Do you leave your VHF radio on?

[Nickwadsley]

I'll do both
Depending on the circumstances
I've put all new raymarine electronics on my boat and so I've been testing all the alarms
Marpa , arpa etc
Ais targeting
And using those with anchor alarms
Big learning curve
But amazing when it all works

 

[jleonard]

Never unless I was expecting someone to raft with us. OR I needed to call the pump out boat.
The exception "might" have been at Block I but only if I saw unusual Harbormaster or towboat activity.

 

[janice142]

I have a small ancient vhf beside my pillow in my forward cabin. I switch to it at bunk-time.

Every morning I listen to the weather channel while I get up/make my bunk.

 

[mvweebles]

I have casually monitored this thread. What does anyone use the VHF for anymore? Usage displaced by cell phone: Hailing a friend; Weather; and calling a marina. Seems the last bastion of VHF is communications with USCG; USCG broadcasts; hailing a bridge/lock tender; or pure entertainment of eavesdropping (not much fun anymore). Use-case for VHF has narrowed significantly since circa 2009 when smartphones became ubiquitous.

Peter

 

[CharlieO.]

I have casually monitored this thread. What does anyone use the VHF for anymore? Usage displaced by cell phone: Hailing a friend; Weather; and calling a marina. Seems the last bastion of VHF is communications with USCG; USCG broadcasts; hailing a bridge/lock tender; or pure entertainment of eavesdropping (not much fun anymore). Use-case for VHF has narrowed significantly since circa 2009 when smartphones became ubiquitous.

Peter

In busier areas (recreational and Commercial) such as rivers, canals and places with actual channels can be useful to divulge intentions.

I'm don't really care to talk on the radio but view it as a tool.

My VHF quit the first day of our trip up the Hudson River and Champlain canal. It felt uncomfortable not having it available. When I met people dockside they said they had tried hailing us earlier in the day. We used our cell phone and horn for the locks and to call the marinas.

Yes, at anchor.
I do usually keep it on during the day at the dock.

 

[O C Diver]

I have casually monitored this thread. What does anyone use the VHF for anymore? Usage displaced by cell phone: Hailing a friend; Weather; and calling a marina. Seems the last bastion of VHF is communications with USCG; USCG broadcasts; hailing a bridge/lock tender; or pure entertainment of eavesdropping (not much fun anymore). Use-case for VHF has narrowed significantly since circa 2009 when smartphones became ubiquitous.

Peter

It's obvious where you do or don't cruise.

Meeting and passing arrangements in rivers, canals, waterways, and major ports are mostly done over VHF. Take a trip down the Illinois, Missouri, Mississippi, Ohio, and Tennessee rivers and see how it feels to meet a tug and 1,000' of barges coming around a corner without a passing agreement. Take a trip down the AICW during snowbird migration. No radio means you don't need a slow pass. I don't care what kind of stabilizers you have. A 50' sportfish doing 25 knots at 30' off your side, will roll you like a pair of dice. Travel through Norfolk or New York city and see how intimidating it can be to avoid all the traffic without a VHF. While AIS is good to have, sometimes you need to be reachable because you're in the way of something bigger and faster than you. Remember, glass is fast, but steel is real.

Ted

 

[mvweebles]

It's obvious where you do or don't cruise.



Ted

Yep - very limited experience in those areas which is partly why, on a recent thread where a new owner of a DF44 seeking delivery from Midwest to Florida, my advice was to find someone experienced in the route. Using myself as an example, my now-lapsed delivery resume was impressive, but irrelevant for a delivery such as his because I had zero experience on that route. If it were a personal itinerary, I wouldn't hesitate to learn along the way, but I have no basis as a professional (which I no longer am).

I will say that in congested ship traffic areas such as Los Angeles/Long Beach, San Francisco/Oakland, and presumably NY, VTS is very helpful and likely remains even in this age of AIS. More so than hailing an actual ship - VTS will give all relevant traffic.

Curious: What percentage of larger boats tossing a big wake actually respond in kind to request for slow pass?

