Offshore Sailing Distress: VHF DSC Mayday, EPIRB Activation, and Abandoning to a Liferaft¶

Sailing offshore or making a coastal passage aboard a recreational yacht, catamaran, or small commercial vessel removes you from municipal emergency response. When a through-hull fitting shears off, an electrical fire fills the cabin with smoke, a rig collapses in heavy seas, or a high-speed skiff approaches with hostile intent, survival depends on international maritime distress procedures. Modern satellite and radio rescue networks coordinated by the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) can pinpoint a stricken vessel anywhere on the planet within minutes, provided the crew triggers the correct electronic and voice signals before abandoning the helm.

Panic and premature abandonment are the two deadliest errors in bluewater emergencies. Maritime casualty investigations show that yachts regularly remain afloat long after their crews abandon them into liferafts. Unless your vessel is actively sinking beneath your feet, burning out of control, or breaking apart on a reef, fight to keep the boat afloat while broadcasting distress alerts across satellite and radio frequencies. This guide provides step-by-step protocols for transmitting a spoken and digital VHF Mayday, activating a 406 megahertz (MHz) Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB), responding to hostile maritime approaches, and executing a controlled transition into a liferaft.

Do this now¶

1. Put on an offshore lifejacket and safety harness immediately. Clip your tether to a jackline or cockpit point before stepping on deck. If you are within cellular coverage of land, call your local emergency number (911 in the United States and Canada, 112 across the European Union, 999 in the United Kingdom) or check our emergency numbers guide, then switch to marine VHF radio.
2. Press and hold the red spring-loaded DISTRESS button on your marine VHF radio for 5 full seconds. This transmits an automated Digital Selective Calling (DSC) distress burst on VHF Channel 70 containing your 9-digit Maritime Mobile Service Identity (MMSI) and GPS coordinates to every vessel and coast guard station within 40 to 60 kilometers (22 to 32 nautical miles).
3. Broadcast a spoken MAYDAY call on VHF Channel 16 (156.8 MHz) at 25 watts power. Wait 15 seconds after releasing the red DSC button, press the microphone Push-To-Talk (PTT) switch, and speak slowly: say "MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY," state your boat name and callsign three times, give your latitude and longitude, describe the emergency, state the number of people on board, and end with "OVER."
4. Activate your 406 MHz satellite EPIRB and personal AIS/PLB beacons if you are offshore or face grave danger. Unclip the EPIRB from its bracket, deploy the antenna vertically, switch the manual toggle to ON, and tether it to your grab bag or liferaft so it transmits to the Cospas-Sarsat satellite network.
5. Prepare the ditch bag and deploy the liferaft on the leeward (downwind) side only as a last resort. Bring the emergency grab bag, extra drinking water jugs, handheld waterproof VHF radio, and flares into the cockpit. Tie the liferaft painter line securely to a heavy deck cleat before throwing the valise overboard.
6. Always step UP into the liferaft; never step into the water until the hull disappears beneath you. A swamped yacht is still a larger visual and radar target than a 2-meter (6.5-foot) rubber raft. Only cut the painter line when the mother ship is physically pulling the inflated liferaft under the surface.

flowchart TD
    A["Offshore Vessel Emergency Detected"] --> B{"Nature of Immediate Threat?"}
    B -->|"Sinking, Fire, Dismasting, or Medical Crisis"| C["Every Crew Member Dons Lifejacket, Harness, and PLB"]
    B -->|"Suspicious Skiff Approaching in High-Risk Waters"| D["Lock Down Companionway, Sound Horn, Alter Course Into Seas"]
    C --> E["Hold Red VHF DSC Distress Button for 5 Seconds (Ch 70)"]
    D --> F["Call UKMTO / MSCHOA via Satellite Phone and Trigger SSAS / EPIRB"]
    E --> G["Transmit Spoken MAYDAY on VHF Channel 16 (25W High Power)"]
    G --> H["Activate 406 MHz Satellite EPIRB and Retrieve Ditch Bag"]
    F --> H
    H --> I{"Can Mother Ship Be Saved by Damage Control?"}
    I -->|"Yes: Pumps Working or Fire Contained"| J["Stay With Yacht, Maintain Radio Watch, Prepare for Helicopter Hoist"]
    I -->|"No: Hull Sinking Below Waterline or Uncontrolled Fire"| K["Secure Painter to Cleat, Launch Liferaft on Leeward Side, Step Up Dry"]

Marine distress radio classification: Mayday, Pan-Pan, and Securite¶

International telecommunication regulations governed by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) divide marine emergency broadcasts into three priority tiers. Using the correct pro-word tells rescue coordination centers and nearby ships whether to divert immediately or stand by for urgent assistance.

