Standards Marine Communication Phrases ‘SMCPs’ Course

Course Code: CCS 05/00

Duration: 25 Hr 5D

Course Objectives:

The IMO’s SMCPs was adopted by the 22nd Assembly in November 2001 as resolution A.918 (22). This resolution adopts the SMCPs and recommends a wide circulation to all prospective users and all maritime education authorities. SMCPs includes phrases which have been developed to cover the most important safety-related fields of verbal shore-to-ship (and vice-versa), ship-to-ship and on-board communications. Upon completion of this course, the trainer will be able to communicate with standardized language used in navigation at sea, in port-approaches, in waterways, harbors and on-board vessels with multilingual crews.

Course Outline:

  • Introduction: The position of the SMCPs in maritime practice.
  • General: Procedures - Spelling - Message markers - Responses - Distress, urgency and safety signals - Standard organizational phrases - Corrections - Readiness - Repetition - Numbers - Position - Bearings - Courses - Distance - Speed - Times - Ambiguous words
  • Glossary: A limited number of technical terms which do not appear in the text of the IMO SMCPs.
  • Overview on the GMDSS.
  • Special communication phrases extracted from the SMCPs manual (Part A: External or on-Board & Part B: Operating ship handling, Safety onboard, Cargo and cargo handling or Passenger care) according to the trainees requirements, specialized and background.

Course Exercises

Practical operational procedures including the followings:

  • VHF-RT procedures operation.
  • VHF-DSC procedures operation.
  • Practice on the special communication phrases those extracted from the SMCPs manual according to the trainees requirements, specialized and background by using the proper communication equipment.

Entry Requirements

The trainee should be Marine Officer (2), SAR Operator/Officer, and VTS Officer (3), OR Coast Stations Officer.

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