Sad

Sad news.   

There is an entire crew of watchstanders sitting in the Communications Center 24/7/365.  Additionally, each small boat station has a watchstander at the radios 24/7/365.  This doesn't ever change.  There is no instance where the radio does not have a watchstander, ever, period.  If I was the sole watchstander at the radio at the station in the middle of the night and I needed to walk away to use the bathroom, I needed to either wake someone up to come relieve the watch or I needed to contact the Comms Center above me in the chain of command to have them take my radio guard.  This is true for all watchstanders across the entire service.

The reason you didn't hear back on 16 for a radio check is because it's not legal for you to do radio checks on 16.  You really should brush up on your Marine VHF skills.  Every professional mariner and most recreational mariners at sea that night were hearing your radio check and not responding, too.  Why?  Because that's not what 16 is for.  16 is the International Hailing and Distress frequency.  You use it to call maydays, pan pans, securites, and to hail another vessel before immediately moving the conversation to another, more appropriate channel. 

Channel 09 is the proper channel for radio checks when 68 or 69 are not yielding good results.  That's the legal and proper way to do a radio check.  You should also brush up on local knowledge to know who your resources are.  You launched out of Pillar Point Harbor.  There's a Harbor Master there with an entire rescue force that consists of 2 boats and numerous jet skis.  They monitor VHF Channel 74 24/7.  You can do a radio check with them, too.  There are free publications called the Coast Pilot that outline all these details for all US coastlines and more.  As a distance sailor, you should be learning these things.

You often call my words harsh, but this is why.  You are proving that you are going out underprepared and riding a wave of luck.  Learn your shit and do better.

End rant and apologies for the threadjack.

100% agreement from me too.  Thank you, Tedski, for your valuable and informative contributions here and across the wider community.

Mr. X:  You are a humble and able guy with a passion for adventure.  I enjoy your posts and presentation and admire your vision and drive.  I hope that you'll take Tedski's words to heart and dedicate more of your energy to upping your game.  We all need that focus - especially in this sport.

You often call my words harsh, but this is why.  You are proving that you are going out underprepared and riding a wave of luck.  Learn your shit and do better.
End rant and apologies for the threadjack.

Hi Tedski, everyone has their strength and weakness, no one is perfect and no one can say they never made mistake, for me, I am keep learning humbling and thank you for your knowledge sharing.

For me, I also like to share my knowledge and experience, but I wont criticize others based on my strength, this only give others uncomfortable and depress, wont change anything, wont earn any credit or build glorious image.

I come here want to learn something which I dont know with happiness, but if someone keep depressing me, I rather escape, rather quit to save my time to explain, to type words, to spend time for purging out my frustrate.

No one is god, no one must have and cannot live without him/them. I can learn what ever I want from somewhere else. I think I wont come here anymore

I don’t know how CG work at midnight, yesterday Saturday around 01:00am before I launch kayak in HMB, I use channel 16 saying “for testing” , i want to be secure in case something happens, but no one reply to me after i tried couple times, i gave up testing to continue launch. I bet I will be ok as long as i take careful. My radio work fine because i can hear someone talk in day time from channel 69

CG didn’t work at midnight?

There is an entire crew of watchstanders sitting in the Communications Center 24/7/365.  Additionally, each small boat station has a watchstander at the radios 24/7/365.  This doesn't ever change.  There is no instance where the radio does not have a watchstander, ever, period.  If I was the sole watchstander at the radio at the station in the middle of the night and I needed to walk away to use the bathroom, I needed to either wake someone up to come relieve the watch or I needed to contact the Comms Center above me in the chain of command to have them take my radio guard.  This is true for all watchstanders across the entire service.

The reason you didn't hear back on 16 for a radio check is because it's not legal for you to do radio checks on 16.  You really should brush up on your Marine VHF skills.  Every professional mariner and most recreational mariners at sea that night were hearing your radio check and not responding, too.  Why?  Because that's not what 16 is for.  16 is the International Hailing and Distress frequency.  You use it to call maydays, pan pans, securites, and to hail another vessel before immediately moving the conversation to another, more appropriate channel. 

Channel 09 is the proper channel for radio checks when 68 or 69 are not yielding good results.  That's the legal and proper way to do a radio check.  You should also brush up on local knowledge to know who your resources are.  You launched out of Pillar Point Harbor.  There's a Harbor Master there with an entire rescue force that consists of 2 boats and numerous jet skis.  They monitor VHF Channel 74 24/7.  You can do a radio check with them, too.  There are free publications called the Coast Pilot that outline all these details for all US coastlines and more.  As a distance sailor, you should be learning these things.

You often call my words harsh, but this is why.  You are proving that you are going out underprepared and riding a wave of luck.  Learn your shit and do better.

