Distress, communication & rescue study overview

Choose urgency levels, make distress calls and support rescue efforts.

Practise observation and judgement using sailing scenarios. Interactive questions and your device-local progress load when JavaScript is available.

Study points

• MAYDAY is the distress signal for grave and imminent danger. PAN-PAN indicates urgency without the same immediate grave danger.
• PAN-PAN is an urgency signal; use MAYDAY when the situation meets the distress threshold.
• Clear, concise distress information helps rescuers respond: identity, position, nature of distress, assistance and persons aboard.
• Channel 16 is an international VHF distress, safety and calling channel; move to an appropriate working channel when directed.
• An EPIRB is a distress beacon; register, stow, test and activate it according to its instructions and the emergency.
• SECURITE introduces a safety message, such as a navigational warning or important weather information.
• Keep the distress channel clear for essential traffic and coordinate assistance with the responding authority. Since the call has already been acknowledged, do not talk over the exchange with a redundant acknowledgement. Offer useful position and capability information when appropriate, and assist without placing your own people in danger.

Educational revision only. Check current official rules, charts and publications before navigating.