Peter

 

[rslifkin]

I have casually monitored this thread. What does anyone use the VHF for anymore? Usage displaced by cell phone: Hailing a friend; Weather; and calling a marina. Seems the last bastion of VHF is communications with USCG; USCG broadcasts; hailing a bridge/lock tender; or pure entertainment of eavesdropping (not much fun anymore). Use-case for VHF has narrowed significantly since circa 2009 when smartphones became ubiquitous.

Peter

VHF definitely sees a lot less general chatter than it used to. Which is good, as it keeps it quieter, so it's not annoying to monitor. It's mostly used for all of the stuff you mentioned, plus it's useful for navigation related comms and any emergency or other problematic situation. Basically, it's useful for all of the times you either don't know who you need to talk to (and just need someone nearby to hear and respond), or you know what boat you're talking to but have no previously arranged contact info for them.

 

[janice142]

I enjoy the social aspects of the morning radio shows at various anchorages... and I like listening. One thing I wish folks would do is turn their radio to low power when broadcasting locally.

 

[mvweebles]

Well, here's an interesting tidbit I did not know: According to the Radiotelephone Act (33 CFR 26) (1972), (1) vessels over 20-meters (65-feet); (2) vessels carrying any passengers for hire; (3) commercial towing vessel >26-feet; and (4) dredge vessels; must "have on board a radiotelephone capable of transmitting and receiving on the VTS designated frequency." I knew commercial vessels needed to monitor, but not the other requirements, especially >20-meters.

VTS areas are listed HERE including VHF frequencies (generally 11, 12, or 14 with several exceptions; with bridge-to-bridge comms on 13). Further, when transitting the lower Mississippi River, requirement is to monitor Channel 67.

 

[O C Diver]

Curious: What percentage of larger boats tossing a big wake actually respond in kind to request for slow pass?

Peter

Most of the time, people call to make passing arrangements on the AICW. I guess about 80% of the sportfish will offer a slow pass. If your VHF isn't on, sorry for your bad luck. Make no mistake, there are some that won't offer and others that won't respond to your request. Plenty of Searay, high speed yacht, and delivery captains that won't slow down either.

Ted

 

[psneeld]

And some I beg not to slow pass often don't see my request...some do and say "I never thought of or saw that maneuver before".

I am NOT a fan of slow passes in many situations.... some situations just don't warrant it, but I also believe in being polite enough not to endanger anyone or damage property that is ready for being underway.

Some people think ONLY a NO WAKE pass is acceptable.

If your location is the ACIW, to me that's like parking or driving 35 on an interstate.

 

[rslifkin]

And some I beg not to slow pass often don't see my request...some do and say "I never thought of or saw that maneuver before".

I am NOT a fan of slow passes in many situations.... some situations just don't warrant it, but I also believe in being polite enough not to endanger anyone or damage property that is ready for being underway.

Some people think ONLY a NO WAKE pass is acceptable.

If your location is the ACIW, to me that's like parking or driving 35 on an interstate.

Agreed, a slow pass doesn't always make sense. For opposite direction, it's easy enough to do. But for same-direction, depending on the boats involved, the boat being passed may need to slow down significantly to enable a slow pass without excessive wake. Depending on the boat doing the passing on plane, it may be better for them to just trim the bow down more to flatten their wake (with a temporary small loss of speed and efficiency) and just pass on plane.

 

[ranger58sb]

And some I beg not to slow pass often don't see my request...some do and say "I never thought of or saw that maneuver before".

I am NOT a fan of slow passes in many situations....

Agreed, a slow pass doesn't always make sense. For opposite direction, it's easy enough to do. But for same-direction, depending on the boats involved, the boat being passed may need to slow down significantly to enable a slow pass without excessive wake. Depending on the boat doing the passing on plane, it may be better for them to just trim the bow down more to flatten their wake (with a temporary small loss of speed and efficiency) and just pass on plane.

Yeah, agree... but it seems there are only 5 people (?) on the whole AICW who know that... so doing anything other than offering/giving a slow pass doesn't always seem to work.

And then many of those wanting a slow pass also don't seem to understand they have to come to dead slow for it to work best.

