Can I get a radio check? A review of VHF radio protocols
Now that spring has finally sprung and more sailors are back on the water, I thought it would be a good time to review some VHF radio protocols, if for no other reason than to keep my own skipper skills up to snuff. But first I’ll start with a couple of VHF “conversations” from my recent Great Lakes cruising memories… The seas had built to snotty 3 and 4 footers under the cloak of a thick fog as we departed Charlevoix bound for Beaver Island in northern Lake Michigan. Even when the fog did begin to lift, the visibility from our little sailboat was still obscured by rain showers. I knew there weren’t likely to be many other recreational boaters out beyond a mile or so of shore on a weekday with crumby weather, but I also knew we’d be crossing paths with the Beaver Island ferry Emerald Isle at some point during our 30 mile sail. Sure enough, we heard her engines through the fog astern well before we actually laid eyes on her. I hailed the ferry via VHF channel 16 to make sure