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Signals and communication in the marine world are like a game of charades with the ocean as your stage. Picture a crew furiously waving flags screaming, “We’re out of snacks!” while another ship squints, trying to decode whether that’s a distress call or just terrible semaphore skills. Horns blast at decibels high enough to wake Poseidon, with meanings ranging from “I’m turning left” to “Move it or lose it!” And let’s not forget Morse code—nothing says “urgent message” like blinking a flashlight at a seagull for hours. Meanwhile, the VHF radio crackles with static and a dozen accents yelling about the weather, leaving everyone more confused than enlightened. It’s a symphony of organised chaos where somehow, miraculously, no one crashes into an iceberg. Usually.
The international rules governing vessel conduct, lookout, safe speed, collision avoidance and navigation lights, shapes and sound signals. The 1972 COLREG Convention and its annexes apply on the high seas and connected waters navigable by seagoing vessels, with national implementation and permitted special local rules. They define vessel statuses and responsibilities in sight, restricted visibility…
An emergency in which a person has fallen or been lost from a vessel into the water. Immediate actions normally include raising the alarm, maintaining a continuous lookout and pointing, marking the position, deploying flotation and manoeuvring for recovery while making appropriate distress or urgency communications. The best recovery method depends on vessel, crew, weather…
An international satellite system that detects and locates compatible 406 MHz distress beacons and relays alerts to search-and-rescue authorities. Satellites and ground stations process alerts from EPIRBs, personal locator beacons and emergency locator transmitters. Encoded identity and, where available, GNSS position are routed through mission control centres to the appropriate rescue coordination centre. The system…
An intergovernmental organisation that oversees specified public-service obligations of recognised mobile satellite communication providers. IMSO originated as INMARSAT but no longer operates the commercial satellite network. It oversees providers recognised for GMDSS satellite services and coordinates aspects of the Long-Range Identification and Tracking system under IMO arrangements. Inmarsat is now a commercial service name and…
A floating pyrotechnic distress signal that emits dense orange smoke to mark a position in daylight. It is especially useful for showing wind direction and identifying a casualty or survival craft to nearby vessels or aircraft. Orange smoke is an internationally recognised distress signal. The device should be deployed to leeward according to its instructions…
A hand-held pyrotechnic distress signal that burns with an intense red light for short-range position marking. It is intended to help nearby rescuers identify a casualty, survival craft or vessel, particularly after a long-range alert has already been made. Red hand flares are recognised distress signals. They produce extreme heat, flame and hot residue and…
A rocket-propelled pyrotechnic distress signal that deploys a bright red flare beneath a parachute at height. Its altitude, luminous intensity and slow descent make it a long-range signal intended to attract attention over a wide area. Under the collision regulations, a rocket parachute flare showing a red light is a recognised distress signal. It should…
A short-range marine radiocommunication system operating in internationally allocated very-high-frequency channels. It supports ship-to-ship, ship-to-shore, port operations, safety broadcasts and distress, urgency and routine calls. Fixed sets may include Digital Selective Calling linked to position information, while handheld sets provide portable local communication. Range is mainly line of sight and depends strongly on antenna height,…
A shore-based service that interacts with vessel traffic to improve navigation safety, traffic efficiency and environmental protection in a defined area. Depending on its authority and service level, VTS may provide information, organise traffic and give navigational assistance using AIS, radar, radio, cameras, reports and local sensors. The master remains responsible for safe navigation, while…
A survival-craft locating device that replies to a searching 9 GHz radar with a distinctive series of returns. When interrogated by compatible X-band radar, a radar SART produces a line of dots or arcs on the rescuer’s display leading towards the device. It is carried on ships and survival craft under applicable GMDSS requirements. It…
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