MAYDAY, MAYDAY
The internationally recognised distress signal Mayday (from the French phrase 'M'aidez', meaning 'Help Me') is used only when a ship is in grave and imminent danger and requires immediate assistance. A ship urgently needing help but not in imminent danger uses the signal Pan Pan (from the French 'panne', meaning 'breakdown'). Pan Pan is also the correct signal to use for man overboard.
Under the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, there are a number of other recognised ways of calling for help. A ship's captain who sees any of these distress signals is legally obliged to respond to them.
  • Gun or other explosive signal fired at intervals of about a minute
  • Continuous sounding of a fog signal, such as a foghorn.
  • Rockets or shells throwing red stars fired one at a time at short invervals.
  • Morse Code SOS (three dots, three dashes, three dots) transmitted by any means available.
  • International Code flags NC (flag N above flag C).
  • A square flag with above or below it anything resembling a ball.
  • Flames on a vessel (for example, burning tar, oily rags).
  • Red parachute flare or red hand flare.
  • Orange coloured smoke.
  • Slowly raising and lowering outstretched arms.
An additional sign - a piece of orange canvas with a black square and circle - can be used to attract the attention of aircraft. The British Navy's Red Ensign flown upside down has been used as a distress signal but it is not internationally recognised under the convention.

This page hosted by Get your own Free Home Page