RADIO AIDS TO MARINE NAVIGATION - Canadian Coast Guard

MARINE COMMUNICATIONS AND TRAFFIC SERVICES MESSAGE SERVICE
Message Charges
Messages no longer accepted:
(a)
(b)
Ships’ business messages;
Private messages.
Messages handled without charge by MCTS Centres:
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
(f)
(g)
(h)
(i)
(j)
Messages pertaining to weather or ice information and ice routing;
Messages concerning aids to navigation;
AMVER Messages, addressed AMVER HALIFAX;
Radiomedical messages;
Messages reporting pollution;
Messages addressed to a port or a member of the Canadian Coast Guard that involves a report of a ship
movement, position or condition;
Messages addressed to a Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre (JRCC) or Maritime Rescue Sub-Centre
(MRSC).
Pilotage messages; Official Naval messages;
Quarantine messages addressed to “Quarantine”;
Messages requesting a doctor to meet the ship on arrival.
Weather Messages
Weather reports in the international meteorological code, made at the standard synoptic hours of 0000, 0600, 1200 and
1800 UTC, are solicited from ships of all nationalities which have been recruited by their own national weather service, or
other weather services, to make weather reports on a regular basis. These reports should be made and transmitted to the
nearest MCTS Centre, irrespective of the ship’s position. In fact, reports made close to, or even within sight of land, are
equally important to reports made offshore, due to the greater variability of weather conditions in proximity to a coastline.
Pollution Messages
All vessels plying Canadian and adjacent waters are requested to report oil slicks or pollution of any type to the nearest
MCTS Centre.
Medical Advice Messages
Masters of ships may obtain medical advice by addressing a radiotelegram to “Radiomedical” and routing it via the nearest
MCTS Centre which will refer the message to the nearest medical authority and transmit the reply to the ship.
Quarantine Messages
1. In the following circumstances only, the person in charge of a vessel shall, by radio, at least 24 hours prior to the
vessel’s estimated time of arrival at its port of destination notify the quarantine officer at the quarantine station
designated in paragraph (3) for that port of the occurrence. Where, in the course of a voyage of a vessel:
(a) a member of the crew or a passenger on board the vessel exhibits one or more of these symptoms;
• Fever or chills (profuse sweating, unusually flushed or pale skin, shivering,
• Rash,
• Stiff neck,
• Confusion or disorientation,
• Bruising or bleeding without injury,
• Yellowing of skin or eyes,
• Profuse watery or bloody stools,
• Cough, difficulty breathing and/or sore throats,
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