating emergencies when I was monitoring, but it was very boring. For four hours, the only traffic were the announcements to turn to channel 22 for the information. They were all recordings of the same two announcements. Other than that, I heard the sound of a transmit button being pushed four or five times, but without any follow-up. I'm going to figure out the scanning feature of my radio before my next outing.

 

[KEWB-N1EXA]

Depends where you live.
In Buzzards Bay even in the winter the working frequencies are 11 13 14 and 16 others are ferry boats on 5 and
Harbor dredging ops on 72 and 74.

If your near NYC I believe 12 is used for Shipping south of the George Washington entering the City Harbor and 13 North. Give it a try!

 

[hill]

Most commercial vessels always have a radio on channel 13 and most are required by law to monitor this channel within the USA. This a requirement for many by law. Not just tugs with barges, as any towing vessel over 26' are required to use Bridge to Bridge Radio. Also some other vessels that are required are like passenger vessels over 100 tons. See the rules linked below. In the Western Rivers they use channel 67 for this purpose. Living near a major port and waterway their is always radio traffic on it with vessels announcing their intentions, plus making passing agreements with other vessels.

eCFR :: 33 CFR Part 26 -- Vessel Bridge-to-Bridge Radiotelephone Regulations

www.ecfr.gov

Yes the USCG conducts the preliminary call on channel 16 that most are monitor, then they transmit the Marine Information Broadcast (MIB) on channel 22A.

For Urgency Marine Information Broadcasts (UMIB) the whole message will be transmitted by the Coast Guard on channel 16. The UMIB are mostly information on current Search and Rescue cases or overdue vessels.

Rescue 21 does have the ability to record message that need to be broadcast again at different intervals. Hopefully you can hear the broadcasts, since many of the young CG watchstanders talk kind of fast on the radio.

 

[scanmanmi]

So what channel would my old inland boat single channel non-scanning radio be set to best catch fishing chatter?

 

[RichardKramer]

So what channel would my old inland boat single channel non-scanning radio be set to best catch fishing chatter?

I would try these in the most popular order: CH 68 - 72 - 69 - 71