5. WORKING CHANNEL
The one who sends a DSC call can suggest a working channel for continued voice radio
communication.
NOTE: When a vessel is calling a coast station it does not suggest a working channel. The coast
station announces which radio channel to continue on.


ROUTINE COMMUNICATION WITH DSC CALL
EXAMPLE 1
A RADIO MESSAGE FOR SUOMENLINNA COAST GUARD STATION
COMPARE THE FOLLOWING TO THE EXAMPLES SENT WITHOUT DSC:
A Russian yacht Marlene is approaching the Finnish coast on its way to spend a holiday partly in
Helsinki and partly by sailing in the Finnish archipelago. According to European union laws a
foreign pleasure boat must report for passport control when she has entered the territorial waters
of one of the member states. The Marlene is a luxury yacht and is linked to GMDSS and has DSC.
It is 12.30 at Suomenlinna Coast Guard Station on a fine summer day.
The DSC at Suomenlinna starts signalling and shows the following message:
Format: SELECTIVE
Party ID: 002300005
Category ROUTINE
Telecom 1 TELEPHONY (F3E/G3E SIMPLEX)
Work channel NONE
Transmitted CH 70
NOTE: Marlene does not suggest a working channel. In communication between ship and coast
station, it is always the coast station that determines the choice of working channel.
SELECTIVE directed to a specific station only
PARTY ID 002300005 the MMSI number of Suomenlinna Coast Guard Station

The Coast Guard station sends the following acknowledgement:
Format: SELECTIVE
Party ID: 273678951
Category: ROUTINE
Telecom 1: TELEPHONY (F3E/G3E SIMPLEX)
Work Channel: 74
Transmitted: Ch 70
Party ID 273678951 = the MMSI number of Marlene
Format SELECTIVE = directed towards one station
The Coast Guard Station suggests:
Work channel 74
After this Marlene CONTINUES BY VOICE COMMUNICATION on channel 74:
Calling Finnish Coast Guard Suomenlinna, Finnish Coast Guard Suomenlinna,
This is Russian vessel Marlene, JAAA,
Russian vessel Marlene JAAA,
On VHF channel 74.
Over.
Russian Vessel Marlene JAAA,
This is Finnish Coast Guard Station
Suomenlinna,
Over.
Finnish Coast Guard station,
This is Russian yacht Marlene,
My position is: Latitude: 59° 56.9´ N Longitude : 024° 56.3´ E
I am in the approach channel passing Helsinki Lighthouse. I am proceeding to the Coast Guard
Station for passport control. REQUEST: Please give instructions to reach Suomenlinna Coast
Guard Station. Over.
Marlene,
This is Finnish Coast Guard.
INSTRUCTIONS: Proceed along the fairway. Pass
Harmaja Lighthouse and proceed along the fairway
distance 1.6 miles. Take fairway depth 9.6, course 328°.
Proceed distance 0.8 miles. You can see the information
on your starboard side.
I repeat: Proceed along the fairway. Pass Harmaja
Lighthouse and proceed along the fairway distance 1.6
miles. Take fairway depth 9.6, course 328°. Proceed
distance 0.8 miles. You can see the information on your
starboard side. Over.
Finnish Coast Guard ,
This is Marlene.

UNDERSTOOD. I will proceed along the fairway and pass Harmaja Lighthouse. I will take fairway
depth 9.6, steering course 328°. I will proceed along the fairway distance 0.8 miles ahead. I can
see information sign on starboard side. THANK YOU AND OUT.
AS YOU NOTICED THE DSC CALL REPLACES THE INITIAL VOICE COMMUNICATION CALL
AND ANSWER ON CHANNEL 16. CHANGING TO A WORK CHANNEL ALSO HAPPENED VIA
DSC.
THUS A TRADITIONAL VOICE TRANSMISSION ON CHANNEL 16 DIFFERS SLIGHTLY IN THE
INITIAL STAGE BUT RADIO PROCEDURE IS OTHERWISE THE SAME.

