Survival Training on the Water: Emergency Calls
On May 7th, we attended a full-day Safety and Survival Course offered by Fishing Partnership Support Services at the United States Coast Guard station in Gloucester. Fishing Partnership is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the health, safety, and economic security of commercial fishermen, their families, and their communities. Although the course was designed for commercial fishermen, it is open to recreational boaters as well.
This hands-on training included:
Survival suits
Firefighting
Emergency communications
Damage control
Life rafts
Signal flares
Man-overboard scenarios
The class was free, incredibly informative, and something we would highly recommend to anyone who spends time on the water. You can learn more about the classes they offer and locations on the Fishing Partnership website above.
There were close to 30 people in the class, and for the hands-on portions we were divided into smaller groups. One sessions for us focused on emergency communications.
MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY
We were taught to structure emergency calls in a simple format:
MAYDAY 3X
Vessel Name 3X
The 3 P’s:
• Position
• People
• Problem
For example:
MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY
This is motor vessel SeaStruck
This is motor vessel SeaStruck
This is motor vessel SeaStruck
We are at 42.36° N, 70.39° W
We have 3 people on board
We are taking on water
One additional tip shared during class really stood out to us: after giving your latitude and longitude, describe your location if possible. Can you see a buoy, lighthouse, harbor entrance, or another recognizable landmark? Latitude and longitude may not immediately register with nearby boaters, but a clear visual description could help someone reach you faster.
During practice, I made my MAYDAY call exactly in this format — but I was corrected. Why? Because I said it too quickly. That turned out to be one of the biggest lessons of the day. We had two Coast Guard professionals in class whose job is to receive these emergency calls, and they emphasized the importance of speaking slowly and clearly. Someone on the other end is trying to write down critical information, and in an emergency, every detail matters.
We also learned about other important radio calls:
Pan Pan – Used for an urgent situation that is not yet immediately life-threatening. For example, spotting smoke coming from a boat in the distance.
Securite – A navigation or safety broadcast. For example, a large vessel with limited maneuverability entering a harbor.
One of the strongest recommendations from the instructors was to practice these calls ahead of time. In a real emergency, anxiety can make even simple communication difficult. Keeping a printed reference sheet near your VHF radio and rehearsing the wording periodically can make a big difference when seconds count.
Key Takeaways
Speak slowly and clearly during emergency calls.
Remember the 3 P’s: Position, People, Problem.
Describe nearby landmarks or navigational aids when possible.
Practice emergency calls before you ever need to make one.