RYA SRC Distress and Urgency Calls

Question 1

What is the difference between a 'Mayday' and a 'Pan Pan' call?

Accepted Answer

Mayday indicates grave and imminent danger requiring immediate assistance; Pan Pan indicates an urgent situation that is not an immediate threat to life or the vessel

Answer

They are the same

Answer

Pan Pan is more serious than Mayday

Answer

Mayday is only for sinking vessels

Question 2

What is the correct format for expressing a position in a Mayday call?

Accepted Answer

Latitude and longitude, or a true bearing and distance from a known point

Answer

Just the name of the nearest town

Answer

Grid reference from an Ordnance Survey map

Answer

GPS coordinates in any format

Question 3

What does the signal 'SECURITE' (pronounced 'SAY-CURE-IT-AY') indicate?

Accepted Answer

A safety message is about to follow, such as a navigational hazard or weather warning

Answer

A vessel is sinking

Answer

A security breach on board

Answer

The vessel is requesting a pilot

Question 4

In what order of priority are Mayday, Pan Pan, and Securite calls ranked?

Accepted Answer

Mayday (distress), Pan Pan (urgency), Securite (safety)

Answer

Pan Pan, Mayday, Securite

Answer

Securite, Pan Pan, Mayday

Answer

They have equal priority

Question 5

When can a Mayday call be cancelled?

Accepted Answer

When the distress situation is resolved and the vessel is no longer in danger, the originating vessel should cancel it with 'MAYDAY — ALL STATIONS — SILENCE FINI'

Answer

It cannot be cancelled

Answer

Only the coastguard can cancel it

Answer

After 24 hours automatically

Question 6

What is a 'Mayday Relay'?

Accepted Answer

A distress message transmitted by a station on behalf of another vessel that is in distress but unable to transmit

Answer

A race between rescue vessels

Answer

A repeated Mayday call by the same vessel

Answer

A test of the distress system