GLOBAL MARITIME DISTRESS AND SAFETY SYSTEM (GMDSS) DIGITAL SELECTIVE CALL (1)
GENERAL
The GMDSS enables Maritime Rescue Centres and radio stations to keep automatic watch on the
distress channels. A ship equipped with a DSC apparatus can make a distress call by simply
pressing a button, which results in an automatic alarm signal at the maritime rescue centre nearest
to the vessel.
DSC can be used for all kinds of radio calls between ship-ship and ship-shore–ship. DSC calls are
made on channel 70, which means that any voice communication on this channel is not allowed.
The DSC call includes and shows the following information:
- Format or Type of Call
- Receiver or Party ID
- Call Category or Priority
- Telecommand
(follow-up radio communication)
- Working Channel
1. FORMAT OR TYPE OF CALL
One of the following are chosen on the DSC apparatus:
- distress alert / distress call in a distress
- all ships a call to all stations
- selective/individual a call to one station
(e.g. in routine calls)
- group a group of stations
- area / geographical call to stations in a
particular area

2. PARTY/RECEIVER ID (IDENTIFICATION)
The receiver of the call (Party ID) you can click either the Maritime Mobile Service Identity (MMSI)
number of the recediving station, a group call number or area call number. The MMSI always
contains nine digits.
Example of MMSI Number system:
MMSI Vessel Explanation
230252000 230 country code (Finland)
always three digits
252000 (ship’s number)
MMSI Coast Station Explanation
002301000 00 means coast station in general
230 country code (Finland)
number of particular coast station
1000 (Turku Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre)

3. CALL CATEGORY OR PRIORITY
- distress
- urgency
- safety
Routine Communication can be of two kinds:
- routine
- ship’s business

4. TELECOMMAND
This gives information on what kind of follow-up radio communication the sender wishes to have. It
also gives information on what kind of message the sender is giving. The most common
telecommand choices include:
- telephony G3E/F3E simplex
o voice communication on VHF
- distress acknowledgement
o request for acknowledgement of distress call
- distress relay alert
o request for relay of distress
- ship’s position
o request for a vessel’s position to be shown on DSC (routine call)

In ordinary English we use expressions like:
The fairway is 23 metres deep. The mast is 9 metres high.
In radio communication we use the following expressions:
First a noun denoting quantity or unit of measurement and after that the numbers.
For example:
Depth Fairway depth is: 6m. (six metres)
Distance Distance to scene of accident is 120 [one-two-zero] miles. (120 nautical miles)
Draught My draught forward is: 7.2 [seven decimal two] metres.
(7.2m)
Height Height of seas in the area is three metres… (3m)
Speed My speed is 15 [one-five] knots. (15 knots)
Temperature Temperature is 23 [two-three] degrees Celsius. (23°)
Tonnage DWT/deadweight tonnes
NRT/net tonnes
GRT/gross tonnes
My tonnage is 30,000 [three-zero-thousand] gross tonnes.
(30,000 tonnes)
VHF frequency
Ohima Maru, this is Bravery. Change to VHF channel 72 [seven-two]. Over. (VHF 72)
Visibility to one mile
Visibility at Helsinki Lighthouse is 500 [five–zero-zero] metres.
(500m)
Visibility over one mile
Visibility is 1.5 [one-decimal-five] miles. (1.5 nautical miles)
Weight kilograms/kilograms
tonnes/metric tonnes
Wind speed
Wind is Force 10 [one-zero]. (Indicating the Beaufort scale)
Wind is 23m/s [two-three metres per second].
Wind is 18 [one-eight] knots.


DATE AND TIME
Time UTC/universal time coordinated
local time
Time is given in UTC at sea, before entry to a port, harbour or other terminal facility.
Time is given as local time inside a port, harbour or other terminal facility.
Time: 1500 [one-five-zero-zero] UTC.
Notice how coast radio stations give date and time at the end of messages:
Pan-Pan Pan-Pan Pan-Pan.
This is Scheveningen Radio, Scheveningen Radio, Scheveningen Radio.
Following received from DIANA 5 call sign PDQE.
Message reads: Engine troubler in position 3 miles north of Northhinder lightvessel... Need
immediate tug assistance.
Date and time: 010138 UTC Scheveningen Radio.
01 = date: first day of the month
0138 = time: one thirty eight a.m. (in the morning)

VERY IMPORTANT !!!

