Any conversation at sea, i.e. a ship-to -ship, ship-to-shore or shore-to-ship exchange, consists of the following stages:
The smallest interactive unit (i.e. unit of conversation) in spoken marine communications is the exchange. It refers to a single topic and consists of two turns, one held by the controlling station (first speaker/ship/shore-based station) and the other by the responding station (second speaker/ship/shore-based station).
A turn represents everything one speaker says or asks ‘at one go’, i.e. the time between his pressing and releasing the speaker key on the VHF radiotelephone). The speaker normally ends his turn by using the word ‘over’ as a signal indicating that he has finished his turn and that the turn is yielded or given to the hearer, who then takes the turn (turn-taking).
Two turns referring to a single topic (the subject of conversation) make a maritime exchange. A single exchange, or more usually, two or more exchanges on a single or a number of topics, make a maritime VHF conversation.
The most important part of the turn is the move or act, the speaker’s contribution to the exchange or success of conversation. A move or an speech act may be a word, phrase, or a sentence which the speaker uses in his turn to express his intention, query, request or purpose of communication (e.g. MAYDAY RECEIVED; WHAT ARE YOUR INTENTIONS?; WHAT ARE MY BERTHING INSTRUCTIONS?, etc.).
The principal acts in maritime VHF or other spoken communications are:
QUESTION | QUESTION RECEIVED |
ANSWER | ANSWER RECEIVED |
INFORMATION | INFORMATION RECEIVED |
INSTRUCTION | INSTRUCTION RECEIVED |
ADVICE | ADVICE RECEIVED |
REQUEST | REQUEST RECEIVED |
INTENTION | INTENTION RECEIVED |
WARNING | WARNING RECEIVED |
These are referred to in SMCP 2001 as MESSAGE MARKERS and introduce the speaker’s intention or what he is going to say of ask
The primary acts in a normal conversation are:
ACCEPT | CONFIRM | OBJECTION |
ACKNOWLEDGE | DISAGREE | OFFER |
AGREE | GREETING | OPPOSE |
ANSWER | EVALUATE | QUESTION |
APOLOGY | EXCUSE ME | REACT |
CALL-OFF | INFORM | REPEAT |
CHECK | INVITE | REJECT |
REPLY | REQUEST | THANK |
OTHER SPEECH ACTS / MOVES OR PHRASES
(used in conducting maritime VHF communications are):
WORD or PHRASE MEANING
| ACKNOWLEDGE | Let me know that you have received and understood this message |
| AFFIRMATIVE | Yes, or permission granted |
| ALL SHIPS IN … (AREA) | I request that all ships receiving this transmission (in the specified sea area) listen to what follows |
| BREAK | I must break (into) this conversation for urgent reasons |
| CALLING | I wish to speak to … |
| CHANNEL | Change to channel…....... before proceeding. |
| CONFIRM | My version is _____. Is that correct? |
| CORRECTION | An error / mistake has been made in this transmission (message indicated). The correct version is ___. |
| FINAL CALL | I have finished my operation and wish to stop communicating |
| GO AHEAD | Proceed with your message. |
| HAVE A GOOD WATCH / VOYAGE | A polite form of ending the conversation, used before the word OUT. |
| HOW DO YOU READ? | How well are you receiving me? Do you receive me? I READ BAD / POOR / FAIR / GOOD/WELL / EXCELLENT/1…5. |
| INTERRUPTION | I am being interrupted. I will take action to deal with it. |
| I SAY AGAIN | Used instead of “I repeat”). |
| I AM COMING TO YOUR ASSITANCE | Used as a response to an initial distress message if your ship or station is able to render assistance. |
| MAYDAY | The spoken word for the distress signal. |
| MAYDAY RELAY | Is the spoken word for the distress relay signal. |
| MESSAGE FOR YOU | In Radio Traffic: I have a message for you which I intend to read. Say if you are ready to receive it. - PASS ON YOUR MESSAGE |
