Step 2 of 2•3 minutes read
Basic communication at sea comes down to instructions: taking instructions, giving instructions, and making sure that the sender and recipient agree on what is being instructed.
Words, phrases and instructions are sometimes as short as letters and numbers. There are plenty of situations where a specific number or letter is the difference between failure and success. This is especially true at sea, within navigation or in an emergency.
The use of a shared spelling alphabet is a necessity at sea, not only for communication codes or vessel identifications. It is very useful in all communication, especially over the radio where a noisy or static line may blur out the difference between letters like M/N, D/G/ P, S/X, and so on.
Listen and study the internationally agreed phonetic alphabet from A to Z and the phonetic digits & numbers. Underlining marks what part of the words to emphasise. In addition, some digits and numbers have a modified pronunciation compared to general English.
Generally, numbers are to be spoken in separate digits (i.e. radio coms):
Remember, with rudder angles/wheel orders are given as:
To help the recipient decode a message, SMPC suggests using message markers. Message markers help signal both how a message should be interpreted (or encoded), how that a message has been received and how it can be answered effectively. It helps clear out potential questions like is this an order or a recommendation? A question or an intention? Was my warning received? Will the vessel follow my advice?
Message markers are very useful in simplifying radio communication. This is especially true in conversation with a VTS-Station or with other fully trained personnel. The message markers are:
Listen to the message markers above, followed by some example phrases.
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