Boats use VHF radio to communicate with one another, with port control and with VMR stations (Volunteer Marine Rescue). It's customary to call into the local VMR to log on and off to advise when you are going out to sea (or on to a waterway) when you expect to return, how many people you have on board (POB) and the locations of departure and intended return.
When attending a radio operators course, the Fremantle Sea Resue group cited a very compelling statistic. They had never lost anyone who had logged in. There may have been multiple marine fatalities in coastal waters off Fremantle over the years but never of someone who'd actually logged on with them. If you fail to log off at the time you've nominated they start calling your boat, your phone, your home, your contacts and then rapidly go into search and rescue mode. Time is of the essence and it's the reason it's a good idea to use this service. It's for the times things go pear shaped.
You do hear a variety of radio techniques from the very official "Romeo that", "... Over and out" very perfunctory style, to some more personalised variations and outright shockers.
Recent offerings that had us laughing was the Aussie drawler that announced " Yup Garry, I'm at the last stick and I'm down to me last tinnie. You can talk me off the log thanks!" . The VMR operator, recognising the voice, acknowledged by saying "Thanks Bugs. We'll catch you next time. Tumby Bay out". Initially we though it might be a Coffin Bay regular, since they have A LOT of navigational markers that would be colloquially referred to as "sticks" but then we decided that it could just as easily also be the character called 'Bugs' we'd met in Streaky Bay. For non locals reading this, a tinnie is a can of beer. The radio relay suggested he'd timed his trip to perfection!
Another character logged on this morning. "Three POB" he declared and added "...that's Poor Old Bastards" - a new take on Persons On Board.
Over and out!
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