Reasons to respond to a Pan-Pan radio call

[pwport]

Now, this being my first thread that I am writing, means I am a bit perturbed and/or confused with the reasons and ways someone should or could respond to a pan-pan vhf call.

Here's the situation today on Channel 16 out in Barkley Sound.
1. A boat calls "pan-pan and says their boat name, location (1/2 a mile off of Kirby Pt) and they are taking on water and their main motor won't start." (brief description from what I can remember). They call the Tofino Coast Guard and are in communication with them.
2. The conversation continues for the next few minutes as the 2 passengers try to get the water out, and are methodically asked questions (ie. location, lifejackets being worn, gps coordinates) by the Coast Guard.

Now, here's where I am a bit confused....(now yes, I will admit I haven't taken the vhf course, so I don't have a license & will be taking one shortly), so maybe this is all covered in the course....

My question is, at approx. 9am at Kirby there are about 20 boats fishing & as the Coast Guard starts asking if anyone can hear, we try to respond. No answer. One boat responds....from where - Swale Rock....now here's where I am confused & yes a bit upset,
a. Do the rest of the boats around Kirby not have their vhf radios on?
b. Do the rest of the boats around Kirby not have radios?
c. (as one boat said) Do the other boats, think "The person didn't sound like they needed help so we haven't responded." (Sorry, if you were listening, the Coast Guard asked who was close - about 20 boats were close & the boat at Swale Rock was about 15 minutes away).

Now, when we figured out which boat it was (as it's tough to tell which boat is taking on water when everyone is fishing), yes, they were happy to see us. Did the boat sink? No. By the time we got there, they had pumped the water out and were able to restart their big motor and were going to go to Bamfield to check out if they had a hole in the bottom.

Back to the question, when do you grab the radio and respond to a "Pan-Pan" (ie. especially when you are fishing in the same 1/2 mile area?!)? When do you pull up your gear and pull up to another boat who has called "Pan-Pan" and say, "Is everything ok?" or "Any way we can help?"
Just wondering, as I am always learning....and yes, maybe am a bit more cautious out on the water (blame it on having 2 amazing kids & an incredible wife who wants me home again).
Paul

 

[spring time]

that should have been a mayday not a pan pan mayday is when there is danger to life ( which taking on water would be) a pan pan is when there is no life at risk ( Motor won't but not taking on water would be) as for the other boats not responding maybe all on another channel. they only get notified when the mmsi goes of ( if equipped )

 

[pwport]

that's good to know the difference. I think I one point he did change it to a "Mayday"

that should have been a mayday not a pan pan mayday is when there is danger to life ( which taking on water would be) a pan pan is when there is no life at risk ( Motor won't but not taking on water would be) as for the other boats not responding maybe all on another channel. they only get notified when the mmsi goes of ( if equipped )

 

[the fog ducker]

If you hear either these distress calls , LISTEN ,

let them complete there transmissions , DO NOT Interrupt ,let them get out all there vital information , ive heard guys tryin ta reach out for support , only to cause disruption , these guys may only have one kick at getting all there vital info out ....IMPORTANT...

unfortunately , ALOT of boaters DO NOT have there vhf radios on all the time , the meaningless chit chat can drive ya batty , fricken irritating..

i confess , i have my vhf off alot... my bad.. especially inshore...gonna guess , alotta others do too , i know alot of my buds out there shut em down ...

m2b

fd

 

[blink2u4i]

to me the pan pan sounds like the right call,if the boat had been holed by a log ,or a thru hull broke and the water was ingressing faster than could be pumped ,then that would be the time for a mayday,but a situation that they had under control in 15-20min ,sounds like the "taking on water" was not as bad or as fast needed for a mayday.yes if there was any chance of the boat going down ,make the mayday,but assess the situation first,unless very obvious,with all the coast guard cuts,a situation that can be helped by a fellow boater,may save a real emergency for the real professionals, just my 2cents

 

[beemer]

If you hear either these distress calls , LISTEN ,

let them complete there transmissions , DO NOT Interrupt ,let them get out all there vital information , ive heard guys tryin ta reach out for support , only to cause disruption , these guys may only have one kick at getting all there vital info out ....IMPORTANT...

