Maritime radio

Radio a MAYDAY

Find out how to radio a distress call if you are in imminent danger and need immediate help.

Learn how to radio a MAYDAY

Requirements

Except in the case of an emergency or distress situation, maritime radio users must:

1: Be licensed

All users of marine VHF are required to hold a minimum of a marine VHF operator’s qualification.

2: Hold a call sign for their vessel

The Coastguard Boating Education Service issues and updates radio call signs for commercial and recreational boaties.

There are quite a few different levels of radio licences issued for marine use on ships. The highest grade license is GMDSS, which covers a wide variety of types of communication equipment. Higher grade licenses are most commonly required for radio operators on commercial ships.

All users of marine VHF are required to hold a minimum of a marine VHF operator’s qualification and be issued with a radio call sign.

The Coastguard Boating Education Service is responsible for issuing and updating radio call signs for commercial and recreational boaties. They also provide tutorials and learning resources for people who want to study for the marine VHF radio operator’s qualification.