General

All compulsorily fitted radio stations using maritime mobile frequencies

are required to keep a radio log. The activities of the station, as well as

the nature of messages and signals transmitted, received or intercepted by

the station, are to be recorded in chronological order. The log must be

located at the main operating position of the station during the time the

ship is on a voyage. The log is to be kept by the operator maintaining the

listening watch, in accordance with the Ship Station Technical Regulations.

Foreign-going or home-trade vessels of 50 tons, or over-registered tonnage,

are also required to keep an official ship log, which contains some

information on the radio installation and battery maintenance.

A radio log must contain entries recording the following particulars:

· the name, port of registration and official registration or license

· number of the vessel,

· the gross tonnage of the vessel,

· the frequency or frequencies guarded,

· the time, whether:

a) the local time of the area in which the vessel is operating, or

b) the Co-ordinated Universal Time (UTC) when the vessel is engaged in

an international voyage, and

· the time and reasons for any radio communication interruption.

VHF Radiotelephone Installations

In conjunction with the general information outlined above, ship stations

using equipment operating in the maritime mobile VHF band (156.0 MHz -

162.5 MHz) must record the following:

· the name(s) of the radio operator(s) on watch, as well as the times of going on and off watch,

· a detailed summary of all communications transmitted, received or intercepted relating to distress, urgency or safety traffic, recorded in chronological order,

· brief summaries of communications exchanged with other stations with frequency used for reception and transmission,

· the time of, and reason for, any discontinuance of the listening watch on frequency 156.800 MHz - Channel 16, and

· the times of departure from and arrival at port.

Note:

The VHF Radiotelephone Practices and Procedures Regulations (VRP) state that watch on Channel 16 (156.8 MHz) can be interrupted by ships in a Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) Zone when they are required to use a channel other than 16 for vessel traffic management purposes. This is because a continuous watch on Channel 16 is maintained for ships by the traffic centre, or by a coast station that is able to establish contact with the traffic centre without delay.

Frequencies