Radio check service eases traffic on VHF 16
By BETH FEINSTEIN-BARTL
Waterfront Times Writer
Twenty-seven is a number that’s becoming increasingly popular with boaters.
It’s the VHF marine channel now used for a new free automated radio check service offered by Sea Tow Fort Lauderdale, easing up usage of the VHF 16 frequency that’s traditionally reserved for distress calls.
Checks are open to the boating public at large, covering an area that spans from the Bahamas and Florida Keys, up to Jupiter, depending on the strength of the vessel’s radio, said Capt. Tim Morgan, owner of the Broward-based franchise.
About 1,765 checks were requested in the first three days after the automated system’s unveiling in early June, and that number continue to surge, mostly due to an aggressive advertising campaign and word of mouth, Morgan said.
“It’s almost constant now.”
Sea Tow initiated the checks, partnering with the MariTEL marine operator system, at franchises around the country in 2009, including nearly a dozen sites in Florida.
Morgan jumped at the opportunity to implement the system after hearing about it during Sea Tow’s annual meeting in December. He believes the service will greatly assist in making boating safer in South Florida.
“Radio checks are necessary, but not on channel 16,” Morgan said. “We need to keep it clear for the people who really need it. It’s like the 9-1-1 on the water.”
When boaters make mayday, distress or assistance calls, there’s sometimes so much traffic for requests for radio checks that it can interfere with serious situations, delaying response.
“People aren’t doing it nefariously,” Morgan said. “They might not be close enough to hear the vessel in distress when doing their radio check. Our ultimate goal is to have all boaters request their radio checks on channel 27, leaving channel 16 open and available to be used as it should, for hailing and distress.”
Using the automated service is simple. It’s available 24/7, 365 days a year. Turn to channel 27, key the microphone and ask for a radio check, just as you would normally do. The system will record the person’s voice, then replay the transmission back, allowing the boater to hear how well his or her radio is working, Morgan said.
“I love it,” said Capt. Neil Hodder, owner of Safely Moored, a yacht management, boat training, dockside service and brokerage company in Fort Lauderdale. “It’s a good thing. It’s unique.”
Hodder has become hooked on the system after learning about it through the waterfront grapevine.
“When it first came out, I thought, ‘Oh, my goodness,’” he said. “As much as I think it’s a nuisance for people to be constantly on 16, it’s equally important to check your radio. This is an excellent alternative. It’s impressive.”
He intends to keep spreading the word. “This is something we’ll use in our company and in our hands-on boat training. It’s a no brainer. We’ll direct them to channel 27.”
As a member of the U.S. Power Squadron and U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary in Pompano Beach, Hodder said he also plans to ask leaders in both groups to promote the service.
Gene Cain, commander with U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 37 Lighthouse Point, said he and several auxiliary members use the system.
“It’s great. It’s very easy and quick.”
Currently, the Fort Lauderdale Sea Tow operation is receiving requests and sending out checks from its 400-foot-tall antenna on the beach, located at Commercial Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale.
It took about six months to obtain the FCC licenses and install special equipment to get the service up and running. The franchise shelled out initial costs of $5,000 and will continue paying license and maintenance fees, Morgan said.
The system is expected to get a large boost before the end of this year when Morgan said he intends to install the same special equipment at the franchise’s second, 800-foot-tall antenna on the Miami-Dade-Broward county line.
Offering the free service has been part philanthropy, part good exposure for the Fort Lauderdale operation, Morgan said.
Hodder doesn’t mind the marketing aspect. What matters is that this is a good thing for the boating community, he said.
The check system has had a huge positive response, said Capt. Charlie Zaloom, vice president of business technology for Sea Tow’s franchise-based, international marine assistance organization headquartered in Southold, N.Y.
Fort Lauderdale is one of 11 active sites in Florida. The others are in St. Augustine, Sebastian, Key Largo, Fort Myers and Charlotte Harbor, St. Petersburg and Tampa Bay, Horseshoe Beach, Carrabelle and St. Marks and the Pensacola and Orange Beach areas. Each area uses a dedicated VHF channel between 24 and 28, Zaloom sad.
Nationally, the service is available through Sea Tow franchises in Portland/Midcoast; Maine, Boston and South Shore, Mass.; Rhode Island; Huntington, N.Y.; Manasquan, N.J.; Northern Chesapeake and Central Chesapeake, Md., and Hampton Roads, Va.
Checks are also available from Sea Tow operators in Wrightsville Beach and Ocean Isle, N.C. In California, the system is offered in Newport Beach/Los Angles
and San Diego. Additional locations are on a waiting list for activation.
The system is expected to spread, with more operations waiting for activation.