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VHF Marine Radio Channels and Frequencies

by randyho — last modified 2007-10-30 23:15
Channel Number Frequency (MHz) Communication Purpose
Distress, Safety Calling
16 156.800 International Distress, Safety and Calling
70 156.525 Digital Selective Calling Only. NO VOICE
Intership Safety
06 156.300 Intership Safety Only
Coast Guard    
22A 157.100 U.S. and Canadian Coast Guard Liaison & Safety
83A 157.175 U.S. and Canadian Coast Guard Liaison
Non-Commercial - Pleasure Craft Working Frequencies
09 156.450 Intership/Ship to Shore
67 156.375 Intership (U.S. only)
68 156.425 Intership/Ship to Shore
69 156.475 Intership/Ship to Shore
72 156.625 Intership (U.S. only)
73 156.675 Intership/Ship to Shore
78A 156.925 Intership/Ship to Shore, some U.S. marinas
Navigation/Port Operations – Use low power only
13 156.650 Vessel Bridge to Bridge (Mandatory for >100 tons)
U.S. only: Locks and Bridges
14 156.700 Vessel Traffic System (Puget Sound)
5A 156.250 Vessel Traffic System (Straits)
11 156.550 Vessel Traffic System (B. C.– Victoria)
12 156.600 Vessel Traffic System (B. C. – Vancouver)
66A 156.325 All Marinas in Puget Sound and Canada
71 156.575 Puget Sound Pilots
74 156.725 Vessel Traffic System (B. C. – Fraser R. and Tofino)
  1. In B.C. Channel 66A is used to call all marinas. The FCC requests that all U.S, marinas use Channel 66A. Also in Canada, Channels 11, 12, 13, 71 & 74 are reserved for vessel traffic management. In Puget Sound and the Strait of Juan de Fuca Channels 5A and 14 are reserved for vessel traffic use.
  2. A VHF Ship Station license and a Restricted Radiotelephone Operator Permit are required if your VHF radio is used in foreign waters (including Canada and Mexico), for vessels over 20 meters in length. (www.fcc.gov).
  3. Intership Channels 67 & 72 can now be used for communication between commercial and noncommercial vessels (same as Channel 9) in Puget Sound, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and in British Columbia.
  4. The noncommercial (pleasure craft) intership frequencies are:   United States: 09, 67, 68, 69, 72, 73, 78A
      British Columbia: 09, 67, 68, 69, 72, 73

~ From the FCC and DOC (Canada) and provided by the North Pacific Marine Radio Council.

The Coast Guard does not advocate cellular phones as a substitute for the regular maritime radio distress and safety systems recognized by the Federal Communications Commission. However, cellular phones can have a place on board as an added measure of safety.

For more information, consult the pamphlet VHF-FM Frequencies for Pleasure Vessels published annually by the Recreation Boating Association of Washington (www.rbaw.org) and North Pacific Marine Radio Council. The FCC public information telephone number is 1-888-225-5322.

Power? Try one watt first if the station being called is within a few miles. If there is no answer you may switch to higher power.