Methods of giving a position
Which method to use:
1. Latitude and Longitude:
- when clear of land, when near a clear coast
- when geographical names may be confusing
Example: 30° 50' N 018° 25' 02 E
Position: Latitude: three-zero degrees five-zero minutes North;
Longitude: zero-one-eight degrees two-five decimal zero-two minutes East.
2. Bearing and Distance:
- when near land or sea mark
- when there is a possibility of charts with different datums being used
Notice that the correct order is bearing from…distance…
Examples:
My position is: bearing: one-niner-four degrees true from Cape Fantasia, distance one two
decimal four miles.
Oil clearance operations in position: bearing 160° [one-six-zero] degrees from Barwater Pier
distance four miles (160°; 4 nautical miles).
3. Reference to a Navigation Mark
- when approaching ports or harbours
Example: Position: I am approaching / passing / leaving Harmaja lighthouse.
Using Cardinal Points / North, South, East, West, also Northeast, Southwest etc., example:
Oil clearance operations east of fairway at Helsinki Ligthouse.
4. By Reporting Points
- in areas where reporting points have been marked on the charts
Example: I am approaching reporting point number 2.
NOTE: In a distress, safety or urgency situation the position is always to be transmitted in
the form in which it was observed!
NOTE: Bearings and courses are always given in three figures:
Pilot boat is bearing 215° (T) from you.
Buoy 030° on your port bow.
[Pilot boat is bearing two-one-five degrees true from you.]
[Buoy zero-three-zero degrees on your port bow.]
NOTE: Rudder angles in steering orders are given as follows.
Starboard 15! (fifteen, NOT five-one)
Port 20! (twenty)

RADIO CONVENTIONS AND TRANSMISSIONS OF LETTERS:

The phonetic alphabet must be used when giving call-signs, when spelling a word or when saying individual letters:

A Alfa
B Bravo
C Charlie
D Delta
E Echo
F Foxtrot
G Golf
H Hotel
I India
J Juliett
K Kilo
L Lima
M Mike
N November
O Oscar
P Papa
Q Quebec
R Romeo
S Sierra
T Tango
U Uniform
V Victor
W Whiskey
X Xray
Y Yankee
Z Zulu

Some common abbreviations spoken as initial letters:

ETA - Estimated Time of Arrival
ETD - Estimated Time of Departure
IMO - international Maritime Organization
SAR - Search And Rescu
UTC - Universal Time Co-ordinated
VHF - Very High Frequency

Some common abbreviations spoken as words:

AMVER - Automated Mutual Vessel system
IALA - International Association of Lighthouse Authorities
LASH - Lighter Aboard Ship System
RORO - Roll On-Roll Off

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The most important cable handling equipment aboard "The Cable Innovator" is the electrically operated cable laying drum with various tension devices. The drum diameter is 4m long and has fixed-angle fleeting rings and blades for controlling the cable work. It is equipped with a special A-frame for handling the plough used for cable burial in the seabed.

Furthermore, "The Cable Innovator" is equipped with an echo sounder and devices for measuring the length of the cable laid out. While laying cables, all main data are monitored, logged and printed out as a quality control.

The control system can also dispaly all data accounting for the tension of the plough tow cable when the vessel operates and can activate the alarm in case the cable tension gets too high. The vessel automatically reduces the speed.

When buried safely beneath the sea bed, the fibre optic communication cables constitute a vital part of our global telecommunication network.

Cable-laying vessels, also called cable layers, are specially designed for laying and repairing telegraph and telephone cable across vast water areas like channels, seas and oceans. Modern cable layers ar as efficeint in repair and maintenance operations as in long-haul cable laying. The internet boom together with the extraordinary expansion of telecommunication has led to the growing demand for vessels specialising in laying sub-sea optical fibre networks.


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