What is Global Maritime Distress and Safety System or GMDSS and its details?

Distress alert :-

The transmission  of distress alert in GMDSS indicate a ship or aircraft or any other vehicle or other person is threatened by grave and imminent and requires immediate assistance.

The Radio telephone distress procedure consist of :-
  1. The alarm signal (whenever possible) followed by
  2. The distress call
  3. The distress message with full implementation of GMDSS in Feb 1999.

The automatic alarm device used on 2182 Khz are no longer required.

FORMAT of RADIO Telephony distress call :-

Mayday (x3)
This is
Name (x3) / Call sign / MMSI no. of ship.
Radiotelephony distress message
Mayday
Name/ Call sign/ MMSI
Position
Nature of distress .

Type of assistance required any other information which might facilitate the rescue.

About the author

Amit Sharma

Graduated from M.E.R.I. Mumbai (Mumbai University), After a brief sailing founded this website with the idea to bring the maritime education online which must be free and available for all at all times and to find basic solutions that are of extreme importance to a seafarer by our innovative ideas.

1 Comment

  • Man Overboard is a distress situation. Even the RT message will be Distress message . Information given that RT message will be Urgency is absolutely wrong. Students following this in GOC examination will fail. Request you to correct this. You may consult ITU manual for maritime mobile & maritime mobile satellite services.
    Thanking you

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