[[posterous-content:pid___0]]All ocean-going vessels are required to monitor a selection of radio channels while under way. There are two major categories of radios used on ships. High frequency (HF) SSB radios are for long distance communications and for shorter range communications VHF or Very High Frequency radios are used. Channel 16 on VHF is used in the US as a priority calling channel and its’ use it strictly monitored. It is only to be used to make a contact and then move the conversation to another frequency. The coast guard monitors Channel 16 and will kindly ask any inappropriate use to move to another channel.
My experience so far in the Med with VHF radio has been quite different. We have tried a number of times unsucessfully to call ships on VHF channel 16 that we were on a close course with. We were calling the ship by name and call sign (received from AIS) and still received no response. We did not even receive a response in another language. Small boats like Koinonia rely on the radio to make sure the big ships are aware of us.
We try to monitor Channel 16 as well to hear of any alerts of things we need to know about. Now I understand why some ships may not be answering us. Channel 16 in the Med seems to be quite abused. There are constant discussions in a variety of languages. Others try in their own language to get them to shut up. To consider having to really listen to it full time I can understand why ships were not answering our calls. I’m sure most captains just shut it off.
We have scanned all of the frequencies hoping to find a better "official use" channel. Sometimes Channel 13 is used for bridge to bridge communications and we thought it might be used here. Many of the channels where we heard activity it was the same. Just chatter.
I recorded a few short minutes of some guys having fun on channel 16. Soon after I recorded this segment some other guys came on and made fun of the monkey talkers in some other language. Oh boy. I’ve never once heard any official monitoring station make any behavior corrections.