Frequently asked
Should I press the DSC distress button before voice Mayday?
Yes. On a GMDSS-equipped VHF, depress the red DSC distress button (held under the cover, typically 5 seconds). The DSC alert auto-transmits your MMSI and last GPS position to all DSC stations and triggers their distress alarms. Then read the formatted Mayday on Channel 16.
What position format should I give?
GPS lat/long in DDD°MM.M' (degrees and decimal minutes) is preferred. If you don't have GPS, use bearing and distance from a charted point: 'TWO ZERO FIVE DEGREES TRUE, FOUR POINT FIVE NAUTICAL MILES FROM CAPE EXAMPLE LIGHT'. Always read each digit individually: 'three four point seven', not 'thirty-four point seven'.
How many times do I transmit a Mayday?
Three times in succession (MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY) at the start of the call. After delivering the full message ending OVER, listen for 30 seconds for an acknowledgement from a coast station or vessel. If no acknowledgement, repeat the entire Mayday.
What if I made a Mayday by mistake?
Cancel immediately on Channel 16: 'ALL STATIONS, ALL STATIONS, ALL STATIONS, THIS IS [vessel name and callsign], MAYDAY [vessel name], TIME [UTC], PLEASE CANCEL DISTRESS, OUT.' Do not just go silent — that prolongs the search-and-rescue response. Coast guard authorities require the cancellation to log and stand down resources.
Mayday script generator
Fill in the five fields below. The page formats your details as a correctly-structured Mayday call following the GMDSS / SOLAS Ch IV procedure (see distress procedures). Use the "Print" button for a paper copy to keep at the radio. Nothing is sent anywhere — this runs entirely in your browser.
For a real distress, depress the DSC distress button on the VHF first, then read this Mayday on Channel 16. If you have time, transmit the Mayday three times and listen between for an acknowledgement from a coast station.
Embed this tool on your site
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See also
- · Distress procedures — full Mayday format and worked example.
- · Distress frequencies — VHF Ch 16, MF 2182 kHz, HF, SART/EPIRB.
- · GMDSS — Sea Areas A1–A4 and the equipment matrix.
- · Helplines — for non-emergency welfare and crisis support.