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NAV 46/WP.3 

ANNEX  

Page 11 

3 

Position of the SMCP in Maritime Education and Training 

 
The SMCP does not intend to provide a comprehensive Maritime English syllabus which is expected to 
cover a far wider range of language skills to be achieved in the fields of vocabulary, grammar, discourse 
abilities, etc., than the SMCP could ever manage.. However,  PART A in particular,  should be an 
indispensable part of any curriculum which is designed to meet the corresponding requirements of the 
STCW Convention, 1978, as revised. In addition, PART B offers a rich choice of situations covered by 
phrases well suited to meet the communication requirements of the STCW Con

vention, 1978, as revised, 

which are implicitly expected to be satisfied  by mariners.  
 
The SMCP should be taught and learnt selectively, according to the users` specific needs rather than 
completely. The respective instruction should be based on practice in the maritime environment and be 
implemented through appropriate modern language teaching methods.  

4 

Basic communicative features 

 
The SMCP builds on a basic knowledge of the English language. It was drafted on purpose in a 
simplified version of Maritime English to reduce  grammatical, lexical and idiomatic varieties to 
a tolerable minimum, using standardized  structures for the sake of its function aspects, i.e. 
diminishing misunderstanding in safety related verbal communications, thereby endeavouring to 
reflect present Maritime English language usage on board vessels and in ship-to-shore/ship-to-
ship communications.  
This means, in phrases offered for use in emergency and other situations developing under 
considerable pressure of time or psychological stress as wells as in navigational warnings, a 
block language was applied which sparingly uses, or frequently  omits, the function words 

the, 

a/an, is/are

 as done in seafaring practice. Users, however, may  be flexible in this respect.  

 
Further  communicative features may be summarized as follows: 

-  avoiding synonyms 
-  avoiding contracted forms 
-  providing fully worded answers to "yes/no"-questions and basic alternative answers to 

sentence questions 

-  providing 

one 

phrase for 

one

 event, and 

-  structuring the corresponding phrases after the principle: 

identical invariable plus variable.

5 

Typographical conventions 

 
( ) 

brackets

 indicate that the part of the message enclosed within the brackets may be 

added where relevant; 

 
/ 

oblique strokes

 indicate that the items on either side of the stroke are alternatives; 

 
... 

dots

 indicate that the relevant information is to be filled in where the dots occur; 

  
(

italic letters)

 indicate the kind of information requested; 

 
~ 

tildes

 stand for the invariable part of an aforementioned standard phrase which is 

followed by a variable addendum. 

NAV 46/WP.3 
ANNEX  
Page 12 

GENERAL 
 
1 

Procedure

When it is necessary to indicate that the SMCP are to be used, the following message may be 
sent: 
"Please use Standard Marine Communication Phrases." 
"I will use Standard Marine Communication Phrases." 

2 

Spelling

 
2.1 

Spelling of letters 

When  spelling is necessary, only  the following spelling table should be used: 

Letter 

Code 

Letter 

Code                 

     A 

Alfa 

     N 

November      

     B 

Bravo 

     O 

Oscar 

     C 

Charlie 

     P 

Papa 

     D      

Delta   

     Q 

Quebec 

     E 

Echo 

     R 

Romeo 

     F 

Foxtrot 

     S      

Sierra 

     G 

Golf 

     T     

Tango 

     H      

Hotel 

     U 

Uniform 

     I 

India 

     V 

Victor 

     J 

Juliet 

     W 

Whisky 

     K 

Kilo 

     X 

X-ray 

     L 

Lima 

     Y 

Yankee 

     M 

Mike 

     Z 

Zulu 

 
2.2  

Spelling of digits and numbers 

A few digits and numbers have a 

modified

 pronunciation compared to general English: 

Number 

Spelling 

Pronunciation 

0 

zero 

ZEERO 

1 

one 

WUN 

2 

two 

TOO 

3 

three 

TREE 

4 

four 

FOWER 

5 

five 

FIFE 

6 

six 

SIX 

7 

seven 

SEVEN 

8 

eight 

AIT 

9 

nine 

NINER 

1000 

thousand 

TOUSAND 

NAV 46/WP.3 

ANNEX  

Page 13 

3 

 Message Markers

In shore-to-ship and ship-to-shore communication or radio  communication in general, the 
following eight Message Markers may be used ( also see "

Application of Message Markers

" 

given in PART AI/6  "Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) Standard Phrases" ): 

(i) 

Instruction

(ii) 

Advice 

(iii) 

Warning

(iv) 

Information

(v) 

Question 

(vi) 

Answer 

(vii) 

Request 

(viii)  Intention  

4 

Responses

 
4.1 

When the answer to a question is in the affirmative, say: 

"Yes, .... " - followed by the appropriate phrase in full. 

 
4.2 

When the answer to a question is in the negative, say: 

"No, ..." - followed by the appropriate phrase in full. 

