What is GMDSS in South Africa? | Sail and Power SA

Let’s discuss the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) in this article. If you are working on a seagoing vessel, chances are you have heard or used the system before. So, what is GMDSS in South Africa? Where is it used? Let’s see.

The Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) in South Africa

The GMDSS is an internationally recognised radio communication safety and distress system under the SOLAS Treaty. It utilises satellites and terrestrial radio systems to establish communications between ships and ship-to-shore-based communication.  Mandated for ships internationally by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), these systems provide safety-of-life information and communication systems.

The systems allow vessels to receive regular updates on navigation hazards and weather conditions. Furthermore, a vessel can send out a distress call along with location and ship identification information with a button.

For complete information on the regulations, look at this Federal Communications Commission (FCC) website.

What Vessels must have a GMDSS system onboard in South Africa?

GMDSS systems are mainly for seagoing vessels in South Africa. That eliminates all Category R vessels from the list. These vessels generally have a VHF Radio onboard, which is not a part of the GMDSS.

Furthermore, not all seagoing vessels need the GMDSS onboard. For example, a Category E small vessel that usually operates by the shore does not need a GMDSS system in South Africa.

So, which vessels must have GMDSS onboard?

  • All international cargo vessels of 300 GT and above when travelling on international voyages or in the open sea.
  • Passenger ships with more than 12 passengers on board, travelling on international voyages or in the open sea.

The Components of GMDSS in South Africa

GMDSS is not one system but its components make up the system. Some of them are as follows.

Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB)

The EPIRB is a battery-powered radio transmitter that utilises the COSPAS-SARSAT communication system to pinpoint the accurate location of boaters in distress and need of immediate rescue. The EPIRB system, once activated, begins transmitting a continuous 406 MHz distress radio signal. The EPIRBs are required on SOLAS ships, commercial fishing vessels, and all passenger ships.

The COSPAS-SARSAT is an international satellite-based search and rescue system, jointly developed by France, Canada, USA, and Russia.

NAVTEX

NAVTEX is an automated system that instantly distributes maritime safety information (MSI) internationally. The information may contain navigational warnings, weather forecasts and warnings, search and rescue notices, and so on. For English, the frequency on these transmitters is set to 518kHz, and sometimes 490kHz is used for transmitting information in a local language.

Search and Rescue Transponder (SART)

Most GMDSS-enabled ships have one or two (in case the vessel is over 500 GT) search-and-rescue transponders or SART. This radar-based technology helps locate survival crafts and distressed vessels by creating a series of twelve dots on a securing ship’s 3cm radar display. SARTs operate on X-band radar with a frequency of 9 GHz.

Unlike EPIRB, the SART has a limited range but provides more accurate direction and location data than an EPIRB alone would provide. The detection range depends on the height of a ship’s radar mast and the height of a Search and Rescue Locating device. The average range is about 15 km or 8 nautical miles.

Digital Selective Calling (DSC)

Digital Selective Calling is a part of GMDSS that allows communication between ship-to-ship, ship-to-shore, and shore-to-ship via Radiotelephone and Radiotelex calls. You can perform DSC on Med-Frequency, High Frequency, and VHF Radios.

DSCs can also send distress messages to other local ships in the range. Additionally, they are also used for communicating with search and rescue ships and coordination centres. These DSC radios are connected to a GPS, transmitting your location along with your distress call.

Bottom Line

GMDSS is an ecosystem of various radio and radar systems to combat emergencies most effectively. If you are to become a GMDSS operator, a simple VHF Radio license is not enough. On superyachts, only senior offers operate the GMDSS system. There is a specific GMDSS course called GMDSS General Operator’s Certificate.

For more information on the GMDSS, we highly recommend you read these three articles.

On the other hand, if you are looking for a VHF Radio Operator certificate in South Africa, feel free to connect with us. The VHF Radio Certificate is a must if you are driving a powerboat in South Africa. Contact us or check out the webpage for more information.