How Digital Selective Calling (DSC) works on VHF Channel 70¶

Modern fixed-mount marine VHF radios and handheld units incorporate Digital Selective Calling (DSC). While voice watches take place on VHF Channel 16 (156.800 MHz), the radio simultaneously monitors VHF Channel 70 (156.525 MHz) for digital data bursts.

When your VHF radio is wired to a GPS receiver and programmed with your 9-digit Maritime Mobile Service Identity (MMSI) number, lifting the spring cover and holding the red DISTRESS button for 5 seconds accomplishes three tasks:

1. Instantaneous GPS transmission: Eliminates human error in reading latitude and longitude digits in a dark cabin.
2. Pierces audio clutter: Sounds an alarm on the bridge of every cargo ship, tanker, and Coast Guard shore tower within line-of-sight range.
3. Automatic channel switching: Forces receiving radios on nearby vessels to switch to Channel 16 so bridge officers hear your spoken message 15 seconds later.

If you have 10 seconds before holding the red button, use the radio menu key to select the Nature of Distress (Sinking, Fire/Explosion, Piracy/Armed Attack, Man Overboard, or Abandoning Ship). Otherwise, holding the red button sends an Undesignated Distress alert with your GPS fix.

Exact script for a spoken VHF Channel 16 Mayday broadcast¶

Once the 5-second DSC digital alert finishes transmitting, wait 15 seconds, verify your radio is set to Channel 16 and 25 Watts (High Power), hold the microphone 5 centimeters (2 inches) from your mouth out of the wind, and read this script slowly:

"MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY. This is sailing vessel [Boat Name], [Boat Name], [Boat Name], Callsign [Callsign], MMSI [read 9 digits individually]. MAYDAY, sailing vessel [Boat Name]. My position is Latitude [Degrees and decimal minutes North/South], Longitude [Degrees and decimal minutes East/West]. We have struck a submerged object and are taking on water rapidly (or state fire / dismasting / piracy). We require immediate assistance. There are [Number] adults and [Number] children on board. Our vessel is a [Length in meters and feet] [hull color] sloop/catamaran. We are launching an orange liferaft and activating our 406 EPIRB. OVER."

Release the Push-To-Talk button and listen for 30 seconds. If no station answers on Channel 16, repeat the spoken Mayday call at 2-minute intervals. If you are more than 40 kilometers (22 nautical miles) offshore beyond VHF range and carry a Marine Single Sideband (SSB / HF) transceiver, transmit a DSC distress alert on 2187.5 kHz, 4207.5 kHz, 6312.0 kHz, 8414.5 kHz, 12577.0 kHz, or 16804.5 kHz, followed by a spoken Mayday on 2182 kHz, 4125 kHz, 6215 kHz, 8291 kHz, 12290 kHz, or 16420 kHz.

How to broadcast a Mayday Relay when you hear another boat in trouble¶

If you hear a faint Mayday call on Channel 16 from a stricken boat that receives no reply from shore authorities after two minutes, you have a legal duty under SOLAS Chapter V, Regulation 33 to relay the distress call:

1. Log the time, the distressed vessel's name, MMSI, GPS coordinates, and nature of emergency.
2. Transmit on Channel 16: "MAYDAY RELAY, MAYDAY RELAY, MAYDAY RELAY. All Stations, this is sailing vessel [Your Boat Name, Callsign, MMSI] three times. Following received from sailing vessel [Distressed Boat Name] at [Time UTC] on Channel 16..." and read back their position and distress details.

Satellite distress beacons: 406 MHz EPIRBs, PLBs, and AIS SARTs¶

When a vessel is more than 35 to 50 kilometers (20 to 30 nautical miles) from land, curvature of the earth blocks VHF signals from reaching coastal antennas. At that distance, your primary lifeline is the Cospas-Sarsat satellite search and rescue system, accessed via a 406 MHz Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) or Personal Locator Beacon (PLB).

