Sixth edition G. D. LEES & W. G. WILLIAMSON Marine Radio Communication Handbook for This bestselling book provides an incomparable reference source for all vessels using maritime radio communication systems, which are now a legislative requirement. It includes exhaustive coverage of all UK and international regulations relating to modern maritime communications, such as the crucial GMDSS, all contained within one singular volume. This sixth edition has been fully updated to take into account major developments over the last five years, in particular the revised regulations introduced by the International Telecommunication Union in 2012. The authors deliver an authoritative guide to the complicated and changing world of radio communications, including: • The very latest technological advances in terrestrial and satellite communications Handbook for • Changes to the international VHF channel allocation and channel spacing • The major overhaul of the organisational structure of the UK Coastguard service Marine Radio • Substantial enhancements to the eLoran services • The changing complexities of voyage planning • Large diagrams, an extensive index and fully-updated appendices Communication This is a definitive guide for today’s maritime communications Sixth edition industry, including ship owners, ship managers, coast guards, seafarers, students of maritime communications, as well as the recreational sector. G. D. LEES & W. G. WILLIAMSON G. D. LEES & W. LAW / MARITIME LAW Cover image: © Martin Florin Emmanuel / Alamy www.routledge.com/informalaw Routledge titles are available as eBook editions in a range of digital formats Sixth edition p ublished 2015 by Informa Law from Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN and by Informa Law from Routledge 711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017 Informa Law from Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an Informa business © Graham D. Lees and William G. Williamson 2015 The rights of Graham D. Lees and William G. Williamson to be identifi ed as the authors of this work has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identifi cation and explanation without intent to infringe. Every attempt has been made to obtain permission to reproduce copyright material. If any proper acknowledgement has not been made, we would invite copyright holders to inform us of the oversight. First edition published 1993 by Informa Law Fifth edition published 2009 by Informa Law British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Lees, Graham D., 1947– author. Handbook for marine radio communication / By G D Lees and W G Williamson. —Sixth edition. pages cm Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-1-138-78753-7 (pbk. : alk. paper)—ISBN 978-1-315-76639-3 (ebook) 1. Radio in navigation—Handbooks, manuals, etc. 2. Radio—Installation on ships—Handbooks, manuals, etc. 3. Artifi cial satellites in navigation— Handbooks, manuals, etc. 4. Navigation—Safety measures—Handbooks, manuals, etc. 5. Distress signals—Handbooks, manuals, etc. 6. Marine radio stations—Handbooks, manuals, etc. 7. Marine radio stations—Law and legislation. I. Williamson, William G., 1943– author. II. Title. VK155.L38 2015 384.53—dc23 2014025819 ISBN 978-1-138-78753-7 eISBN 978-1-31576-639-3 Typeset in New Century Schoolbook by Refi neCatch Limited, Bungay, Suffolk Contents Preface to the sixth edition v About the authors vii List of fi gures xxi List of abbreviations and acronyms xxiii Glossary of terms and defi nitions xxxi List of useful websites xxxv CHAPTER 1 GLOBAL MARITIME DISTRESS AND SAFETY SYSTEM (GMDSS) 1 1.1 GMDSS: Overview 1 1.1.1 Search and rescue regions (SRRs) 1 1.1.2 IAMSAR Manual 2 1.2 GMDSS Sea Areas 2 1.3 GMDSS Terminology 3 1.4 GMDSS Implementation 3 1.5 Shipboard Equipment for GMDSS 4 1.5.1 Port state control 6 1.5.2 Position updating 6 1.5.3 Implementation of SOLAS for passenger ships 6 1.5.4 EPIRBs on fi shing vessels 8 1.5.5 Recommended GMDSS equipment for small craft 8 1.6 Minimum GMDSS Personnel Requirements for Ships’ Stations and MESs 9 1.7 Role of the Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre (MRCC) 10 1.7.1 SARNET 10 1.7.2 Registration database for GMDSS 11 1.8 GMDSS Master Plan 12 1.9 Availability and Maintenance of GMDSS Equipment: Terminology 12 1.10 Availability and Serviceability of GMDSS Equipment 13 1.10.1 MCA requirements for companies offering SBM of radio equipment under the GMDSS 14 1.11 Availability of GMDSS Equipment: Further Requirements 16 1.12 