Pacific Seafarer’s Net Assists in Rescue of Sailors from a Sinking Sailboat

I think you may be reading in wrong. It says Charles who was the Captain of the SV Jacaranda and located at Sea Contacted the HAM who relayed it to the USCG.
Charles was on a different boat than the one that was rescued.

 

Hams residing in costal areas are increasingly being plagued by foreign fishing vessels invading the ham radio spectrum. Naturally, these hams are quite sensitive to this hijacking of the airwaves.

However, the automatic assumption that the person in peril was a "radio pirate" with illegal equipment and sinister motives for having such, shows a general lack of knowledge in maritime communications.

Mariners are encouraged, and in some cases required by law to have MF or HF radio equipment on board. This is especially true if they travel more than a couple miles off the coast. Just like amateur radio, SSB is the preferred choice. These radios are not, as has been suggested here, hacked up, opened up versions of some old hamfest find. They are marine specific SSB radio's made by ICOM, Yaesu, and a host of others.

By law, in most cases, a mariner IS NOT REQUIRED to have an amateur radio license to operate HF SSB equipment aboard their vessel. They are only required to have a ship's station license and a Restricted Radio telephone Operators Permit to use this equipment. This is no test licensing which simply requires the filling out and submission of FCC form 169 (along with $160.o0 for a ten year license) and Form 605 (along with $60 for a lifetime license).

Marine HF radios are legally used, much the same way as amateur radios, to send Sailmail, check into nets, and to pass health and welfare traffic. It is quite common for marine users to upgrade their radio capabilities by becoming licensed hams, which is why you hear these operators checking into the seagoing nets as Wxxxxx/maritime mobile.

The other consideration which should be made is whether any of the above is even relevant. What is the flag of the vessel? A vessel 250 miles off the coast of Cold Bay in the Aleutian Islands, is probably in international waters. It may even had been in Russian waters. U.S. part 97 regulations may not have been an issue.

The good news is that thanks to the vigilant guard of the dedicated hams on 14.300 mhz no lives were lost in these incident.

 

In addition - the USCG news release:
Coast Guard rescues 2 from sinking sailboat 230 miles south of Cold Bay, Alaska
JUNEAU, Alaska — A Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew hoisted two men from the sinking 35-foot sailing vessel Rafiki 230 miles south of Cold Bay, Alaska, early Wednesday morning.

The Jayhawk aircrew then rendezvoused with an Air Station Kodiak HC-130 Hercules aircrew in Sand Point, Alaska. The Hercules crew transported the men to awaiting EMS in Kodiak.

Coast Guard 17th District watchstanders in Juneau received notification Tuesday evening from Coast Guard 14th District in Honolulu, Hawaii, watchstanders that an amateur radio operator had established communications with the Rafiki. 17th District watchstanders issued an urgent marine information broadcast, requested the launch of the Hercules and Jayhawk crews and diverted the Rising Sun, an Automated Mutual-Assistance Vessel Rescue System vessel, to assist. Watchstanders also directed the men on the Rafiki to activate their emergency position indicating radio beacon and to keep it with them and remain with the vessel as long as possible.

The Hercules aircrew arrived on scene, established communication with the two men and dropped survival suits to them. The aircrew remained on scene until the men were safely hoisted into the Jayhawk.

Coast Guard Sector Anchorage, Alaska, issued a hazard to navigation broadcast for the Rafiki.

“This case emphasizes the importance of proper survival gear for the harsh and challenging Alaskan environment,” said Adam De Rocher, a senior search and rescue controller at Coast Guard District 17. “The more prepared the better. Boaters making long transits are encouraged to have survival suits and life jackets for each person aboard, a life raft, a communication device such as a satellite phone, flares and an EPIRB. These items increase boaters’ chances of survival in an emergency situation.”

Weather on scene was reported as 7-mph winds and 6-foot seas.
(My note - for this part of the northern Pacific, these condition are nearly dead calm)


Local Anchorage News:
KODIAK, Alaska (KTUU) - The U.S. Coast Guard rescued two people from a sinking sailboat about 230 miles south of Cold Bay on Tuesday evening.

The two crew members on board the 35-foot vessel Rafiki were able to make radio contact with Coast Guard members in Hawaii, who then relayed the distress call to watchstanders in Juneau, the Coast Guard wrote in a Wednesday press release.

It wasn’t immediately clear what caused the boat to start sinking. Coast Guard Petty Officer Meredith Manning said the vessel was taking on water near the engine compartment. Their initial distress calls were received at around 7:15 p.m. Alaska time.

A Jayhawk helicopter crew and a HC-130 Hercules airplane were dispatched from the Coast Guard’s Air Station Kodiak to rescue the sailors.

Rescuers also made contact with another vessel called the Rising Sun, which was in the vicinity of the sinking sailboat at the time. The Rising Sun diverted its course to help rescue the two sailors if necessary.

“The Hercules aircrew arrived on scene, established communication with the two men and dropped survival suits to them,” the Coast Guard said. “The aircrew remained on scene until the men were safely hoisted into the Jayhawk.”


