Hi! Frank!

The real thing is, as for English, there are several levels of language
in French. "Il ne fonctionne pas" is the correct expression, the one
that'll be corretly translated by Google or dare I say "academic". "Il ne
marche pas" is the popular and most used way to say this and you'll hear
it in France, in Quebec, in Acadia, in New Orleans and all of French
Africa and we'll all understand the same thing, although we may have some
trouble understanding the Cajun accent! ;-)

Jean

Frank wrote:

Well, it ain't "real" French; but growing up in New Orleans I always
heard "ne marche pas." I never heard "tomber en panne." Maybe it's
because Cajun French is kinda archaic and therefore from the same
period that we got all the radio calls, whereas "tomber en panne" is
contemporary? Just guessing here.

Frank

Merci, cher! I have no trouble understanding Haitians and vice versa;
but as to the rest... grin

On Mon, 14 Mar 2005 19:46:25 GMT, Bruce in Alaska
wrote:

snippage

Nice explanation Chuck.

I would add just a few thoughts to the above.

First: Radio Prodceedures are covered extensivly in 48CFR80 starting at
80.311. Only the Master, of a US Flagged vessel, or the person
responcible for the vessels Radio Station, (Radio Officer) may
authorize the transmission of a Distress Signal, or Urgency
signal. (Mayday, Pan Pan)
Second: Urgency Siganls differ from Distress Signals in that Urgency
Siganls are messages that carry Distress Information that are
about another Station, and NOT the Transmitting Station. That
is why USCG use the "Pan Pan" Urgency Signal preceeding any
message that concerns a "Reported ship in Distress", and it
means that the information passed is in regard to a MayDay
Call received and reported. This is opposed to a MayDay Relay
Signal which is sent by a vessel that is relaying an initial
Mayday Signal for a Distressed Vessel, that may not have been
received and a Acknowledged by the appropriate Agency. (USCG
for US Waters)

In Canada, we use "Mayday Relay" to relay a message from a distressed
vessel (and a US book I have also uses "Mayday Relay" for this
purpose).

Normally, when a vessel makes a Mayday call, the Coast Guard will
respond and verify the details, then do a "Mayday Relay" to
re-broadcast the distress message.

A "Pan Pan" or Urgency message indicates that the vessel has an urgent
message concerning the safety of a ship, aircraft or other vehicle, or
the safety of a person. The Coast Guard will also use a "Pan Pan"
message to relay a vessel's Urgency message.

In practice, the Urgency call is used when a vessel requires
assistance, but is not in grave and imminent danger (the requirement
for assistance is often not particularly urgent, but we don't have any
lesser grade of call.)

Although "Mayday" officially indicates the _vessel_ is in grave and
imminent danger, you are unlikely to be shot if you use it for man
overboard or serious medical emergencies. Even if Urgency is used for
these situations, I expect they will be handled with top priority.

Third: The Silence Signal (Seelonce Mayday) is used by the sender
of the Distress Signal, to initiate a Quiet Frequency for
the purpose of passing Distress Traffic. It may apply to
individual Stations, OR All Stations. The Distressed
Station MAY deligate control of the Frequency to another
Station at its discression. It is resinded by sending the
Silence End Signal. (Seelonce Feeenee, or Pru-donce)
Fourth: Order of Priority is:
1. Mayday (Distress Signal)
2. Pan Pan (Urgency Signal)
3. Sellonce Mayday (Silence Signal)

A "Seelonce" message doesn't have a place in the priority list - it is
just a message indicating that a Top Priority (Distress) situation
exists.

4. Securite (Security Signal)
5. all other traffic


Bruce in alaska wondering if this is going to start another jackieboy
rant.......

--
Peter Bennett, VE7CEI
peterbb4 (at) interchange.ubc.ca
new newsgroup users info : http://vancouver-webpages.com/nnq
GPS and NMEA info: http://vancouver-webpages.com/peter
Vancouver Power Squadron: http://vancouver.powersquadron.ca

Eric, Are you under the impression that everyone, here in this group has
taken a boating course?

I have been boating for 47 years and never took a boating course.. Not to
say that I couldn't benefit from one. Never too old to learn.

The reality being, that for my first 35 years of boating, I never had a VHF
radio and never felt I needed one until I finally purchased a boat that had
one. Until recently, the cost of a VHF radio was about the equivalent of a
medium size main sail. What do you think I would choose?? (Now, the price of
VHF comes down while the cost of sails go up. Go figure?)

I believe the PanPan is much more recent and maybe I missed it's
introduction to the recreational boating community.

I think the reason I raised the question was because I got to thinking about
that "Big Red Button" on my new DSC VHF, labeled "Distress" (or some word to
this effect). Understand that by activating this button/switch, my VHF will
automatically send my distress signal and vessel ID (MMSI) and GPS position
(assuming GPS is connected). However, I'm also hearing that the USCG is not
yet equipped or manned to monitor for this emergency frequency.