unfortunately , ALOT of boaters DO NOT have there vhf radios on all the time , the meaningless chit chat can drive ya batty , fricken irritating..

i confess , i have my vhf off alot... my bad.. especially inshore...gonna guess , alotta others do too , i know alot of my buds out there shut em down ...

m2b

fd

Too true ..... These guys made the right call. A Mayday is defined as Grave and Imminent danger. A pan pan means that the POTENTIAL for grave and imminent danger exists.It does not sound like the danger was imminent eg. more than a 50/50 chance that their boat was going down. That said ,they needed to be in contact with the Coast Guard in case things went sideways.


Coast Guard operators are in direct contact with trained Coast Guard Rescue Coordinators who will quickly decide if a "real" emergency exists when you call in by VHF. Fog Ducker makes a great point , listen carefully to the call. If it is a desparate mayday and you are close , pull your gear and go. You don't have to ask anyones permission or tell the Coast Guard immeidiately. Get moving and wait for the channel to clear THEN get on the horn and let the Coast Guard know you are responding.

be careful and don't get in over your head, The two most important things to remember in a rescue situation are
1. Things are happening way slower than your mind is telling you. Take a deep breath and make your moves carefully and with a plan.
2. The hardest thing to do is nothing. Don't be a hero many rescuers end up being the victims.

beemer
www.C-TowVictoria.ca

 

[casper5280]

Too true ..... These guys made the right call. A Mayday is defined as Grave and Imminent danger. A pan pan means that the POTENTIAL for grave and imminent danger exists.It does not sound like the danger was imminent eg. more than a 50/50 chance that their boat was going down. That said ,they needed to be in contact with the Coast Guard in case things went sideways.


Coast Guard operators are in direct contact with trained Coast Guard Rescue Coordinators who will quickly decide if a "real" emergency exists when you call in by VHF. Fog Ducker makes a great point , listen carefully to the call. If it is a desparate mayday and you are close , pull your gear and go. You don't have to ask anyones permission or tell the Coast Guard immeidiately. Get moving and wait for the channel to clear THEN get on the horn and let the Coast Guard know you are responding.

be careful and don't get in over your head, The two most important things to remember in a rescue situation are
1. Things are happening way slower than your mind is telling you. Take a deep breath and make your moves carefully and with a plan.
2. The hardest thing to do is nothing. Don't be a hero many rescuers end up being the victims.

beemer
www.C-TowVictoria.ca

#3 and never put your boat or crew in danger.

 

[wolf]

And with more recent cuts to the CC and auc this is going to get worse and worse they want "US" to look after each other on the water but when it comes to towing can you imagine a 16 ft trying to tow in a 26 grady in rough water..... more thing to happen badly.....

I helped a guy out many years ago off of the sooke bluffs a nice 16 ft double eagle towed him in asked him what was wrong he said he didnt know engine wont start (newer one) so towed him all the way from bluffs into sunny shores (guy had no gas in the tank) F$%K was i pissed cause thats just dumb to boot he didnt even toss me some gas money.Week and a half go by same guy is now at otter waving me down so again i go over whats the problem this time???? i ASK aaaaaahhhh UUUUUmmm I think im outa gas i say No problem ill call CC for you hes like NO dont do that ive already go an outstanding fine with them,,,,,,, Im like WTF i called them anyways.... and I wont tow people anymore as ive done it sooo mnay time and people dont chip in etc and especially with clients on board they dont want me to spend there money on towing someone in.
Life and death situation that totally different Ill be first there to help...


wolf

 

[Saxe Point]

My own view, which I hope is shared by others, is based on a sort of community approach to safety that I think is based on the old unwritten laws of the sea. Because I expect (or at least hope) that any other nearby boater would take all reasonable steps to assist me if I were in trouble, I feel they should be able to expect the same from me. That's why I always monitor 16. That way I will hear all distress calls within the range I could reasonably be expected to help. Of course, the CG will direct all assistance, but if I'm the closest, I want to be ready to do what I can if it's necessary. If I don't do this, I can't very well expect others to do the same when it's my turn to need help. So I urge you all to monitor 16. There is no chatter on 16 - hailing and distress only - strictly enforced by the CG. Most radios have the capability to monitor 16 and 1 or 2 other channels simultaneously, or scan them all with 16 as a priority channel so no hail or distress call is missed. So whether you like chatter or not, there really no excuse for not monitoring 16.

