MARITIME VHF EXCHANGES

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	I have received your  message  number….  (not recommended)
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 …