Critical rules for operating a 406 MHz EPIRB in a liferaft¶

Follow these rules so orbiting satellites lock onto your signal:

• Keep the antenna vertical and clear of obstruction: An EPIRB transmits a 5-watt digital burst every 50 seconds on 406 MHz. Laying the EPIRB flat on the floor of the liferaft beneath wet crew members blocks the radio energy and internal GPS chip. Either float a water-activated EPIRB in the sea tethered to the liferaft by its lanyard, or lash it upright to the canopy arch with the antenna pointing straight at the sky.
• Never turn the EPIRB off to save battery once activated: Once switched ON in an emergency, leave the EPIRB running continuously until you are lifted onto a rescue ship or helicopter. Turning a beacon on and off interrupts satellite tracking and stops the 121.5 MHz homing signal and AIS strobe that rescue helicopters rely on during the final approach.
• If you accidentally activate an EPIRB in non-distress: Switch the beacon OFF immediately, then call the nearest Rescue Coordination Centre (RCC) or Coast Guard station by VHF radio or telephone to report a false alert using your 15-character Hex ID, so they cancel the search at no penalty.

Damage control before abandoning: fighting flooding, fire, and dismasting¶

Because a 12-meter (40-foot) yacht offers superior shelter, fresh water, and stability compared to a liferaft, your primary rule is to fight to save the vessel while preparing to abandon in parallel.

Emergency hull flooding and through-hull failures¶

If the high-water bilge alarm sounds or water rises above the floorboards:

1. Start all electric and manual bilge pumps immediately and start the diesel engine.
2. Taste or check the temperature of the bilge water: A burst freshwater tank hose can flood the sole with 300 liters (80 gallons) of harmless drinking water. Saltwater confirms an external hull or seacock breach.
3. Locate the source by systematic isolation: Check the propeller shaft seal, rudder post gland, engine intake strainer, toilet seacocks, and sink drains.
4. Drive a tapered softwood emergency plug into failed seacocks: Every through-hull fitting should have a tapered softwood conical plug tied to the valve body. If a seacock shears off or a hose fails, hammer a softwood plug tightly into the opening.
5. Deploy an exterior collision mat (fothering a sail) for hull fractures: If a submerged object cracks the fiberglass hull forward, wrap a heavy jib or storm trysail tightly around the outside of the bow held by lines leading under the keel to the winches. Water pressure sucks the sailcloth into the fracture, cutting ingress by up to 80 percent.

Marine electrical and engine room fires¶

Fire on a fiberglass boat offshore produces toxic black cyanide and carbon monoxide smoke while melting hoses below the waterline.

• Shut off the fuel and battery switches first: Pull the diesel fuel shutoff cable, turn the propane solenoid switch OFF and close the tank valve, and turn the Battery Isolator Switches to OFF (after sending your VHF DSC Mayday).
• Never open a hot engine compartment hatch: Opening the engine box feeds oxygen to a fire, causing a backdraft flare-up. Discharge a clean-agent extinguisher (FM-200, Novec 1230, or CO2) or a dry-chemical ABC extinguisher directly through the engine room fire port keyhole without lifting the hatch.
• Steer the yacht downwind to slow flame spread: If a fire breaks out forward, alter course so the wind blows smoke and flames away from the cockpit and liferaft stowage area at the stern.

Dismasting in heavy seas¶

If a shroud or forestay parts and the mast crashes over the side:

1. Account for all crew and check for head or spinal injuries.
2. Do not start the engine until you verify no lines are trailing under the stern. Wrapping a halyard around the propeller shaft disables propulsion.
3. Protect the hull from the broken mast section: If the mast tube is surging on waves and threatening to hole the hull below the waterline, cut the standing rigging free. Use hydraulic rigging cutters, a cold chisel and hammer, or pull the cotter pins and clevis pins out of the turnbuckles so the rig sinks clear. Leave a 30-centimeter (1-foot) stub of coax cable to jury-rig an emergency VHF antenna.

Maritime piracy, suspicious approaches, and small-vessel boarding defense¶

Armed robbery at sea and violent small-boat boardings remain hazards in specific maritime corridors: the Gulf of Aden, Somali Basin, and southern Red Sea (Bab-el-Mandeb), the Gulf of Guinea (West Africa), the Sulu and Celebes Seas (Southeast Asia), the Singapore and Malacca Straits, and specific coastal stretches of the southern Caribbean and Central America.

