RYA SRC Part 5 — Distress: DSC Alerts, MAYDAY, and MAYDAY RELAY

21 May 2026 PersonalSRCRYAdistress

Syllabus coverage: CEPT/RYA sections C1.1 (DSC distress procedures) and D1.1 (voice distress communications, MAYDAY RELAY).

This is the central post in the series. The SRC exam has a distress question every time, and the practical assessment will ask you to physically send a distress alert in the simulator. The procedure is short but unforgiving — get the order wrong, omit a step, or freeze, and the assessor notices.

The distress sequence — in order

For an SRC holder in Sea Area A1, the full sequence is:

  1. Press the DSC distress button — designated or undesignated.
  2. Wait for the set to confirm transmission and switch itself to CH16.
  3. Make the voice MAYDAY call on CH16.
  4. Wait for acknowledgement (by the coast station, usually).
  5. Pass any follow-up information requested.
  6. Maintain SEELONCE (radio silence) on CH16 until the controlling station ends the distress.

Each of those steps has a syllabus expectation. We’ll work through them.

Step 1 — Send the DSC distress alert

The DSC distress alert is the first action. It’s faster than voice (a sub-second data burst) and reaches every DSC-equipped station within range automatically. Procedure:

  • Designated — if you have a few seconds, press the menu key for “designated distress,” select the nature from the list (fire, flooding, collision, grounding, listing, sinking, adrift, abandoning, piracy, MOB), then press and hold the distress button until the set confirms.
  • Undesignated — if you don’t have those seconds, just press and hold the distress button. The set transmits “distress, nature unspecified.”

The exam often asks for the nature-of-distress list. Memorise it from Part 4.

What’s transmitted in the alert:

  • Your MMSI.
  • Your position (from GNSS or manual entry).
  • Time of position.
  • Nature of distress (or “undesignated”).
  • A request for acknowledgement.

The set then tunes itself to CH16 automatically and starts retransmitting the alert every 3.5 to 4 minutes until acknowledged.

Step 2 — Wait briefly, then prepare the voice MAYDAY

After the DSC alert, the set is on CH16, ready for the voice MAYDAY. Don’t wait silently for an acknowledgement before starting the voice call. The DSC alert and the voice MAYDAY are complementary: the alert tells every station “I’m in distress, here’s where I am,” and the voice MAYDAY conveys the operational detail SAR needs.

If the casualty’s own radio doesn’t follow up with a voice MAYDAY, the alert is still actionable — RCCs will direction-find on the retransmits and dispatch SAR to the alerted position. But the voice MAYDAY is what enables a real response, so always make it if you can.

Step 3 — The voice MAYDAY call

This is the format you will be examined on. Learn it from memory.

MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY
THIS IS [vessel name] [vessel name] [vessel name]
[Callsign or MMSI]

MAYDAY [vessel name]
[Callsign or MMSI]
MY POSITION IS [position in lat/long, or bearing and distance from a charted feature]
[Nature of distress]
[Assistance required]
[Number of persons on board]
[Any other information — vessel description, EPIRB activated, time of next contact, etc.]
OVER

A worked example. Sailing yacht Northern Star, callsign MJEM4, MMSI 232123456, position 50°15.4’N 004°08.7’W, has struck a submerged object and is taking on water faster than the bilge pumps can cope. Four crew on board.

MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY
THIS IS NORTHERN STAR NORTHERN STAR NORTHERN STAR
MIKE JULIETT ECHO MIKE FOUR
MMSI TWO THREE TWO ONE TWO THREE FOUR FIVE SIX

MAYDAY NORTHERN STAR
MIKE JULIETT ECHO MIKE FOUR
MY POSITION IS FIVE ZERO DEGREES ONE FIVE DECIMAL FOUR MINUTES NORTH
ZERO ZERO FOUR DEGREES ZERO EIGHT DECIMAL SEVEN MINUTES WEST
WE HAVE STRUCK A SUBMERGED OBJECT AND ARE TAKING ON WATER
WE REQUIRE IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE
FOUR PERSONS ON BOARD
THIRTY-FIVE FOOT WHITE-HULLED SLOOP, NAVY BLUE SAIL COVER
EPIRB ACTIVATED
OVER

Note:

  • The vessel name and callsign each repeated three times in the call portion.
  • The phrase “MAYDAY” precedes each transmission related to the distress.
  • Position spoken digit by digit using normal pronunciation; the phonetic alphabet is for letters, not numbers (covered in Part 6).
  • The closing “OVER” — you expect a response, you are not signing off.