False Distress Alerts 16 1.12.1 Action to be taken by owners, masters and skippers 17 1.13 False Distress Alerts: Reporting Procedures 17 1.13.1 Other problems: misuse of DSC acknowledgement 18 1.13.2 GMDSS equipment and operator competency 19 CHAPTER 2 DISTRESS, URGENCY AND SAFETY COMMUNICATIONS 21 Part I Operational Procedures for Distress, Urgency and Safety Communications in GMDSS 21 2.1 General Operational Procedures 21 2.1.1 Authority of the master 21 2.2 Distress Alerting 21 2.2.1 Radiotelephony distress call 22 2.2.2 Radiotelephony distress message 22 2.2.3 Radiotelex distress message 23 2.3 Shore-To-Ship Distress Alert Relay 23 2.4 Distress Alert by a Station Not Itself in Distress 23 2.4.1 Radiotelephony distress relay 24 2.5 Acknowledgement of Receipt of Distress Alerts 24 2.5.1 General information 24 2.5.2 Satellite service 25 2.5.3 DSC 25 2.5.4 Ships’ reactions on receipt of a distress alert 25 ix Contents 2.6 Acknowledgement by Radiotelephony and Radio Telex 25 2.6.1 Radiotelephony 25 2.6.2 Radiotelex 26 2.7 Acknowledging Receipt of Distress Alerts by Coast Station or LES 26 2.7.1 Satellite service 26 2.7.2 DSC 26 2.8 Acknowledging Receipt of Distress Alerts by Ship Station or MES 26 2.9 Preparations for Handling Distress Traffi c 27 2.10 Distress Traffi c 27 2.10.1 Satellite service avoiding interference to distress traffi c 28 2.11 Imposing Silence 28 2.12 Resumption of Normal Working 28 2.13 False Distress Alert Sent by DSC 29 2.14 On-scene Communications 29 2.15 On-scene Co-ordinator 30 2.16 Search and Rescue Situation Reports (SITREPs) 30 2.17 Shore-To-Ship Distress Communications with MRCC 31 2.18 Locating and Homing Signals 31 2.19 Charging for Distress Communication 31 2.20 Operational Procedures for Urgency Messages Under the GMDSS 32 2.21 Operational Procedures for Safety Messages in the GMDSS 34 2.22 Medical Transports 36 2.23 Inter-ship Safety of Navigation Communication 37 2.24 Medical Advice: General Information 37 2.24.1 Request for additional information from shore medical authorities 38 2.25 MEDEVAC: General Information 38 2.25.1 MEDEVAC: Information to be furnished to MRCC 38 2.25.2 Radiocommunication with helicopters 39 2.26 Medical Advice via Inmarsat 40 2.27 Medical Assistance via Inmarsat 40 2.28 Medical Advice via UK Coastguard Stations 40 2.29 Medical Assistance via UK Coastguard Stations 41 2.30 Identifi cation of Neutral Ships or Aircraft in War Zones 41 2.31 Piracy and Armed Robbery at Sea: Use of Radio 42 2.31.1 Automatic Identifi cation System (AIS) 44 2.31.2 Piracy Reporting Centre 44 2.31.3 Message format for piracy alert reports 44 2.31.4 Reporting incidents 45 2.31.5 Location of advice 46 2.32 Ship Security Alert System (SSAS) 46 Part II Use of Frequencies for Distress, Urgency and Safety 47 2.33 GMDSS: General Provisions 47 2.34 Distress Frequencies 47 2.35 Aeronautical Frequencies 48 2.36 GMDSS: VHF Channel Usage 49 2.37 Satellite Service 49 2.38 Survival Craft and GMDSS 50 2.39 Distress and Safety Communications: Protection of Frequencies 50 2.40 GMDSS General Watchkeeping Arrangements 50 2.41 Maritime Service Information Registration 51 CHAPTER 3 DIGITAL SELECTIVE CALLING (DSC) 53 3.1 Digital Selective Calling: Introduction 53 3.2 DSC Digital Coding 54 3.2.1 Maritime Mobile Service Identity (MMSI) 54 x Contents Part I DSC Distress, Urgency and Safety Alerting 54 3.3 Distress Alerting by DSC: General Information 54 3.4 DSC Distress Alerts 56 3.5 Format of DSC Distress Alert Acknowledgement by Coast Stations 56 3.6 Acknowledgement of Received DSC Distress Alert by Ship Stations 57 3.7 Distress Traffi c 58 3.8 Re-broadcast of Distress Information by Coast Stations 58 3.9 HF Distress Alerting 58 3.10 DSC Urgency Alerts 58 3.11 Urgency Messages and DSC 59 3.11.1 Reception of urgency alert by DSC 59 3.12 DSC Safety Alerts 59 3.12.1 Reception of safety alerts by DSC 60 3.13 DSC Watchkeeping Arrangements 60 3.14 DSC Scanning Receivers 60 3.15 UK Distress and Safety Watchkeeping Arrangements 60 3.15.1 HF DSC Watchkeeping Arrangements 62 3.16 Distress Procedure using DSC and RT on VHF 62 3.16.1 By ship in distress in GMDSS area A1 62 3.16.2 By ship receiving a VHF DSC distress alert in GMDSS area A1 62 3.17 Distress Procedure Using DSC and RT on MF 62 3.17.1 By ship in distress in GMDSS area A2 63 3.17.2 By ship receiving a distress alert in GMDSS area A2 63 3.18 Distress Procedure Using DSC and RT on HF 63 3.18.1 By ship in distress in GMDSS areas A3 or A4 63 3.18.2 By ship receiving an HF DSC distress