UK safety broadcasts, beacon registration, syllabus and licences
Maritime Safety Information means navigational warnings, weather forecasts and warnings and other urgent safety messages. In the UK it is provided by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA): the navigational warnings come from the UK Hydrographic Office, the weather from the Met Office.
| Strong Wind Warning | Force 6 or more in an inshore waters area that was not in the previous forecast; valid until the next inshore waters forecast |
| Gale warning | Force 8 (34 knots) or more; valid for 24 hours unless cancelled, then renewed if still in force |
| Storm warning | Force 10 (48 knots) or more |
| Inshore waters forecast | New forecast every six hours, broadcast every three hours |
| 518 kHz | International service in English: navigational warnings, gale warnings, shipping forecast |
| 490 kHz | National service: inshore waters forecasts, strong wind warnings, coastal reports |
| UK stations | Cullercoats, Niton and Portpatrick, each with its own station letter; Oostende (Belgium) covers the Thames approaches |
| Range | About 300 NM from the stations |
Select the station letters for the area you are in and for the area you are heading to. Navigational warnings, meteorological warnings and search and rescue information cannot be switched off.
The BBC broadcasts gale warnings and the shipping forecast on Radio 4 (FM and BBC Sounds) at 00:48 and 05:34 every day and also at 17:54 at weekends (local time).
Source: Maritime and Coastguard Agency, Advice Note 1033, Maritime Safety Information (MSI) Leaflet, January 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Always check the current schedule before you sail.
If your beacon goes off by mistake: switch it off and inform the Coastguard immediately.
Source: Maritime and Coastguard Agency, MGN 665 (M+F) Amendment 1, Mandatory registration of EPIRBs and PLBs, March 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
The SRC is based on a syllabus harmonised across Europe (CEPT), last updated in 2024. It applies to vessels without compulsory radio equipment that use VHF and DSC in Sea Area A1. Certificates issued on this basis are recognised by the participating countries. The exam is a theory test supported by practical tests, supervised by an independent examiner. The subjects in short:
| Area | Subjects |
|---|---|
| Basics of maritime radio | Types of communication and of stations, VHF channels and their use, simplex and duplex, range, GMDSS and sea areas (A1, awareness of A2), search and rescue organisation, NAVTEX |
| The radio set | Controls (power, volume, squelch, high/low power, dimmer, dual watch and scan), handheld radios, DSC categories and call types, MMSI structure, distress button, position input, received messages, aerials, GNSS connection, batteries |
| Distress, urgency and safety by DSC | Sending and receiving distress alerts, acknowledgement by coast stations, urgency and safety announcements, protecting Channels 16 and 70, avoiding and cancelling false alerts, test procedures, EPIRBs, SARTs and handheld VHF |
| Voice procedures | Mayday call and message, Received Mayday, control of distress traffic, Seelonce Mayday and Seelonce Feenee, Mayday Relay, Pan Pan including radio medical advice, Securite, standard English phrases, phonetic alphabet, calling and working channels, unanswered calls |
| Regulations | Lists of coast and ship stations, operator's certificate and ship licence, secrecy of correspondence, prohibited transmissions, listening watch |
| Ship Radio Licence | For the radio equipment of one vessel: fixed and handheld VHF, AIS, radar, EPIRB, PLB, SART and other equipment. It also gives the vessel's callsign and MMSI. |
| Ship Portable Radio Licence | For portable equipment used on different vessels, e.g. your own handheld VHF or PLB. Valid within UK territorial waters. |
| Operator's certificate | The SRC entitles you to operate VHF and VHF DSC equipment. Others may use the radio only under the supervision of a certificate holder, except in an emergency. |
Licences are issued by Ofcom and can be applied for online free of charge. Keep the licence details up to date when you add or remove equipment.
If someone on board is ill or injured, you can get free medical advice through the Coastguard. Send a DSC urgency announcement and make a Pan Pan call on Channel 16 asking for radio medical advice. If the person's life is in grave and imminent danger, use Mayday instead.