-Chris

 

[Osprey69]

Yeah, agree... but it seems there are only 5 people (?) on the whole AICW who know that... so doing anything other than offering/giving a slow pass doesn't always seem to work.

And then many of those wanting a slow pass also don't seem to understand they have to come to dead slow for it to work best.

-Chris

That has not been my experience. in fact quite the opposite. From VA to FL as a sailor and now a stink-potter, folks have been pass-polite (for the most part).

I keep binocs and phone (for pictures) at my side for that rare knucklehead.

 

[diver dave]

Returning from a boat dinner date I turned on the vhf. Pretty much immediately, we heard the mayday/boat fire offshore. It became an interesting nite.

 

[Northern Spy]

I have casually monitored this thread. What does anyone use the VHF for anymore? Usage displaced by cell phone: Hailing a friend; Weather; and calling a marina. Seems the last bastion of VHF is communications with USCG; USCG broadcasts; hailing a bridge/lock tender; or pure entertainment of eavesdropping (not much fun anymore). Use-case for VHF has narrowed significantly since circa 2009 when smartphones became ubiquitous.

Peter

There are plenty of cruising areas where cell service is non-existent. Desolation Sound just got coverage in the last couple of years. Much of the BC coast doesn't.

Hard to do a Pan Pan on a cell phone.

 

[Blissboat]

Like the others have said, it's kind of situational. Once anchored, I will leave it on 16 & 13 until I feel like I have a sense of what the local traffic is about. Or until it gets annoying.

 

[mvweebles]

There are plenty of cruising areas where cell service is non-existent. Desolation Sound just got coverage in the last couple of years. Much of the BC coast doesn't.

Hard to do a Pan Pan on a cell phone.

Yes, that would be part of the USCG comms I spoke of (Canadian equiv too).

I don't mean to suggest anyone tear-out their VHF, just that their use-cases have reduced to isolated and rare events. The common use-cases of years past such as weather, hailing known entities (marina, friends, etc.) have been supplanted by cell phones and text. Running coastal or offshore, I cannot imagine not having the VHF on - chances are pretty high the broadcast will be important and relevant - even the weather is focused on conditions out to 60nm. But anchored at Angel Island (a popular anchorage in SF Bay), meh - maybe for entertainment value but nothing useful. Not like I'm going to up-anchor to help a vessel in Racoon Straits (a busy area that would have plenty of nearby boats and LEO).

BTW - much of the central California coast and Channel Islands are also cell-phone holes. One of my favorite memories was hailing the Park Ranger at San Miguel Island to arrange a tour in the morning. Also, I was in the Dry Tortugas (SW of Key West) a few years ago - not only cell phone dark, but VHF dark too.

Just curious about what people are getting when they turn-on their VHF at anchor. For the most part, much of this TF forum seem to cruise fairly populated areas.

Peter

 

[OldDan1943]

I've generally found that five blasts on the air horn gets more attention in a crowded anchorage than calling on the VHF.

To make sure I am heard, I have a 3 trumpet air horn. I also have a fog mate automatic system.

 

[Hippocampus]

As usual agree with Peter. Do listen to 22 alpha and weather channel (s) to get a cycle of what’s up locally. That’s typically done at anchor usually when sorting out the following day. Do leave it on for awhile after shutting down to hear if anyone wants to tell us something. But beyond that like quiet. It is on each and every time underway. Separate radios listening 16 and at least 13. Where an automated radio check channel is unavailable will listen to 68, 72 and maybe another likely channel to wait for a conversation to end then do my radio check. Don’t do radio checks on 16 nor casual conversations. For friends find DSC helpful. I don’t like talking on the vhf so try to avoid it.

 

[Mlhess86]

So if you're in an anchorage with other boats, after anchoring, do you leave your VHF on whether to be hailed by a friend, informational question about the anchorage, or warning about a situation (pending anchor drag)?

Ted

Yes, any time I am at anchor or underway. At least 16 stays on in the background. I find you tend to pick up on the boat name or actual distress calls. The rest I can ignore.

