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

On September 28, 2016 at approximately 0300 UTC, Charles Houlihan, KD6SPJ, a net relay relay station for the Pacific Seafarer’s net while monitoring 14.300 received a call for assistance from the captain of the Sailing Vessel (SV) Rafiki. The captain reported that the SV Rafiki, a 35 foot sailing vessel, was taking on water. Charles who was the captain of the SV Jacaranda and located at sea, contacted Randy VanLeeuwen, KH6RC also a net relay and located in Hawaii. Randy contacted the US Coast Guard Station to report the incident and provide Rafiki’s location, 230 miles south of Cold Bay, Alaska.


Randy remained in constant radio contact with the Rafiki until contact with lost. Fred Moore W3ZU (Florida) and Peter Mott, ZL1PWM (New Zealand) additional net relays maintained contact with the captain of the Rafiki until the arrival of the Coast Guard the subsequent rescue.


According to a press release issued by the United States Coast Guard Station--17th District, a Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter and an Air Station Kodiak HC-130 Hercules were dispatched to the Rafiki’s last reported position. Upon arrival the crew of the Jayhawk helicopter were successfully able to hoist the captain and one additional crew member to safety aboard the helicopter.around 1000 hours UTC. Both men were reported to be uninjured. The vessel was abandoned.


This real-life incident happened during the daily “roll-call” conducted by the amatuer radio operators (or “hams”) and members of the Pacific Seafarers Net. Everyday at 0300 UTC amateur radio operators from North America, Hawaii, New Zealand and Australia monitor the progress of maritime amateur radio operators who are sailing on the Pacific.


Prior to the start of the roll call for “maritime mobile” vessels, a call for medical, emergency or priority traffic is broadcasted. It after such a call for any emergency traffic that the call for assistance from the Rafiki was received.


According the the net’s website (www.pacseanet.com): “The Pacific Seafarer's Net is a network of volunteer Amateur Radio Operators that handles radio and internet email communication traffic between sailing and motoring vessels operating on all oceans and land-based parties. The land station Net Control Amateur Stations are located in various locations throughout the Continental United States, Hawaii, Australia and New Zealand. Communications traffic consists of daily position reporting and automatic posting of positions on several websites, message handling via email relays, Health and Welfare traffic, phone patch services, search and rescue coordination, and vessel equipment inventories for search and rescue operations. Life threatening emergencies are taken from any vessel whether or not they have ham radio licenses. Net control stations keep computer databases on participating vessels and their movements throughout the oceans.”

 

Great story. Glad the two sailors were rescued uninjured. You never know what might come across the radio spectrum from time to time... it's best to be prepared.

 

Not making a fuss about saving lives, that's always a good thing, but, there is no mention of any licensed radio amateur or such call sign from the vessel in distress SV Rafiki.

So are we to assume they just happened to have a legit marine HF-SSB rig on board, opened up and capable of working at 14300 khz, and knew the net could be of assistance?

Or is this a case of a "free-band" radio PIRATE getting into deep water to be bailed out by properly licensed hams; and an example of a possible fate for the stolen ham equipment like the KCØW DX'ped gear?

73 de John - WØPV

 

Good job guys! Looks like SEMPER PARATUS applies to the U.S. Coast Guard AND HAM RADIO.
Well done.

 

I read it as the comms from the SV Rafiki to Charles Houlihan, KD6SPJ on his boat were Marine band and then Charles on the SV Jacaranda triggered the rest of the comms via the HF amateur net to get the needed Coast Gaurd assistance for the SV Rafiki. Of course that would mean that Fred Moore W3ZU (Florida) and Peter Mott, ZL1PWM (New Zealand) operated on the Marine bands to keep in communication with the captain of the Rafiki.

73 Ed.

 

No, you didn't really ask this? If a mariner is in trouble, kiss the rules and regulations good bye.

 

As I said, I have no problem with the rules being broken in an emergency. Save the lives first.

BUT, if the equipment / operator is NOT legit, there should be follow up and appropriate reprimanding actions taken.

Some mariners may open up their marine HF radios (legally in the USA?) to be able to operate on ham bands just-in-case. But many, especially smaller vessels like this, seem to be acquiring (cheaper) amateur HF rigs, forgoing the hassles of amateur training and licences, then just use them "free-band" style for casual comms, with the added insurance of knowing they could use MSN/ PSN for help.

I monitor 14300 khz a lot and occasionally hear unknowing "new-bee" sailors trying to check into the net just to pass the time for fun! They usually get turned away, appropriately. If so equipped, where did they get their ham rig?

 

In an emergency it doesn't matter if you use a Collins kW on CB freqs or a tin can on broadcast band. Fortunately folks were able to save lives, that's what counts!

 

to the resident hater, i hope that should you ever need help, that the providers will overlook this karma moment, and help you anyway. i hope they dont wait for you to fax them a copy of all the appropriate licenses before they help, as obviously you think should happen in your little world. based on NO KNOWLEDGE, you declare these people pirates, using stolen radios, you must have been karnak in your last life. in this life, not so much

PLEASE crawl back into your moms basement, where things are perfect, and your undies are unbunched

to the net and the rescuers
two thumbs and two big toes up, thats all i got

 

Ed, I read it as all occurring on 14300 khz. While KD6SPK may have been close enough for a VHF marine first contact, obviously the ZL and FL stations were too far away to maintain there. The USCG will come onto the ham PSN HF frequency in such instances. 73, John

 

WOAH! Relax hot-headed land-lubber! No basements in FL and the humidity always requires well ventilated loose boxers.

No hating of saving lives here. The MMSN / PSN do a great job.

But I am dissing those non-ham mariners that go out so far under prepped for such situations. If they know enough and want to rely on HF amateur radio when "all else fails", why not take the trouble to get properly trained and licensed too?

Not calling this particular instance a radio pirate, yet, but it does cause me to question their overall competency, equipment type and source.

 

All too often, mariners (and others) get themselves into trouble, and require expensive dangerous rescues, because they kiss the rules and regulations good bye ...

 

Come down off your pedestal for a minute.
It is irrelevant if the boater has a license but what is noteworthy is that you are the only one to assume he doesnt. Hope you don't make such snap judgments in a voting booth.

Two lives were saved using ham radio and the 14.300Mhz net.

Maybe some of your fellow cynics won't be so quick to criticize that net in the future.

 

Get some glasses and read more carefully. Any assumption is based on the lack of other info provided so far, waiting for contrary evidence.

No criticism of the nets. I check in and contribute often. I do however object to the proliferation of maritime HF "freebanders", and if one happens to save a life, that doesn't make using the radio otherwise morally or legally justified.

As a boater yourself, do you engage with / support unlicensed commercial or casual marine HF radio activity (freebanders) on the open sea?