It is used to signal urgent information, such as when
someone has fallen overboard, or a boat is drifting into the
shore or a busy shipping channel.

An individual boat can definitely declare it. In other
words, it is not reserved only for USCG use.

MAYDAY is only to be used when a person, or boat is
threatened by grave or imminent danger, and requires assistance.

In the end, of course, it is the skipper's judgment whether
a situation is "grave" or "danger" is "imminent". My
understanding is that PAN conveys information whereas MAYDAY
requests assistance. Crew overboard could fall into either
category.

Chuck








Steve wrote:
Can I get a clear definition of "Pan-Pan", who and when may it be declared.

I have hard the USCG declare "Pan-Pan", followed by a requirement that all
none "Pan-Pan" traffic on channel 16 traffic be suspended.

Can an individual boat declare "Pan-Pan", say when a crew member is lost
overboard, etc??

I fairly sure I understand when I could send a "May Day" but, to me, Pan Pan
is something more recent and I must have missed out on earlier definition..

Thanks

Steve
s/v Good Intentions