"Larry W4CSC" wrote

While I was in Daytona Beach, waiting for the mechanic to show up to work
on the diesel, I monitored 14.300 Maritime Mobile Service Net run by the
"professionals", those retired hams who doggedly keep MMSN running.

The captain of a Honduran fishing vessel half way to Jamaica knew where to
come to get ANSWERED. He got the finest emergency service anyone could
ask
for. Eventually, USCG got contact with the Honduran Air Force who located
the boat and sent a boat to intercept him with medical care. The victim,
who had been stabbed with a 7" knife in between his guts in a fight
aboard,
actually survived they tell me!

The boat captain wasn't a ham, not licensed. That mattered not. What I
couldn't figure out is why CG didn't come up on 14300 to talk to him,
directly. The hams provided all the comms to the boat. The ham talking
to
USCG was in Canada.

Larry, the good things you said about Mobile Maritime Service Net are
understated, if anything. But none of your assertions about getting answered
or questioning why USCG did/does not come up on 14300 are accurate. Any
service such as MMSN will have success strories to tell, but that does not
diminish the internationally unequaled service provided by the USCG.
Mariners in distress are never so fortunate anywhere in the world as they
are when reachable and assisted by the United States Coast Guard and United
States Navy. It doesn't matter whether the call was answered by or referred
to the USCG or USN. Both services have applauded the dedication and ability
of the MMSN, and both can and do come up with the operators there to assist
in assessment and in many cases rescue of distressed vessels.

Jack


A lot of bad things happen to ham radio, these days. But, those old guys
who give up their retirement to help the net....made ham radio just shine
like a bright star that day.

Larry