SESKStuff Everyone Should Know
SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/boat-vhf-vs-cell-phone

In a busy waterway, which device can call every nearby Good Samaritan boater at once?

A VHF marine radio.

  1. A cell phone
  2. A personal locator beacon
  3. A VHF marine radio ✔

Why: A VHF call is heard by every boat in range, so help nearby can respond fast. A cell phone reaches only the number you dial and may lose signal. The Coast Guard says phones are not a substitute for marine radio.

Huh, didn't know that: A VHF radio is meant for short range, generally 5 to 10 miles, and at least 20 miles to a Coast Guard station.

The dad joke
Why did the phone wear glasses? It lost its contacts.
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Sources

  1. USCG, A Boater's Guide to the Federal Requirements for Recreational Boats (2023) https://www.uscgboating.org/assets/1/AssetManager/Boaters-Guide-to-Federal-Requirements-for-Receational-Boats-20231108.pdf
  2. USCG Navigation Center, Radio Information for Boaters https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/radio-information-for-boaters

Test yourself in the game

Boating & WaterWhich VHF marine radio channel is used for distress calls and hailing?Boating & WaterAfter saying 'MAYDAY' three times on the radio, what do you say next?Boating & WaterWhich radio call signals a very urgent safety message that is less serious than a MAYDAY?

That's stuff everyone should know.