Step 4 — Acknowledgement

A coast station in Sea Area A1 acknowledges by DSC first (which stops the casualty’s set from retransmitting), then by voice on CH16:

MAYDAY
NORTHERN STAR NORTHERN STAR NORTHERN STAR
THIS IS [coast station, e.g. SOLENT COASTGUARD] [3x]
RECEIVED MAYDAY
OVER

The phrase “RECEIVED MAYDAY” is the proword that confirms reception. From this point the coast station controls the distress traffic.

In Sea Area A1, only the coast station should DSC-acknowledge (covered in Part 4). Other vessels: stand by, listen, and wait to be called.

Step 5 — Distress traffic — passing the operational detail

The controlling station (in A1, the coast station) will ask follow-up questions: condition of the vessel, current weather, life raft launched, persons in life jackets, etc. Answer them clearly and concisely. Pass position updates if you are drifting. Confirm any change in condition.

This is also where the controlling station may request assistance from named vessels in the area:

ALL STATIONS ALL STATIONS ALL STATIONS
THIS IS SOLENT COASTGUARD SOLENT COASTGUARD SOLENT COASTGUARD
MOTOR YACHT [name], MMSI [...], REQUEST YOU PROCEED TO ASSIST
OVER

If you are nearby and able to help, respond. The controlling station coordinates which vessel does what.

SEELONCE MAYDAY and SEELONCE FEENEE

While distress traffic is in progress, the controlling station may impose radio silence to keep CH16 clear of all routine, urgency, and safety traffic. The proword is SEELONCE MAYDAY (pronounced “say-lonss may-day,” from the French silence):

ALL STATIONS ALL STATIONS ALL STATIONS
THIS IS SOLENT COASTGUARD SOLENT COASTGUARD SOLENT COASTGUARD
SEELONCE MAYDAY
OUT

While SEELONCE MAYDAY is in force, no station may transmit on CH16 except for distress-related traffic, and even then only when invited.

If a station that is NOT the controlling station needs to impose silence (rare — only when the controlling station is somehow off the air), they use SEELONCE DISTRESS:

SEELONCE DISTRESS
THIS IS [station name]

When distress traffic ends, the controlling station lifts the silence with SEELONCE FEENEE (pronounced “say-lonss fee-nee,” from the French fini):

ALL STATIONS ALL STATIONS ALL STATIONS
THIS IS SOLENT COASTGUARD SOLENT COASTGUARD SOLENT COASTGUARD
TIME [HHMM] UTC
NORTHERN STAR
SEELONCE FEENEE
OUT

After SEELONCE FEENEE, routine traffic on CH16 resumes (subject to the usual “move to a working channel” rule).

The exam asks: “Who imposes SEELONCE MAYDAY?” (The station controlling distress traffic, normally the coast station in A1.) And: “What does SEELONCE FEENEE mean?” (Distress traffic ended, normal working resumes.)

MAYDAY RELAY — sending a distress for someone else

There are situations where YOU are not in distress but a distress alert needs to be raised:

  • You receive a MAYDAY but no coast station has acknowledged after several minutes, and you suspect the casualty’s transmission isn’t reaching shore.
  • You witness an incident (capsize, collision, vessel on fire) where the casualty cannot send their own MAYDAY.
  • A vessel has called you by VHF or signalled distress visually (red flare, orange smoke) but has no radio.

