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When something goes wrong at sea, radio is often the only link to the outside world. How clearly and correctly a VHF report is structured can decide how fast help arrives — and whether it arrives in the right place at all. Let’s go through standard phraseology for distress, urgency, safety, and routine communication in English.
Why standard phraseology matters
Radio communication doesn’t forgive ambiguity: interference, accents, and the speaker’s own stress all work against understanding. That’s exactly why a single international phraseology exists — standard words and report structures that sailors and shore stations everywhere understand without translation. Straying from it is a common reason an important report isn’t understood correctly the first time.
The three message urgency categories
- MAYDAY (distress) — a vessel or person is in grave and imminent danger to life, immediate assistance is required
- PAN-PAN (urgency) — a serious situation, but without immediate danger to life yet (an engine breakdown in a busy area, a person overboard when quickly recovered, etc.)
- SECURITE (safety) — a navigational or meteorological warning important for the safety of other vessels
Structure of a MAYDAY call
A distress call follows a clear, rehearsed structure:
- “MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY” — the word is said three times
- “This is [vessel name], [vessel name], [vessel name]” — the vessel’s name is also said three times
- Position of the vessel — coordinates, or bearing/distance from a known point
- Nature of the distress — “sinking,” “on fire,” “collision,” etc.
- What assistance is required
- Number of persons on board
- Any additional information that could help rescuers
Key phrases for routine and operational communication
- “Radio check” — checking the connection (“Can you hear me?”)
- “Say again” — “repeat that,” used instead of the conversational “what?” or “repeat”
- “This is a drill” — always added at the start and end of a training transmission, so it isn’t mistaken for a real emergency
- “Over” — transmission finished, awaiting a reply
- “Out” — the conversation is finished
- “Roger” — message received and understood
- “Wilco” (will comply) — “received, and I will carry it out”
Relaying a distress call (MAYDAY RELAY)
If you’ve received a MAYDAY call but aren’t sure a coast station or other vessels heard it, you’re obligated to relay it: “MAYDAY RELAY, MAYDAY RELAY, MAYDAY RELAY, this is [your vessel’s name],” followed by repeating the content of the original distress message. This builds a chain of relayed information even if the original vessel was transmitting at the edge of its range.
How to train this English
- Say the full MAYDAY structure out loud until it’s automatic — in a real situation there’s no time to recall the order of items.
- Listen to recordings of real or training VHF exchanges (GMDSS simulator recordings, coast guard broadcasts) and pay attention to pace and intonation.
- Drill the difference between MAYDAY, PAN-PAN, and SECURITE on a simulator — it determines how you structure the whole report.
- Practice the phonetic alphabet (Alfa, Bravo, Charlie…) alongside numbers — it’s part of the same discipline of clear communication.
Conclusion
VHF radio English isn’t about a rich vocabulary — it’s about the ability to say exactly what’s needed, in the right order, even under stress. At Sea Service, we drill this vocabulary through real report scenarios, not just a list of phrases to memorize.