For most journeys on quiet inland canals, a mobile telephone provides all the communication a narrowboat crew is likely to need.
The position changes when a boat ventures onto tidal rivers, estuaries, commercial waterways or busy port approaches. In these environments, marine VHF radio can become an important part of navigation and safety—and, in certain circumstances, a formal requirement.
As Priscilla is being designed for more ambitious cruising, VHF deserves to be considered from the outset.
Communicating with navigation authorities
Some locks, bridges, harbourmasters and vessel-traffic services communicate with boats by VHF.
A radio allows the crew to:
- Request passage through controlled structures
- Receive instructions from lock or bridge operators
- Report their position and intentions
- Hear navigation warnings and traffic information
- Follow directions during an incident
The appropriate working channel varies between waterways and locations, so it must be checked before beginning a passage.
Navigating tidal waters
Tidal rivers present risks rarely encountered on an ordinary canal.
Changing water levels, stronger currents, restricted visibility and commercial traffic can all affect the passage. VHF provides immediate communication with the organisations managing the waterway and with suitably equipped vessels nearby.
It also allows the crew to hear other radio traffic. Knowing that a large vessel is approaching a bend, bridge or narrow section can be as valuable as making a call ourselves.
Sharing the water with commercial vessels
A narrowboat is small, slow and comparatively difficult to manoeuvre when placed alongside a large commercial vessel.
The crew of a cargo vessel may have restricted visibility and require considerable distance to alter course or stop. Marine radio can help both vessels establish their intentions and avoid uncertainty.
VHF does not replace proper navigation, observation or compliance with local rules. It provides an additional source of information when the consequences of a misunderstanding may be serious.
Calling for help
In an emergency, VHF can reach the Coastguard, navigation authority and nearby vessels simultaneously.
Unlike a mobile telephone, it does not depend upon knowing the correct telephone number or having coverage from a particular mobile network. Other vessels monitoring the channel may hear the call and be close enough to assist.
VHF Channel 16 is used for distress, urgency and initial calling in maritime areas. It should not be used for general conversation, and local inland waterways may use different operational channels.
A distress call is appropriate only when there is grave and imminent danger. Training is essential so that the operator understands when and how to make Mayday, Pan-Pan and routine calls.
When is VHF compulsory?
There is no general legal requirement for every narrowboat to carry VHF radio.
Requirements depend upon the vessel, its length and the waterway being navigated. The tidal Thames is an important example: the Port of London Authority requires narrowboats measuring 13.7 metres—approximately 45 feet—or more to carry VHF on most passages through its waters. A limited exemption applies between Brentford and Teddington.
At a planned length of 58 feet, Priscilla would exceed that threshold.
Elsewhere, VHF may be recommended rather than mandatory. On the River Severn Navigation, for example, Canal & River Trust guidance advises boats carrying VHF to monitor Channel 74, but this does not amount to a universal requirement for every narrowboat on the river.
Local navigation instructions must therefore be checked for every intended route.
Fixed or handheld equipment
A permanently installed VHF radio generally offers greater range than a handheld set because it can use a higher-mounted external aerial and the boat’s electrical supply.
A waterproof handheld radio remains valuable as a backup and can be carried by a crew member working away from the steering position.
For Priscilla, the likely solution is a fixed, Digital Selective Calling-capable radio supported by at least one handheld unit.
Another part of Priscilla’s preparation
VHF would probably see little use during an ordinary cruise along a quiet rural canal.
However, Priscilla is not being planned solely around ordinary cruising.
Her communications equipment must reflect the more demanding waterways she may encounter, while giving us the training and confidence to use it properly.
We are not revealing every part of the journey yet—but we know that reliable communication will matter along the way.