GMDSS

Question 1

Manditory Navtex messages

Answer 1

A Nav warnings
B Urgent weather warnings
D Search and Rescue
L Additional warnings not covered in A

Question 2

Navtex station

Answer 2

518 kHz ( international )
490 KHz ( Local language )

Question 3

HF frequencies at night and day

Answer 3

4, 6, 8 Mhz at Night
8, 12, 16 Mhz during the day

Question 4

How to set up Navtex

Publications

Answer 4

Find nav area that you will be navigating through manually enter in stations in ALRS VOL 5. Then select the messages you would like to to recieve

ABDL ( manditory )

IAMSAR VoL 3

Question 5

Daily GMDSS Checks

Answer 5

DSC internally
Batteries voltage
Printer paper
GMDSS log book entry

Question 6

Weekly GMDSS Checks

Answer 6

DSC message to coastal station
Backup generator test
Check of battery area

Question 7

Monthly GMDSS checks

Answer 7

EPIRB
SART
hand held radios
Battery condition ( load test )
Antennas and insulators

Question 8

What are the 6 volumes of ALRS

Answer 8

Randy, madens, make, good, partners

Volume 1 Maritime Radio Stations

Includes details on global maritime communications, satellite communication services, coastguard communications, and more.

Volume 2 Radio Aids to Navigation

Covers VHF radio direction-finding stations, radar beacons, Automatic Identification System (AIS) aids to navigation, and radio time signals.

**Volume 3 ** Maritime Safety Information Services

Provides information on maritime weather services, radio weather and navigational warnings, NAVTEX and EGC services, and more.

**Volume 4 ** Meteorological Observation Stations

Lists all meteorological observation stations worldwide.

**Volume 5 ** Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS)

Details worldwide communication requirements for distress, search, and rescue, including SOLAS and ITU regulations.

**Volume 6 ** Pilot Services, Vessel Traffic Services, and Port Operations

Includes detailed information on pilot services, vessel traffic services, and port operation

Question 9

How many sea areas are there

Answer 9

4 SEA AREAS

A1
A2
A3
A4

Question 10

You recieve a distress alert on sea A3. What are your actions

Answer 10

• Check what equipment for message recieved
• If VHF accept and switch to voice
• If not wait 5 mins and listen in for voice message.
• Write down all information and check position.
• Make chart, nav and weather assesment.
• Notify Master
• Master then should make assesment on weather we can be of assistance.
• Note everything in the GMDSS log book
• If on HF then I wouldn’t wake the master.

Question 11

What is a SART

Answer 11

A Search and Rescue Transponder (SART)

is a device used in maritime situations to assist in locating vessels or people in distress.

Activation: When activated, the SART responds to radar signals sent from rescue vessels or aircraft.

Function: It transmits a series of dots and dashes that appear on the radar screen of the rescuing vessel, making the location of the SART and, hence, the distressed vessel or individual, visible on the radar.

Range: The effective range of a SART is approximately 5-6 nautical miles for a height of 1 meter above sea level. This range can extend to around 30 nautical miles if the SART is detected by an aircraft radar.

Standby Mode: 96 hours.

Active Mode: around 12 hours

Question 12

What is an EPIRBS ?

Answer 12

Stands for

Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon.

Is a device that sends out a distress message to a geo stationary satilitle. The position of the EPIRB is position is then fixed to a 3 mile range by polor orbiting satilitles to a range of 3miles every 90mins.

Battery life is 48hours

Question 13

What are signs of distress / signals

Answer 13

• Flares
• Sart (signals on the radar)
• Fire
• DSC messages on VHF and MF/HF
• Orange smoke
• Orange canvas with black square on it.
• Flags, N C
• Gun or Explosive Signal: Fired at intervals of about a minute.
• Continuous Sounding with Fog Signalling Apparatus: Continuous sound using fog signals
• Morse Code SOS: The group … — … in Morse Code
• People waving both arms up and down slowly
• Life saving equipment in the water

Question 14

Your on route to an emergency. What actions can you do to prepare

Answer 14

• Prepare rescue tender and medical equipment
• Assign spotter to the fly bridge
• Assign lookout to radar x band look for SART
• Go through check list tool box talk to rescue team to ensure they know what information we have available.
• Ensure good communication with bridge and rescue team.

Question 15

Requirements for vessel A1

Answer 15

VHF with DSC
Navtex
EPIRB
SART
Hand held GMDSS VHF radio 6, 13, 16

Question 16

Additional Navtex messages

Answer 16

C - is Ice
E - is Met reports

Question 17

Requirements of vessels in A2

Answer 17

Everything in A1 plus
MF radio with DSC

Question 18

Requirements of A3

Answer 18

Everything in A1 and A2 plus
Inmarsat
Duplicated VHF

Question 19

Requirement of vessels in A4

Answer 19

Doesn’t require inmarsat system, but does required additional MF_HF radio

Question 20

Give me a mayday radio call

Answer 20

Mayday x3
this is vessel x3
Call sign x3
MMSI
Mayday
This is vessel name and call sign x1
Position
Nature of distress
Response required
Over

Question 21

Give me a typical mayday relay message.

Answer 21

“Mayday Relay, Mayday Relay, Mayday Relay”

Identification: “This is [Your Vessel Name], [Your Vessel Name], [Your Vessel Name]”

MMSI: “MMSI [Your MMSI Number]”

Distress Information: “Mayday [Vessel in Distress Name], MMSI [Vessel in Distress MMSI Number]”

Position: “In position [Latitude and Longitude or Bearing and Distance from a Known Feature]”

Nature of Distress: “[Nature of Distress, e.g., Holed and Sinking, Man Overboard]”

Additional Information: “[Number of Persons on Board, Life Raft, etc.]”

Over: “Over”

Question 22

If sending out an emergency radio message on MF HF what do you need to take into account

Answer 22

Refer to ALRS vol 1
find SRC channels
Refer to propergation tables for season and time of day frequency before transmitting.