In any of these cases, send a MAYDAY RELAY:

MAYDAY RELAY MAYDAY RELAY MAYDAY RELAY
ALL STATIONS ALL STATIONS ALL STATIONS
THIS IS [your vessel] [your vessel] [your vessel]
[Your callsign or MMSI]

AT [time] UTC IN POSITION [...]
RECEIVED THE FOLLOWING MAYDAY FROM [casualty vessel]:
[Repeat casualty's MAYDAY content as far as you have it]
OVER

If you witnessed it directly rather than received a MAYDAY:

MAYDAY RELAY MAYDAY RELAY MAYDAY RELAY
ALL STATIONS ALL STATIONS ALL STATIONS
THIS IS [your vessel] [your vessel] [your vessel]
[Your MMSI]

AT [time] IN POSITION [...]
I OBSERVED [description — e.g. a yacht capsized, persons in the water]
APPROXIMATE POSITION [...]
[Any other relevant detail]
OVER

The exam expects you to know:

  • The proword “MAYDAY RELAY” is repeated three times at the start.
  • The relayed MAYDAY uses your vessel’s identity, not the casualty’s.
  • You can send a MAYDAY RELAY by DSC as well — your set will have a menu option for it — but voice on CH16 is the immediate channel.
  • A coast station that picks up the relay takes over coordination as usual.

A coast station may itself transmit a MAYDAY RELAY when it relays a vessel’s distress to a wider audience (e.g. broadcasting to all ships in an area to request assistance):

MAYDAY RELAY MAYDAY RELAY MAYDAY RELAY
ALL STATIONS ALL STATIONS ALL STATIONS
THIS IS SOLENT COASTGUARD SOLENT COASTGUARD SOLENT COASTGUARD
ON [time] RECEIVED FOLLOWING DISTRESS FROM [vessel]:
[...]
ALL VESSELS IN VICINITY REQUESTED TO ASSIST
OVER

Acknowledging a MAYDAY by voice — when and when not

You should NOT casually acknowledge a MAYDAY by voice. The rules:

  • In Sea Area A1, the coast station is the preferred controlling station and will acknowledge. Hold off.
  • If, after several minutes with no coast station response, the casualty is still calling and you can help, you may acknowledge by voice and offer assistance:
MAYDAY
NORTHERN STAR NORTHERN STAR NORTHERN STAR
THIS IS [your vessel] [your vessel] [your vessel]
[Your MMSI]
RECEIVED MAYDAY
OVER

Then provide the operational detail — your position, ETA to the casualty, capabilities. If the coast station then comes on the air, hand control over to them.

What other stations do during distress traffic

If you hear a distress alert / MAYDAY and you are not directly involved:

  • Stop any traffic you were transmitting.
  • Listen on CH16.
  • Note time, position, vessel, nature of distress in your log/notebook.
  • Do NOT call other stations on CH16 to “ask what’s happening.”
  • Do NOT DSC-acknowledge the alert.
  • Be ready to relay or assist if asked.

Practical exam expectations

In the SRC practical assessment, you will be asked to:

  1. Send a designated distress alert with the simulator. The assessor watches you select the nature, then press and hold the button.
  2. Send an undesignated distress alert. Just press and hold the button.
  3. Make the voice MAYDAY following the alert, with a given vessel name, position, and nature. The assessor expects the full format.
  4. Receive a distress and respond appropriately — usually meaning listen, log, do not DSC-acknowledge.
  5. Send a MAYDAY RELAY for a witnessed event.

Knowing the format from memory is half of it. The other half is staying calm enough to deliver it in order. Practice it out loud.

What to take into the next post

You should leave Part 5 able to:

  • Send a DSC distress alert (designated and undesignated) from memory.
  • Recite the voice MAYDAY format with all elements.
  • Recognise SEELONCE MAYDAY and SEELONCE FEENEE.
  • State who acknowledges distress in A1 and why other stations should not.
  • Send a MAYDAY RELAY for both received-MAYDAY and witnessed-event cases.

Part 6 covers the priority levels below distress — PAN-PAN (urgency), SECURITE (safety), and the routine voice procedure, phonetic alphabet, and prowords that hold the whole system together.