Q. What are the differences between and when should I use "mayday," "pan-pan" and "sécurité" on my VHF radio?
A. In order of priority, mayday is the
internationally recognized distress call that is used as preface in VHF radio
transmissions only in situations in which there is an immediate danger of loss
of life or the vessel itself. This includes when a boat is sinking, there's a
fire in the engine room, or someone on board is unconscious or experiencing a
serious injury or illness.
Pan-pan is the international urgency signal that is used as
a preface to a VHF transmission when the safety of a person or the boat is in
serious jeopardy but no immediate danger exists, but it could escalate into a
mayday situation. For example, pan-pan is used in situations in which the boat
has a slow leak or the engines are disabled and the boat is drifting toward a
rocky shore.
Sécurité is a safety signal used as a preface to announce a
navigation safety message. This may be an approaching storm, a navigation light
failure, a submerged log in a harbor entrance or military gunnery practice in
the area.
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