Pre-transit registration in high-risk maritime corridors¶

Before entering any High Risk Area (HRA) or Voluntary Reporting Area (VRA), offshore yachts must register their passage plan with regional maritime monitoring centers and follow Best Management Practices (BMP) guidelines:

• Indian Ocean, Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Arabian Sea: Register with the Maritime Security Centre Horn of Africa (MSCHOA) (mschoa.org) and send daily position reports to United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) via email (watchkeepers@ukmto.org) or satellite phone (+44 2392 222060).
• Gulf of Guinea (West Africa): Register and report to MDAT-GoG (Maritime Domain Awareness for Trade - Gulf of Guinea) via watchkeepers@mdat-gog.org or telephone +33 2 98 22 88 88.
• Southeast Asia (Malacca Strait, Singapore Strait, Sulu Sea): Report to the ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre and the Information Fusion Centre (IFC) Singapore (+65 6594 5728).
• Automatic Identification System (AIS) policy: Follow current UKMTO or MDAT-GoG advisories on whether to set Class B AIS to Silent Mode (Receive Only) while transiting piracy zones, and switch AIS back to FULL TRANSMIT the instant you detect a suspicious approach or send a Mayday.

Assessing a suspicious approach vs. local fishing boats¶

Artisanal fishermen across the tropics operate fast open skiffs and frequently steer toward yachts to trade fish or warn you away from nets. Distinguish a fishing boat from a hostile boarding party using these indicators:

Evasive maneuvering and survival actions during an active approach or boarding¶

If radar or visual lookout spots high-speed skiffs closing on a constant bearing with no fishing gear visible:

1. Sound the alarm, start the main engine at full RPM, and wake all crew. Every person puts on a lifejacket (with PLB), dark clothing, and shoes, and moves below decks except the helmsman.
2. Alter course 30 to 45 degrees immediately to test intent: If the skiff alters course to maintain a constant intercept bearing toward your stern, treat it as a hostile approach.
3. Steer directly into the heaviest wind and steepest wave chop: Light fiberglass skiffs lose their speed advantage when slamming into steep 1.5- to 2.5-meter (5- to 8-foot) head seas, and pitching bows make it difficult to hook a ladder or aim weapons. Keep sails sheeted flat with the engine at full throttle.
4. Broadcast an immediate Piracy Mayday and trigger satellite beacons:
   • Hold the VHF DSC Distress button and broadcast on Channel 16: "MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY. This is yacht [Name, Callsign, MMSI]. Position [Lat/Long]. We are under armed attack by [Number] skiffs. Request immediate military assistance."
   • Activate your 406 MHz EPIRB and hit the SOS button on your Iridium / Garmin inReach messenger.
   • Dial UKMTO (+44 2392 222060) or the regional naval watch center on your satellite phone and leave the line open.
5. Illuminate the deck and stream trailing lines astern: At night, switch on floodlights and shine a spotlight briefly toward the skiff. Stream 50 meters (165 feet) of floating polypropylene line off both stern quarters to foul propellers.
6. If boarders have weapons drawn and are alongside, STOP EVADING and surrender peacefully:
   • Once armed men are within point-blank range firing or climbing aboard, continuing to fight will get the crew killed.
   • Throttle back to neutral, lock the companionway hatch from inside if you have a citadel bulkhead (or stand with empty hands raised at shoulder height if on deck), never make sudden movements, avoid aggressive eye contact, and state calmly that there are no weapons on board.
   • Keep a "decoy wallet and electronics pouch" containing 200 to 400 US dollars, an expired card, and an older phone near the chart table so robbers grab it and depart.

Preparing the ditch bag and executing a controlled liferaft launch¶

If flooding overcomes your pumps or fire forces you off the vessel, survival in an offshore liferaft (ISO 9650-1 Type 1 or SOLAS A-Pack) depends on what you bring aboard and how you prevent the raft from blowing away.

