Pleasure boat use of all communications is governed by FCC rules, not the USCG. The USCG will attempt to enforce FCC rules - especially on channel 16, 13, 22A, and 83A. Usually, the USCG is busy telling people who do not know the rules to "take their idle chatter to a working channel."
In all things, knowing the rules is helpful. On the Chesapeake Bay, medical emergencies have often been responded to by doctors on pleasure boats who respond immediately because they were monitoring 16. Meanwhile, the USCG is arranging the evacuation of the victim from the boat to the hospital or nearest pier and ambulance. Regrettably, you have to be willing to filter-out the voices of the unwashed calling their buddies and calling marinas for a slip reservation on the wrong channel. If you adjust your squelch to filter-out distant traffic, you can limit traffic to the times when someone nearby is transmitting. However, when their signal breaks squelch, you can hear the other jerks in the background. This is a case of doing what you are willing to do within the context of the rules. Often, you can relay distress messages for distant parties or for vessels with inferior VHF installations. The USCG often asks that people with poor VHF communications to switch to their cell phones. Ron Rogers From: Of [email protected] [email protected] writes: Pleasure boats which have their radios on must monitor 16. No problem keeping them off if you wish to risk your safety and that of others. Um Hmmm, I think if you go read the actual CG rules you will find you should be monitoring both 16 and (. Carl Hibbard
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