There is a rule that, when underway, a vessel is required to maintain a listening watch on 16, but I don't recall if it applies to commercial vessels only. In any event, the ability to enforce any such rule is obviously very limited. But it does represent the obligation we all have to do what we can to be ready to help. It's only right, because one day it could be your turn to need help...

 

[MRACER]

It would be nice if everyone out there with a radio took the trouble to get licensed-but-judging by the chatter one hears on the air (radio procedure wise- not topic wise) few make the effort...stay safe guys!

 

[Sharphooks]

Totally with Saxe Point on this. If you own a radio it's your obligation to monitor 16, and if you hear idle chatter on 16, you should politely tell the chatterers to switch to a non-working channel.

I spent many year on the Bering Sea in Alaska. Heard more m'aidez calls then I'd care to remember---the sound of panic in a guys voice sticks with you, and then the next day you hear that the boat that was putting out the distress call went down with all hands....

So it's both a selfish and an altruistic act to monitor channel 16---altruistic--to help the other guy. Selfish---hoping he'll return the favor if next time, you're the one in trouble.

It sure gets confusing when you're in a fleet, though, and I sympathize with pwport's dilemma--last August I was fishing off Meares in Bamfield and all of a sudden there were fly-overs by the coasties, panicky voices on Channel 16, a boat that went by screaming something at me that was unintelligible, lots of commotion, but it was impossible to know what was going on or how and where to respond.

I heard later it was a kayaker "in distress". What kind of distress, I never heard. I kept fishing because I figured all I could do was add to the confusion.

I'm heading into QC Straits next week---I keep an 8 ft VHF antenna specifically for that trip and stick it on the boat for two weeks each year. I want someone to hear me from near to far if I'm in trouble, and I feel it's my obligation to return the favor.

 

[the fog ducker]

Selfish!!!

i guess we are , channel 16 is used as a calling channel as well , when ive got friends onboard getting annoyed listening to the once or twice a year fisherman come out, and " PLAY with a piece of Safety equipment , calling there buddies ta see how much they drank last night , or how SLOW the fishin is , or what there makin for breakfast , sorry , its gotta go , last i checked ,Kirby pt was not in the Berring C lol , just givin ya an honest answer . most guys turn there radios off inside that i know on calm days , especially inside in a pack of boats...thats why the original post may have not seen guys respond to the mayday....

i always have my cell with me , sum should do the same...
or just stay on another designated channel other than 16 , n PLAY away...
ive got better things ta do than tell guys ta stay clear of 16 for calling every 2 minutes ,
there to relax and fish , m2b

fyi

i always have my vhf on , when offshore , or in a area with a less than perfect conditions..
ive responded to a few callers in my day
, including a ridiculous long tow , selfish me !!! lol , just givin ya the gears... : )
and i got payed Wolf lol , very well actually...

later

fd

 

[Sharphooks]

I've been there too, FD-- totally understand where you're coming from---I responded to a Channel 16 call a few years ago-- towed some guy who "broke down" 10 miles. Where? To the freaking fuel dock. Ruined my fishing day. I was fuming after he told me he ran out of gas. He had two young girls (daughters) with him. So did I at the time.

If I had to do it again, maybe I would have pretended I didn't hear his call on C-16 and let him drift for awhile--no excuse for running out of gas and expecting someone else to get you out of your trouble because you were too lazy to check the tank before going out on the water

Also, I don't spend the number of days on the water as you do-- maybe I'd have a different take on monitoring if I had to hear the amount of crap that's flung around on C-16.

My favorite---guys reporting dead heads in the water (like it's going to stay in that same position for the next few days....)

 

[gpspowell]

My favorite---guys reporting dead heads in the water (like it's going to stay in that same position for the next few days....)