The offshore emergency grab bag (ditch bag) checklist¶

Keep a waterproof, positively buoyant ditch bag mounted beside the companionway ladder, packed with these items:

• Registered 406 MHz EPIRB plus a spare Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) and AIS SART.
• Waterproof floating handheld VHF radio (charged battery plus alkaline AA backup).
• Two-way satellite communicator (Garmin inReach / Iridium) in a dry pouch with a 10,000 mAh power bank.
• SOLAS pyrotechnic and electronic distress signals: 4 red parachute flares, 4 red handheld flares, 2 orange smoke canisters, 1 waterproof LED SOS strobe, and a signaling mirror.
• Emergency hydration: Clip two 10-liter (2.5-gallon) plastic jerrycans filled two-thirds full with fresh water (so they float) beside the ditch bag, or pack a manual reverse-osmosis watermaker and 125 mL water pouches.
• Seasickness and medical kit: Orally disintegrating ondansetron (Zofran) or scopolamine patches and chewable meclizine tablets, tourniquet, waterproof bandages, sunblock, and a 14-day supply of crew medications.
• Survival rations and thermal gear: High-calorie ration bars (2,400 to 3,600 kcal), SOLAS thermal protective aids (TPAs), a blunt-tipped floating knife, lanyards, flashlight, nitrile gloves, and laminated copies of passports and registration.

Step-by-step liferaft deployment and boarding procedure¶

Never launch the liferaft too early; an unballasted liferaft tethered in gale winds can flip or snap its line before anyone boards. When abandoning ship becomes unavoidable:

1. Verify the painter line is tied to a heavy cleat on the yacht: Before unstrapping the canister or valise, pull out 1 meter (3 feet) of the white painter line and verify that the bitter end is cleated to a strong deck cleat.
2. Launch the canister or valise on the LEEWARD (downwind) side: Throw the liferaft overboard on the leeward side (clear of the stern and falling spars) so the wind blows the yacht toward the raft.
3. Pull out the entire painter line and yank hard to fire the CO2 cylinder: Most liferafts have a painter line 8 to 12 meters (26 to 40 feet) long. Pull the entire length out until it stops, then give a forceful two-handed tug to trigger the CO2/N2 valve. Within 20 seconds, the raft will inflate.
4. Right the liferaft if it inflates upside down: If inverted, a swimmer wearing a lifejacket and tethered to the boat must climb onto the side where the CO2 cylinder hangs, grab the righting strap across the bottom floor, lean backward, and pull the raft over into the wind.
5. Pull the raft tightly alongside and STEP UP DRY: Haul on the painter line to bring the boarding entrance snug against the leeward rail or swim platform. Toss the ditch bag and water jugs inside first. Have the most agile crew member board first to stabilize the floor and help others inside. Never jump onto the liferaft canopy.
6. Cut the painter line with the safety knife inside the raft entrance: Once everyone is inside and the yacht is sinking or burning close enough to melt the tubes, retrieve the blunt-tipped floating knife sheathed next to the entrance door and slice the painter line. Deploy the drogue (sea anchor) immediately to move clear.

Surviving inside the liferaft and executing helicopter or ship rescue¶

Once clear of the mother ship, enforce the maritime Four Principles of Survival: Protection, Location, Water, and Food during the first hour aboard.

Immediate first-hour actions inside the liferaft¶

1. Stream the sea anchor (drogue): Verify the fabric sea anchor has deployed on its 30-meter (100-foot) swivel line to orient the entrance downwind, reduce drift by 70 percent, and stabilize against capsize.
2. Bail out seawater and dry the floor completely: Sitting in sloshing seawater drains core body heat and causes saltwater ulcers and hypothermia. Use the bailer bucket and sponges to dry the floor, and inflate the insulating double floor in cold waters.
3. Close the canopy entrance flaps and distribute seasickness medication: Zip down the windward flaps leaving a small ventilation gap at the top. Have every person take anti-seasickness medication right away before nausea starts.
4. Assign watch rotations and tether everything: Tie the ditch bag, water jugs, EPIRB, and handheld VHF to the interior lifeline loops so nothing is lost in a rollover. Establish a 1-hour lookout watch rotation at the observation port.

Strict water and food rationing protocols at sea¶

The human body can survive for 3 weeks without food, but only 3 to 6 days without fresh water:

• Zero water during the first 24 hours (unless injured or sweating in extreme heat): During the first 24 hours, your kidneys excrete extra fluid as urine. After 24 hours, ration 500 milliliters (16 ounces / 2 cups) of fresh water per person per day, sipped slowly.
• Never drink seawater or urine: Seawater has a salt concentration three times higher than blood can process; drinking ocean water forces your kidneys to pull water out of your organs to flush excess sodium, causing kidney failure and delirium. Drinking urine has the same toxic effect.
• Do not eat protein, fish, or dry food without excess drinking water: Digesting protein consumes internal body water to excrete urea nitrogen. Eat only the carbohydrate SOLAS survival biscuits until you collect fresh rainwater on the rinsed canopy roof.

