Wayne.B wrote:
On Sat, 10 Nov 2007 07:29:36 -0500, "Armond Perretta"
wrote:

Unfortunately this abuses 16, so I don't often mention my boat name,
just something like "small white sailboat 400 yards on your bow,"
etc.

As long as you are calling someone and keep it brief, there is no
abuse of 16. You can also switch to low power which will limit the
range to a couple of miles.

VHF 16 is a hailing and distress frequency. Of course hailing _could_ mean
"short conversation," but I don't subscribe to that school. However
practicalities do enter into the discussion, and in many cases, especially
with commercial traffic, exchanges on 16 take place and simplify matters.
In the general case, vessels are required to exchange navigational and
traffic information on VHF 13, but not too many pleasure vessels do so on
that channel.

Another aspect is that geography enters in. In New York Harbor just about
all nav and piloting info runs on VHF 13. Along the Georgia ICW just about
all nav and piloting info runs over 16. Meanwhile the VHF rules and
guidelines do not differentiate geographically.

Offshore I have found that in general there is usually no need to converse
on 16 after hailing, and most commercial traffic moves to 13 or another
working frequency to exchange information. In Maine, lobster fishermen, if
responding at all, usually run on 68 or similar and 16 is not involved.

It is probably a good idea, and good manners, to move off VHF when in doubt.

--
Good luck and good sailing.
s/v Kerry Deare of Barnegat
http://home.comcast.net/~kerrydeare