Well, I guess I'm guilty of that one. When the Starfish or the Wreck are HOT there is a traffic lane about 100-200 meters wide where 30-40 boats from Ukee barrel down (coming AND going) on plane. Two years ago there were three (at least) deadheads right in the middle of that lane, just outside the Carolina passage, and just about the time the afternoon return flights were about to launch. I transmitted that info on 16 as a "securite". Other than that I monitor 16 constantly and keep my mouth shut.

 

[reelfast]

a lot of folks tune their VHF to the a channel that is commonly used for back and forth chatter. actually, you are required to standby on channel 16 but lots of folks ignore this proper radio usage. your radio more than likely has a 'scan' capability. i have programmed the public channels along with 16 so my radio searches constantly for conversations. if it finds one, it pauses on whatever channel that happens to be until the conversation stops and then starts scanning again. i am able to listen to the chatter as well as be in a position to take that channel 16 call.

in this case, i would have issued a mayday. once the CG enters the conversation, put your radio on channel 16 and standby. if the CG asks for boats in the area, at that point it is ok to respond. but, don't get in the way of the back and forth with the CG, they should be directing the radio traffic. in virtually all instances, the first responder is going to turn out to be you or me. so pull your gear and head for the folks in need, next time it could be you.

just looked up the emergency procedures in my USCG communication course manual. PAN-PAN,PAN-PAN is a legitimate call given this situation

 

[spring time]

if you guys are so disturbed then get an mmsi equipped radio. and hook it up to your gps. then turn your radio onto some low used channel then if there is and emergency your radio will beep and then you know there is and emergency. imagine your feeling when your having a problem and there are boats around you but nobody responds to you. how frustrating would that be. whats the diff if it's inshore or offshore it's still the ocean, where as 5 minute could be life or death

 

[beemer]

a lot of folks tune their VHF to the a channel that is commonly used for back and forth chatter. actually, you are required to standby on channel 16 but lots of folks ignore this proper radio usage. your radio more than likely has a 'scan' capability. i have programmed the public channels along with 16 so my radio searches constantly for conversations. if it finds one, it pauses on whatever channel that happens to be until the conversation stops and then starts scanning again. i am able to listen to the chatter as well as be in a position to take that channel 16 call.

in this case, i would have issued a mayday. once the CG enters the conversation, put your radio on channel 16 and standby. if the CG asks for boats in the area, at that point it is ok to respond. but, don't get in the way of the back and forth with the CG, they should be directing the radio traffic. in virtually all instances, the first responder is going to turn out to be you or me. so pull your gear and head for the folks in need, next time it could be you.

just looked up the emergency procedures in my USCG communication course manual. PAN-PAN,PAN-PAN is a legitimate call given this situation

You are not required to monitor channel 16 if you have a DSC radio. The alert from the Coast Guard will automatically switch your radio to 16. In order for this feature to work though your radio needs to be turned on! I unfortunately have to monitor channel 16 as part of my job for 18 hours a day and the Cr****p you hear is beyond belief. When I am on a day off fishing I choose a channel with low traffic and talk with friends and let the DSC system do the work.

beemer

 

[tubber]

It definitely was a mayday announced by Tofino CG. When the boater in distress agreed to pay for someone to come from 4 hrs away to tow him to Bamfield, I was surprised no one offered to do it for less. Then he got it started. I was offshore, handheld radio on scan and could only hear the Tofino end of the conversation.

 

[trophywife]

i was out on the water i believe on this day... i do not think it was near kirby,, rather south bank? i saw the coast guard run out and meet the two boats in front of cree? this would be why no-one answered from kirby,, i could hear the radio callout also, so i do not think everyone nor anyone ignored the call at kirby. most would not have heard it. the pan pan came across all stations. including 6 where most of the chatter is this time of year...pretty sure geisha/nice boat/ or maybe it was fifth ailment was involved in the response / tow.. which ever,, good on them for helping out a fellow fisher. even if it was for a few bucks. lol..

 

[tubber]

There werre at least 2 other incidents going on which is why the guy at Kirby needed someone else to help because the CG was unavailable.