 
4.3 

When the information requested is not immediately available, say: 

"Stand by" - followed by the time interval within which the information will be  
available. 

 
4.4 

When the information requested cannot be obtained, say: 

"No information." 

 
4.5 

When an INSTRUCTION (e.g. by a VTS-Station, Naval vessel or other fully authorized 
personnel ) or an ADVICE is given, respond if in the affirmative: 

"I will/can ... " - followed by the instruction or advice in full; and, 

if in the negative, respond: 

"I will not/cannot ... " - followed by the instruction or advice in full. 

Example: "ADVICE. Do not overtake the vessel North of you." 
Respond: "I will not overtake the vessel North of me." 

 
4.6 

Responses to orders and answers to questions of special importance both in external and on-

board   communication are given in wording in the phrases concerned. 
 

5 

Distress, urgency and safety signals

 
5.1 

MAYDAY   

 to be used to announce a distress message 

 
5.2 

PAN - PAN   

 to be used to announce an urgency message 

 
5.3 

SÈCURITÈ   

 to be used to announce a safety message 

NAV 46/WP.3 
ANNEX  
Page 14 

6 

Standard organizational phrases

 
6.1 

"How do you read (me)?" 

 
6.1.1   

"I read you ... 

bad/one 

with signal strength one  

(i.e. barely perceptible) 

poor/two    

with signal strength two  

(i.e. weak) 

fair/three   

with signal strength three  

(i.e. fairly good) 

good/four    

with signal strength four  

(i.e. good) 

excellent/five 

with signal strength five 

(i.e. very good) 

 
6.2 

When it is advisable to remain on a VHF Channel / frequency say: 

"Stand by on VHF Channel ... / frequency ... " 

 
6.2.1  When it is accepted to remain on the VHF channel / frequency indicated, say: 

"Standing by on VHF Channel ... / frequency ... " 

 
6.3 

When it is advisable to change to another VHF Channel / frequency, say: 

"Advise (you) change to VHF Channel ... / frequency ... ." 
"Advise(you) try VHF Channel .. / frequency... ."  

 
6.3.1  When the changing of a VHF Channel / frequency is accepted, say: 

"Changing to VHF Channel ... / frequency ... ." 

7 

Corrections

When a mistake is made in a message, say: 

"Mistake ..." - followed by the word: 
"Correction ... " plus the corrected part of the message. 

 Example: "My present speed is 14 knots  - mistake. 

Correction, my present speed is 12, one-two, knots." 

8 

Readiness

"I am / I am not ready to receive your message". 

9 

Repetition

 
9.1 

If any part of the message are considered sufficiently important to need safeguarding,  say:        

"Repeat ... " -  followed by the corresponding part of the message. 

Example: "My draft is 12.6 repeat one-two decimal 6 metres." 

 "Do not overtake - repeat - do not overtake." 

 
9.2 

When a message is not properly heard, say: 

"Say again (please)."  

NAV 46/WP.3 

ANNEX  

Page 15 

10 

Numbers

Numbers are to be spoken in separate digits: 

"One-five-zero" for 150 
"Two decimal five" or 

Two point five” for 2.5 

Note: Attention! When rudder angles e.g. in wheel orders are given, say: 

"Fifteen" for  15 or  
"Twenty" for 20 etc.. 

11 

Positions 

 
11.1  When latitude and longitude are used, these shall be expressed in degrees and minutes (and 

decimals of a minute if necessary), North or South of the Equator and East or West of 
Greenwich. 

Example: 

"WARNING. Dangerous wreck in position 15 degrees 34 minutes North 
061 degrees  29 minutes West." 

 
11.2  When the position is related to a mark, the mark shall be a well-defined charted object. The 

bearing shall be in the 360 degrees notation from true north and shall be that of the position 
FROM the mark. 

Example:  "Your position  bearing 137 degrees from Big Head lighthouse 

distance 2.4 nautical miles." 

12 

Bearings

The bearing of the mark or vessel concerned, is the bearing in the 360 degree notation 
from north (true north unless otherwise stated), except in the case of relative bearings.  
Bearings may be either FROM the mark or FROM the vessel. 

Examples:  "Pilot boat is bearing 215 degrees from you." 

Note:  Vessels reporting their position should always quote their bearing FROM the 
 

mark, as described in paragraph 11.2 of this section. 

 
12.1  Relative bearings 
 

Relative bearings can be expressed in degrees relative to the vessel's head. More    

frequently this is in relation to the port or starboard bow.  

Example:  "Buoy 030 degrees on your port bow." 

(Relative D/F bearings are more commonly expressed in the 360 degree 
notation.) 

13 

Courses

Always to be expressed in 360 degree notation from north (true north unless otherwise 
stated). Whether this is to TO or FROM a mark can be stated. 

14 

Distances