Victoria’s marine emergency radio service readies for ‘busy season’

Marine Radio Victoria (MRV) was launched in September 2017, scanning VHF emergency channels for watercraft up to 20 nautical miles off the state’s coastline, and HF frequencies.

Maritime Safety Victoria (MSV), which helped deliver the project behind MRV,  said it had helped “dozens of stricken boaters and paddlers” in its first year of operation.

   >> VHF: Channels 16 and 67 for voice and 70 for Digital Selective Calling (DSC)
   >> HF: 4125 kHz, 6215 kHz, 8291 kHz, 8176 kHz, 12290kHz

“This has been a great service and has helped many members of the boating community,” MSV director Rachel Gualano said. “Not only is it an avenue for people to call when they need help, it’s also a tool people can utilise to receive important information about any changes in the weather while on the water.

“Being attuned to the conditions and keeping informed will mean a safer boating community.”

MRV said it had handled 48 distress (mayday), urgency (pan pan) and safety (securite) incidents in the financial year ending on June 2018. It said the service had also helped users with 1382 radio checks during the year.

“The trend in growing use of the service, and spikes in activity during peak fishing months, reflects an increasing awareness which is likely to continue and contribute to the safety of Victorian boaters,” it said.

The service reached a peak of 195 calls in March this year, falling right at the end of the peak boating season in the state. The second-highest call rate was in January, with 166 calls.

Of the 48 incidents handled by MRV, the highest number of distress calls – just three – were received in April, with another four calls rated as “urgent”, marking it as the most active month for coast guard services.

Of the 48 incidents handled, the service received nine distress calls and 15 requests for urgent assistance. The other 24 calls were for safety.

MRV operates on VHF channels 16 and 67 for voice, and 70 for Digital Selective Calling (DSC) – the technology that, at the push of a button, will broadcast all your details, including position, to anyone listening into the emergency channels and in range.

Marine Radio Victoria replaced Coast Radio Melbourne, a volunteer-run monitoring service that previously provided cover mainly to Port Phillip and Western Port bays.

The MRV network monitors all emergency radio channels 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year. It also regularly broadcasts weather information over marine channels.