End rant and apologies for the threadjack.

Well said, thank you!

I think I wont come here anymore

That's unfortunate.  You may be the ones making the mistakes, but everyone here is learning from Tedski's responses.  That's valuable.

-Allen

kayaker was swept out the mouth of Tamale Bay.

Stay Mr. X
I enjoy your adventures and post.

Stay Mr. X
I enjoy your adventures and post.

I second that! Please stay.

You often call my words harsh, but this is why.  You are proving that you are going out underprepared and riding a wave of luck.  Learn your shit and do better.
End rant and apologies for the threadjack.

Hi Tedski, everyone has their strength and weakness, no one is perfect and no one can say they never made mistake, for me, I am keep learning humbling and thank you for your knowledge sharing.

For me, I also like to share my knowledge and experience, but I wont criticize others based on my strength, this only give others uncomfortable and depress, wont change anything, wont earn any credit or build glorious image.

I come here want to learn something which I dont know with happiness, but if someone keep depressing me, I rather escape, rather quit to save my time to explain, to type words, to spend time for purging out my frustrate.

No one is god, no one must have and cannot live without him/them. I can learn what ever I want from somewhere else. I think I wont come here anymore

Interesting you would choose to bail on this community after many have also invested in you.  Caring, checking in, supporting.  It seems your feelings got hurt.  I'm not sure you understand where Tedski is speaking from.  I'm sure they've seen death and floating bodies and painfully distraught friends and families of the missing.  it's so avoidable with much or basic radio knowledge.  It does seem that a Lone Ranger type personality as yourself would choose this other then say simply...thanks, I'm gonna master radio communication especially after this thread.  Excellence can be learned in all aspects of this water adventure.

From the article:

“… around 10:20 p.m. Saturday, the sheriff's office received a call about the missing boat.

The U.S. Coast Guard was informed of the situation around 11:40 p.m.”

Why would the sheriff wait an hour and 20 minutes to inform the CG? That makes no sense to me.

The family member who posted in various facebook groups stated they called the sheriff to do a wellness check and the sheriff was dispatched to the parking lot to search for the truck and trailer and determine if they had returned or not. Once they confirmed it was still there, they called the family member back and at that time they alerted the CG.  I would have called the CG and then the sheriff personally, or contacted the harbor to check vs the sheriff as they're already on scene, but that's the series of events leading to CG Dispatch.

Is it weird to wear a PFD with a marine radio clipped to it on a boat? I don't think I've ever seen it but I'm thinking of doing it next time I find myself on a fishing boat. I don't find it uncomfortable, and it could save a life or five.

Is it weird to wear a PFD with a marine radio clipped to it on a boat? I don't think I've ever seen it but I'm thinking of doing it next time I find myself on a fishing boat. I don't find it uncomfortable, and it could save a life or five.

Shoulda woulda coulda...I think I'm that guy on a boat...

Is it weird to wear a PFD with a marine radio clipped to it on a boat? I don't think I've ever seen it but I'm thinking of doing it next time I find myself on a fishing boat. I don't find it uncomfortable, and it could save a life or five.

I do this, nobody has said anything about it to me, been on several different boats.

Is it weird to wear a PFD with a marine radio clipped to it on a boat? I don't think I've ever seen it but I'm thinking of doing it next time I find myself on a fishing boat. I don't find it uncomfortable, and it could save a life or five.

I do this, nobody has said anything about it to me, been on several different boats.

I also have mine on a boat, kayak, surf fishing etc... just another part of my PFD.

Is it weird to wear a PFD with a marine radio clipped to it on a boat? I don't think I've ever seen it but I'm thinking of doing it next time I find myself on a fishing boat. I don't find it uncomfortable, and it could save a life or five.

I do this, nobody has said anything about it to me, been on several different boats.

I also have mine on a boat, kayak, surf fishing etc... just another part of my PFD.

Me too, and if it's a smaller boat or conditions are rough I'll even wear my wetsuit. I don't feel much safer on a boat and since I'm typically not the captain I feel less in control of what may happen than I do on my kayak.

Is it weird to wear a PFD with a marine radio clipped to it on a boat? I don't think I've ever seen it but I'm thinking of doing it next time I find myself on a fishing boat. I don't find it uncomfortable, and it could save a life or five.

I do this, nobody has said anything about it to me, been on several different boats.

I also have mine on a boat, kayak, surf fishing etc... just another part of my PFD.

Me too, and if it's a smaller boat or conditions are rough I'll even wear my wetsuit. I don't feel much safer on a boat and since I'm typically not the captain I feel less in control of what may happen than I do on my kayak.

Same here.  To me, it's no different from a day on the motorcycle: dress for the crash, not the ride.  PFD with PLB, pencil flares and VHF radio are standard equipment for me on a small boat.