Maritime Emergency Communication & Essential Seafaring Vocabulary

Maritime Incident Report: Ocean Star Fire

The cargo ship Ocean Star was en route to Singapore with an estimated time of arrival (ETA) of 18:00 when its engine room suddenly caught fire. The crew bravely attempted to extinguish the flames, but thick smoke quickly spread throughout the vessel. The captain promptly sent a distress call, reporting their position as 15°N, 104°E. Nearby ships altered their course to assist, and emergency services were alerted to be on standby at the nearest port. By 17:45, the fire was brought under control, but the ship remained adrift, awaiting tugboats for safe harbor. This incident highlights the critical importance of effective maritime emergency procedures and communication.

Essential Maritime Vocabulary

Key Terms for Seafarers

• Avoid: evitar
• Capsize: volcar
• Collide: colisionar
• Drift: a la deriva
• Get underway: comenzar un viaje
• Ground: encallar
• Injure: lesionar
• Jettison: lanzar por la borda
• Keep clear: alejarse de
• Leak: filtrar
• Load: cargar
• Make fast: amarrar
• Shift: mover de sitio
• Sink: hundirse
• Spill: derramar
• Stow: almacenar
• Swamp: inundarse
• Tow: remolcar

Maritime Acronyms and Signals

• COLREG: Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea
• EPIRB: Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon
• MARPOL: International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships
• SART: Search and Rescue Locating Transponder
• VHF: Very High Frequency
• MAYDAY: Distress signal (grave and imminent danger)
• PAN-PAN: Urgency signal (serious but not life-threatening situation)
• SÉCURITÉ: Safety signal (important navigational or meteorological warnings)

Common Maritime Phrases and Synonyms

• Keep clear: Stay away
• Stall: Lose power
• Get underway: To start a journey
• Jettison: Throw overboard
• Weigh: Raise (e.g., anchor)
• Stow: Organize and store equipment
• Break down: Stop working
• Collide: Crash into
• Explode: Blow up
• Make fast: Tie a line to
• Stand by: Wait, be ready

Emergency Communication Phrases

Essential Questions and Statements for Distress

• ¿Cuántos remolcadores se necesitan? – How many tugs do you require?
• Se han suspendido los servicios de remolque hasta que se reanuden. – Tug services have been suspended until resumed on...
• ¿Necesita un piloto? – Do you require a pilot?
• ¿Cuál es su hora estimada de llegada a la estación? – What is your ETA at the station?
• ¿Cuál es su hora local? – What is your local time?
• Mi situación es... – My situation is...
• ¿Cuál es su francobordo? – What is your freeboard?
• Manténgase a la escucha en el canal VHF... – Stand by on VHF channel...
• ¿Acepta asistencia a la navegación desde tierra procedente del centro de servicios de tráfico marítimo? – Do you accept shore-based navigational assistance from the VTS centre?
• Permaneceré fondeado en... hasta... – I will stay in position... until...
• Está autorizado a navegar solo (o esperar al práctico en la boya). – You have permission to proceed by yourself (or wait for the pilot at the buoy).

Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS)

Understanding Digital Selective Calling (DSC)

The Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) is an internationally agreed-upon set of safety procedures, types of equipment, and communication protocols used to increase the safety of commercial vessels and recreational boats. A key component of GMDSS is Digital Selective Calling (DSC).

DSC can be used for all types of radio calls between ship-to-ship and ship-to-shore. DSC calls are made on Channel 70, meaning voice communication on this channel is not permitted. This dedicated channel ensures that distress, urgency, and safety alerts are transmitted efficiently and reliably.

Crafting Distress Communications

Key Information for Emergency Scenarios

• Fire Onboard

  • Parts of the ship affected
  • Cargo: Is it dangerous?
  • Is the fire under control?
  • Type of assistance needed: fire pumps, medical aid
  • Number of injured people or casualties

• Flooding

  • Type of assistance needed: escort, tug
  • Dangerous part of the ship affected
  • Current conditions (e.g., rate of flooding)

• Collision

  • Type of collision
  • Extent of damage
  • Assistance required
  • Is the vessel still under command?

• Grounding

  • Parts of the ship affected
  • Consider jettisoning cargo
  • Plans to refloat
  • Impact of tides
  • Can or cannot beach the vessel

• Sinking

  • Current situation
  • Assistance required
  • Estimated time of arrival (ETA) for rescue

• Disabled and Adrift

  • Current situation
  • Is the vessel under command?
  • Rate of drift in knots
  • Any immediate danger?
  • Assistance required

• Armed Attack / Piracy

  • Confirm vessel is under attack
  • Assistance needed: medical, navigational, military, tug, escort
  • What kind of damage?
  • Can the vessel proceed or not?

• Abandon Vessel

  • Why is abandonment necessary? (e.g., uncontrollable fire, sinking)

• Person Overboard

  • Current situation and position
  • Search efforts underway
  • Assistance required
  • Estimated time of arrival (ETA) for rescue/support
  • Can the vessel proceed or not?
  • Are efforts to pick up persons underway?
  • Current conditions (e.g., sea state, visibility)

Key Terms and Definitions

Understanding Hazardous Materials and Legal Concepts

• Toxic: A substance that is poisonous and can cause harm or death.
• Flammable: Easily set on fire; capable of burning rapidly.
• Destructive: Causing great and irreparable damage.
• Explosive: A material that can blow up or detonate, releasing energy rapidly.
• Lethal: Sufficient to cause death.
• Illegal: An action that is against the law or forbidden by rules.