Helicopter hoist rescue and ship pickup safety¶

When a rescue helicopter or AMVER merchant ship arrives, the final transfer requires strict discipline:

1. Establish radio contact on VHF Channel 16 and follow the pilot's instructions. Never fire a parachute rocket flare when an aircraft is approaching. Use a handheld red flare (held over the leeward side), orange smoke, or an LED SOS strobe.
2. Prepare for hurricane-force rotor downwash: A hovering helicopter generates a downward blast exceeding 130 km/h (70 knots) that can flip a liferaft. Put your lifejacket and goggles on, secure loose gear, and only exit into the water if the rescue swimmer commands you to do so.
3. Never touch a helicopter hoist cable or basket until it touches the water or deck first: A spinning rotor builds up 100,000 volts of static electricity on the hoist wire. Grabbing the hook before it grounds in the sea delivers a shock. Let the water ground the cable first, never tie the hoist cable to your boat or liferaft, and keep your arms folded inside the basket.

Frequently asked questions¶

What happens if I hold the red VHF DSC Distress button for 5 seconds when my radio does not have an MMSI or GPS connected?¶

If your VHF radio has not been programmed with a 9-digit MMSI number, the red DSC Distress button will not transmit a digital burst; you must switch to VHF Channel 16 and make a voice Mayday broadcast. If your radio has an MMSI programmed without a GPS receiver wired in, holding the red button for 5 seconds transmits a digital DSC alert with your vessel's MMSI identity to all ships and shore stations in range, and you must read your latitude and longitude aloud on Channel 16.

How do I know whether to buy and carry an EPIRB or a Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) for offshore sailing?¶

Both EPIRBs and PLBs transmit on the 406 MHz Cospas-Sarsat satellite distress frequency with a 121.5 MHz homing signal, but serve different roles: an EPIRB is registered to the vessel, floats upright automatically, activates upon touching water, and runs for at least 48 hours at -20 degrees Celsius (-4 degrees Fahrenheit). A PLB is registered to an individual, runs for 24 hours, must be activated manually, and requires a swimmer to hold the antenna above water, making an EPIRB necessary for the vessel and PLBs ideal for each crew member's lifejacket.

Should I stay aboard my dismasted or flooded sailboat or get into the liferaft right away?¶

Unless your yacht is actively sinking beneath the ocean surface or burning with an uncontrollable fire, remain aboard the sailboat while preparing the liferaft alongside. During the 1979 Fastnet Race and 1998 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race disasters, multiple crews perished after abandoning damaged yachts into liferafts that capsized in breaking waves, while their abandoned yachts were later found floating intact. Always step UP into a liferaft only when the yacht is going down.

Can merchant cargo ships actually rescue a small sailboat or liferaft in rough offshore weather?¶

Yes, under the Automated Mutual-Assistance Vessel Rescue (AMVER) system and international SOLAS obligations, commercial container ships and tankers are regularly diverted by Rescue Coordination Centres to rescue distressed yachts offshore. When a large ship maneuvers upwind of your liferaft to create a calm slick of water and lowers a pilot ladder or net down its steel hull, wait until the raft is secure alongside, wear your lifejacket, and let the rescue crew hoist injured survivors via a crane basket rather than climbing a 15-meter (50-foot) rope ladder in a swell if exhausted.

Sources checked¶

• International Maritime Organization (IMO) and ICAO (International): IAMSAR Manual, Volume III and SOLAS Chapter V, Regulation 33.
• International Telecommunication Union (ITU, International): Radio Regulations, Article 32: GMDSS Distress Communications.
• United States Coast Guard (USCG, United States): GMDSS, DSC VHF Channel 70, 406 MHz EPIRB Operations, and AMVER Procedures.
• UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) and RNLI (United Kingdom): Sea Safety, Liferaft Survival, and Helicopter Hi-Line Transfer Guidance.
• OCIMF, ICS, BIMCO, and UKMTO (International): Best Management Practices to Deter Piracy (BMP5).
• World Sailing (International): Offshore Special Regulations (OSR) for Category 0, 1, and 2 Vessels.

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