Once on board the Jayhawk, the rescued sailors were taken to Sand Point where they were transferred to the Hercules which then flew them to Kodiak for medical treatment.

and finally:
The ship in distress didn't sink.
Last week the crew of the CGC Morgenthau towed the sailing vessel Rafiki to Dutch Harbor.

 

I'm reading it the way it was written. Yes, there were two boats involved. The Jacaranda, captained by a ham, KD6SPJ, heard and relayed the distress call to the PSN. The vessel in distress was the SV Rafiki; no mention of that captain being a ham. Later it says the Rafiki maintained contact with the net through a ZL and FL amateur station. That implies all the comms of that nature were on ham band HF.

Hey, I give HUGE kudos to all the HAMS involved! They are HEROS. The skipper of the Jacaranda, the NCS and relays on the net, and to any bystanders that kept quiet and did not butt in .

The MMSN / PSN guys do a good service. They are reliable, almost always on-the-air. The nets are run in a relaxed inclusive less formal manner. I check in for sig reports while mobile, monitor while in the shack doing other stuff, and sometimes perform relays. They frequently endure QRM from naive DX pileups, contesters, and foul mouthed louts from up the band. I will praise them as many of you do.

The question still is ONLY about the vessel-in-distress. If the captain or crew of the SV Rafiki was a ham, then what is his or her call sign? It's a much bigger radio story if so. and if true should be in the headlines. (and I would be critical of the stories source for omitting it)

If not, then, I am attempting to nudge the conversation from the obvious "hero hams" (DUH!) to the issue of marine HF "freebanders", and how many ignore regulations and licensing, unscrupulously obtain and use ham band capable gear, only to run to us later for help.

 

W0PV ............turn yer power down, yer swr is way too high!

 

"Freebanders" are not only foreign nor always fishing vessels.

 

Dam* the torpedoes! And the SWR!! Full QRO ahead! ( low sunspots ;-)

I did some more research just for you huffy guys! There are several other articles about the SV Rafiki and its voyage online. They say its from Australia, captained by Andy Larson, who was making another attempt at circumnavigation via the Northwest Passage (!) at age 79 (!!) He wanted it to be solo (!!!) but picked up another crew member after running into engine trouble and putting in for repairs in AK.

Below is a link to the story published just as he shoved off this year. Note that he was being tracked on WinLink by VK3LAA.

http://www.cyca.com.au/news/cruisin...‘good-buddy’-rafiki-northwest-passage-gazing/

Andy's adventurous spirit is laudable. If he isn't a ham, why not? I sure as heck would welcome him any way. Glad they and the SAR crews are OK. And again, good job PSN "ham heroes"!

73 de John - WØPV

 

great job guys...so are the radio operators of the vessel, are they going to get fined because they failed to I.D. ? I DON'T THINK SO! 73 de KA1BSZ

 

Kudos!! Most hams are scanner enthusiasts as well... That said, I wouldn't hesitate to direct police or EMS to an accident if I felt the need to!
First choice is 911 of course, but if it is life or death, I will stand tall, before a judge if I need to do so!!

 

VK3LAA (Andy) was checking in to the Pacific Seafarers Net every day from his yacht RAFIKI. His journey started in Australia and was to be a solo circumnavigation via the North West Passage. He diverted to Dutch Harbour, Alaska for repairs and also recruited a crew member for the next leg of his journey to Victoria, BC. It was on this leg of the journey that he ran into trouble.

I have no reason to doubt Andy is appropriately licensed for operating on amateur frequencies. In any event, when a station calls asking for assistance and it is clear the situation is life threatening, we do not ask for proof of a valid license. We get the job done. Which I am pleased to say on this occasion had a good outcome.

 

Glad to finally learn that Andy is indeed VK3LAA. The original story source should have clarified that info. Headline: heroic hams helping each other.

IMO he needs to find a better good luck charm. Here's a vlog from a few years ago of Rafiki in lower latitudes being rescued that time by the Mexican Navy.



Hope he can recover his boat again this time.

 

Make sure you send a SSTV scan of your driver's license and last pay stub so W0PV here can properly vet your mayday

How about a shred of contrition for throwing a page of piracy accusations down before we even established anything? It was rude and very ham-cop of you to start in on this poor bastard, "Well, some people do it!" be damned.

 

blah,blah,blah

 

FCC:

§ 97.403 Safety of life and protection of property.
No provision of these rules prevents the use by an amateur station of any means of radiocommunication at its disposal to provide essential communication needs in connection with the immediate safety of human life and immediate protection of property when normal communication systems are not available.

§ 97.405 Station in distress.
(a) No provision of these rules prevents the use by an amateur station in distress of any means at its disposal to attract attention, make known its condition and location, and obtain assistance.
(b) No provision of these rules prevents the use by a station, in the exceptional circumstances described in paragraph (a) of this section, of any means of radio communications at its disposal to assist a station in distress.

ZL4IV

 

I doubt the Coast Guard grabbed the radio when they were saving lives. I'll forgive them for that and for the ship's crew for getting help.