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After fishing around for the answer, we discovered that a mayday distress call is used only in cases of "grave and imminent danger." The correct way to signal mayday consists of three repetitions of the word mayday, then the name of the boat, and its radio call sign. Once this initial message is transmitted, a follow-up message should be transmitted that includes the word mayday again, as well as the boat's position, the nature of the emergency, number of persons aboard, and any other relevant information to assist a rescue effort. But what's with the word "Mayday"? Well, we quickly learned that it has nothing to do with the
observance of May Day, the ancient pagan planting festival and international working class holiday. So, what does it mean? We found a page called Origins of Hamspeak that explained that "mayday" is an anglicized version of the French m'aidez (help me) or m'aider (to render help to me). In addition, a lengthy thread devoted to this meaning of mayday can be found in the online archive of the Quiznet Gang. A paper on distress communications describes the historical evolution of an international distress radio frequency for ships and aircraft. In 1927, the International
Radiotelegraph Convention of Washington adopted the word "Mayday" as the radiotelephone (RT) distress call, although it was not until 1932 that the International Telecommunications Convention of Madrid changed from earlier frequency standards and established 1650 kHz as the international RT distress frequency. A variety of other frequencies are still used and monitored by Coast Guard and naval radio personnel. Current instructions from a variety of maritime agencies worldwide suggest transmitting on VHF channel 16, or HF 2182.0 KHz. A word of advice for boaters -- print out a copy of distress procedures and leave it alongside your vessel's radio equipment in case of emergency. Roger. Over and out.
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