| MISTAKE | There is a mistake in the transmission. The correct information should be … - CORRECTION: … |
| NEGATIVE | No, or that is not correct, or I do not agree. |
| NOTHING MORE | I have finished my message |
| … ON CHANNEL … | I am calling on channel … |
| OVER | My transmission is ended and I expect a response from you. |
| OUT | I am terminating my transmission. Conversation is ended and no response is expected, |
| PAN PAN | The spoken word for the urgency signal. |
| PLEASE ACKNOWLEDGE | Indicate that you have received what I have just said |
| PLEASE READ BACK | Read back to me the information that I have just given READING BACK: … |
| PLEASE SPEAK IN FULL / SLOWLY | Do not abbreviate your messages / speak slowly, I have difficulty in following or understanding |
| PLEASE SPELL … | Spell (e.g. your ship's name) using the phonetic alphabet - I SPELL … / I AM SPELLING … |
| PLEASE USE SMCP | Use SMCP (formerly SMNV) during this conversation |
| PRUDONCE | During long distress situations, communications can resume on a restricted basis. Communication is to be restricted to ship's business or messages of a higher priority. |
| READBACK | Repeat all of this message back to me exactly as received after I have given OVER. (Do not use the word "repeat".) |
| ROGER | I have received all of your last transmission. (not recommended) |
| ROGER NUMBER | |
| ROGER STANDBY | I must pause for a few seconds or minutes, please wait. (not recommended) |
| SAY AGAIN | Self-explanatory. (Do not use the word "repeat".) I SAY AGAIN : … |
| SECURITE | The spoken word for the safety signal. |
| SEELONCE | Indicates that silence has been imposed on the frequency due to a distress situation. |
| SEELONCE DISTRESS | Is the international expression to advise that a distress situation is in progress, This command comes from a vessel or coast station other than the station in distress. |
| SEELONCE FEENEE | Is the international expression for a distress cancellation. |
| SEELONCE MAYDAY | Is the international expression to advise that a distress situation is in progress. The command comes from the ship in distress. |
| SORRY | Polite statement of apology or for having made a MISTAKE in transmission |
| STAND BY ON VHF CHANNEL … | Remain on VHF channel … STANDING BY ON CHANNEL … |
| STANDING BY on .. | Response to “Stand by …” - I agree to keep watch on VHF channel … |
| STAY ON | Do not terminate this conversation or change the subject because I have more to say |
| STOP TRANSMITTING | Stop transmitting on this channel (a higher priority transmission going on or to be started) |
| SWITCH TO VHF CHANNEL … | I suggest that you switch / go / change to channel … |
| AGREE VHF CHANNEL … | Positive response to the Instruction: ‘Switch to VHF channel …’ |
| SWITCHING TO CHANNEL … | I accept the suggested channel and am just changing to / going to that VHF channel |
| VHF CHANNEL … UNABLE | I cannot switch to channel … |
| VHF CHANNEL AVAILABLE 08 THROUGH 15 | I can only operate on VHF channels from 8 to 15 (including ch. 8 and ch. 15) |
| THAT IS CORRECT | Self-explanatory |
| WHICH VHF CHANNEL? | Which channel do you suggest ? SWITCH TO VHF CHANNEL … |
| THANK YOU | Polite statement of gratitude |
| THIS IS … | Used to identify a station. My name (call sign) is … |
| UNDERSTOOD | I have received and understood the information and I shall read it back to you now. - (optional response: READBACK IS CORRECT) |
| UNKNOWN SHIP … | I wish to make contact with the ship described. I do not know its name or call sign (give relative position, type, colour, course, speed) |
| VERIFY | Check coding, check text with originator and send Correct version. |
| WAIT … MINUTES | Wait for … minutes and do not terminate |
| WHICH VHF CHANNEL? | Which channel do you suggest ? SWITCH TO VHF CHANNEL … |
