RYA SRC VHF Radio Procedures 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the purpose of a MAYDAY RELAY transmission?
- To repeat a MAYDAY call on behalf of a vessel in distress that you have received (Correct answer)
- To pass a MAYDAY message via a commercial radio relay station
- To repeat your own MAYDAY if no response is received after five minutes
- To inform other vessels that a MAYDAY has been received and cancelled
Correct answer: To repeat a MAYDAY call on behalf of a vessel in distress that you have received
A MAYDAY RELAY is transmitted by a vessel that has received a distress message but believes the distress has not been acknowledged by a coast station.
Question 2: How does a MAYDAY RELAY call correctly begin?
- MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY
- MAYDAY RELAY MAYDAY RELAY MAYDAY RELAY (Correct answer)
- ALL STATIONS ALL STATIONS ALL STATIONS
- SECURITE SECURITE SECURITE
Correct answer: MAYDAY RELAY MAYDAY RELAY MAYDAY RELAY
A MAYDAY RELAY begins with the prefix 'MAYDAY RELAY' spoken three times to distinguish it from an original MAYDAY.
Question 3: The urgency signal PAN PAN should be used when:
- A vessel is in grave and imminent danger requiring immediate assistance
- There is an important safety message about a navigational hazard
- A vessel or person is in urgent need of assistance but not in immediate danger of loss of life (Correct answer)
- You wish to broadcast a routine weather warning
Correct answer: A vessel or person is in urgent need of assistance but not in immediate danger of loss of life
PAN PAN indicates urgency — a serious situation requiring assistance — but not the immediate threat to life or vessel that warrants MAYDAY.
Question 4: After announcing a SECURITE message on Channel 16, what should you do next?
- Wait on Channel 16 for all vessels to acknowledge
- State the working channel, switch to it, and repeat the safety information in full (Correct answer)
- Repeat the SECURITE announcement three more times on Channel 16
- Contact the coastguard to confirm receipt by all vessels
Correct answer: State the working channel, switch to it, and repeat the safety information in full
After the SECURITE announcement on Ch 16, you state the working channel, switch to it, and broadcast the full safety information.
Question 5: Which scenario would most appropriately warrant a PAN PAN rather than a MAYDAY call?
- A vessel taking on water rapidly with the crew preparing to abandon ship
- A vessel with engine failure drifting towards rocks in deteriorating weather (Correct answer)
- A vessel that has run aground and is breaking up
- A fire that has spread to the fuel tanks
Correct answer: A vessel with engine failure drifting towards rocks in deteriorating weather
Engine failure drifting towards hazards is urgent but not necessarily an immediate loss-of-life situation, making PAN PAN appropriate initially.
Question 6: Who has the authority to cancel a MAYDAY situation?
- Any vessel in the vicinity that has the casualty in sight
- The vessel in distress or the coordinating coast station (Correct answer)
- Only the vessel that originally transmitted the MAYDAY
- The first vessel to arrive on scene
Correct answer: The vessel in distress or the coordinating coast station
A MAYDAY can be cancelled by the vessel in distress or by the controlling coast station coordinating the search and rescue response.
Question 7: You hear a MAYDAY call and it is clear that a coast station has acknowledged it and is co-ordinating assistance. What should you do?
- Immediately respond to the vessel in distress to offer help
- Transmit a MAYDAY RELAY to alert any other vessels in the area
- Maintain radio silence on Channel 16, listen, and only act if instructed (Correct answer)
- Switch to a working channel to keep Channel 16 clear
Correct answer: Maintain radio silence on Channel 16, listen, and only act if instructed
If a coast station is handling the distress, other vessels must maintain silence on Ch 16, listen, and await instructions from the controlling authority.
RYA SRC VHF Radio Procedures 4
What is the purpose of a MAYDAY RELAY transmission?