 

[SteveK]

There are plenty of cruising areas where cell service is non-existent. Desolation Sound just got coverage in the last couple of years. Much of the BC coast doesn't.

Hard to do a Pan Pan on a cell phone.

Wonder if *16 on a cellphone works in Desolation? *16 dials the CG rescue center.

 

[koliver]

Wonder if *16 on a cellphone works in Desolation? *16 dials the CG rescue center.

Steve
There are places in Desolation with adequate cell coverage, where *16 works, and places without adequate coverage, where you are better served by VHF channel 16.
I use Telus, so am familiar with their coverage which, over the years has improved gradually to what it is now. Speaking generally, if you can see Sarah Point, you have coverage, if you can't see the tower, you are likely to have spotty coverage and if you are up any of the long, skinny channels, no coverage at all.
I can recall going out to Lewis channel from Teakern Arm to good service, but north of Teakern a few hundred yards lost service. Waddington channel south of Roscoe Bay is good, and further up if you hug the east shore, almost to Pendrell. That sort of thing.
Some other carriers provide service that is sometimes better than what I get, sometimes worse, always location specific.
VHF is better known for its line of sight service quality.

Mike:
I have been using my cellphone in Desolation since I had one that was a 12"x4"x2" silver box with a hand set attached. I think they have had decent service there since at least the mid 90s.
Any recent improvements are due to adopting new tech, like moving from analog to digital, from 4G to 5G, that sort of thing, but that doesn't seem to increase the area of coverage much, if at all.

 

[guy with a boat]

Just curious about what people are getting when they turn-on their VHF at anchor. For the most part, much of this TF forum seem to cruise fairly populated areas.

Peter

We have been cruising some fairly remote areas the last several years. We are often the only boat in an anchorage or one of few. In these quiet areas, I can leave the VHF on all night and not hear a single call until morning.

In these areas there isn’t much traffic or assistance. If we or another boat have a problem in the night, the only help we might have is each other. I want to hear if someone is dragging down on me or has an emergency. I would also like to think they will hear me if the tables are turned.

In more populated areas with lots of radio chatter, the VHF gets turned off at bedtime.

 

[JRO]

Yes

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

Well, here's an interesting tidbit I did not know: According to the Radiotelephone Act (33 CFR 26) (1972), (1) vessels over 20-meters (65-feet); (2) vessels carrying any passengers for hire; (3) commercial towing vessel >26-feet; and (4) dredge vessels; must "have on board a radiotelephone capable of transmitting and receiving on the VTS designated frequency." I knew commercial vessels needed to monitor, but not the other requirements, especially >20-meters.

VTS areas are listed HERE including VHF frequencies (generally 11, 12, or 14 with several exceptions; with bridge-to-bridge comms on 13). Further, when transitting the lower Mississippi River, requirement is to monitor Channel 67.

Whole lot of different sets of skills when you are required to participate in VTS. You have to report into VTS and they require you give them your destination and report ETA to the next check-in point. You must know how to read a chart and give VTS the required information.

Yachts over 30m or more are required to report. You are required to have a VHF and AIS.

If you don't report in, you get a visit from the USCG or RMCP.

 

[guy with a boat]

Yachts over 65ft are required to to report. You are required to have a VHF and AIS.

If you don't report in, you get a visit from the USCG or RMCP.

Commercial boats over 65’/20m. Private yachts under 30m not required to participate.

We always have one radio on the VTS channel to monitor traffic and conditions. Its also the easiest channel on which to contact the tugs and workboats if needed. But we are not required to report and we are 20m.

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

Commercial boats over 65’/20m. Private yachts under 30m not required to participate.



We always have one radio on the VTS channel to monitor traffic and conditions. Its also the easiest channel on which to contact the tugs and workboats if needed. But we are not required to report and we are 20m.

You are correct on 30m.
However, are charters considered commercial ?

 

[OldDan1943]

Unfortunately, I turn my vhf off. I get a lot of squelch breaking without traffic. Every time I think l have it right, it breaks. I had considered a speaker in the state room …. Lots of static.