Steve (still learning)
s/v Good Intentions


"Eric" wrote in message
...
Pan Pans and Maydays are clearly defined in the course material that you
have from your boating course.
Eric

"Steve" wrote in message
...
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

"Steve" wrote

/snip/
I think the reason I raised the question was because I got to thinking
about
that "Big Red Button" on my new DSC VHF, labeled "Distress" (or some word
to
this effect). Understand that by activating this button/switch, my VHF
will
automatically send my distress signal and vessel ID (MMSI) and GPS
position
(assuming GPS is connected). However, I'm also hearing that the USCG is
not
yet equipped or manned to monitor for this emergency frequency.

Steve (still learning)
s/v Good Intentions

Hi Steve,

Full coverage of VHF-DSC will not be complete until the Rescue-21system is
fully implemented, and that may be another two years. But in the interim,
USCG Stations and Groups have installed DSC guard-receivers that alert to
all Ch-70 (Distress button) messages. This may not be complete in all areas,
but it has been in effect on the East coast for over a year.

This afternoon a search involving two USCG vessels working an area from the
Mouth of the Chesapeake Bay out to the Atlantic-side of Virginia Beach
oceanfront, lasted about two hours before being classed as an uncorrelated
Mayday and suspended. Someone had pressed the Distress button on a
DSC-equipped VHF radio, and no position or other information was sent. Every
boater's DSC-equipped radio that was in range and operating, would have been
commanded to ch-16 as an alert-tone sounded. This way, all vessels in range
of the distress will be able to hear the voice mayday when (if) it comes.
When the sending-radio is through with it's timed-distress signal, the
operator may turn to ch-16 and make his voice call of distress. When that
doesn't follow, it ties up valuable assets and personnel that are unable to
assist vessels in real distress. That's the second false-DSC alert this
week, and it's only Tuesday.

Jack

PanPan....

I understand anyone can declare a PanPan. We did it on the Florida West
Intracoastal this year when we assisted two somewhat elderly boaters
clinging to thier still running but swamped skiff.
They were going in circles in the channel. We had to forget (for the most
part) the traffic and hope the other boaters heard the warning. The Coast
guard responded on the air, but did not need to physically assist. I believe
they "cleared" the PanPan. Fortunately, the boaters were not hurt. Although,
the woman was run over and only her clothes were cut by the prop!

So much for the ******* in the 45 footer that swamped them and kept going.
Too bad the waterways are full of low lifes like that.

Wayne, Quo-Vadis Too

"Steve" wrote in message
...
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

Hi Peter!

I do not disagree with you on the matter that CGs will procees a Pan Pan or
Mayday according to the emergency of the situation if described, but when I
got my operator licence, them calls were clearly described as such:

Mayday: Life threatening emergency.
Pan Pan: Non-life threatening emergency.

I do not believe the boat is the greatest concern to rescue people and CGs.
So I believe asking the question "Is someone's life in danger?". That's the
only thing one should ask himself. Yes: Mayday, Nope: Pan Pan and that's it.

Another good thing is that you can't get shot by a Canadian CG as they don't
carry guns! ;-)

Jean
Montreal

Hoping you guys in BC have a better summer than the winter was for you! That
applies also to you US West coast people!

Peter Bennett wrote:

Although "Mayday" officially indicates the _vessel_ is in grave and
imminent danger, you are unlikely to be shot if you use it for man
overboard or serious medical emergencies.

Frank wrote:

Merci, cher! I have no trouble understanding Haitians and vice versa;
but as to the rest... grin

Hope I didn't offend you. I forgot to tell it was also the most
beautifull accent and is music to my ears! I would have said that
Moncton's Chiak was the hardest to understand but, is it French? No.
That's switching from French to English every two words or so! ;-)

Best regards "cher"!

Jean
Montreal

No offense taken at all. I'm actually an Irish/German boy from New
Orleans, so my exposure to Cajun French is second-hand. I didn't learn
it as my first language at my daddy's knee like those "down-bayou"
Cajuns, some of whom even went to French-(Cajun)-speaking schools until
high school. grin

This particualr thread/phrase reminds me, however, that even New
Orleanians who don't speak it use a lot of borrowed words and phrases,
like saying (of a broken thing) "It won't march." Obviously carried
over from "ne marche pas."

"WAYNE STEINARD" wrote in
news:kzYZd.2956$uw6.172@trnddc06:

So much for the ******* in the 45 footer that swamped them and kept
going. Too bad the waterways are full of low lifes like that.


All it takes is M-O-N-E-Y........Common sense isn't required.