"841, Almitra, (channel) 72, out."
We took a bit of pride in our VHF radiotelephone technique. It sounded at least as good as the Coast Guard's. After all, It offered a public glimpse into how we liked to operate and tend our sailing vessel. All marine traffic monitors VHF channel 16, and uses it for hailing, and for managing distress communications. In that way, marine VHF is just as formal as civil and military aircraft communication in the busy terminal environment. Professionals and weekenders share both systems.
The words after "Almitra" represent the letters that in the call sign assigned to Almitra by the FCC. Whenever any of us were aboard, we would keep one ear on the VHF. Even from forward on deck, it was easy to catch any part of that eight-word phrase, and and to start moving toward
Donald Whiting on the left, with Bill Coleman in front of Doug's Harbor Reef. This is the restuarant where at night Don was the manager and Bill was the chef, and during the day David installed, maintained, or programmed everything having to do with electricity, radios, or computers. The restuarant did a booming business during the summers for breakfast, brunch, lunch, snacks, dinner, and drinks. |
After I raised Almitra's attention, Don replied with a switch to a "working" channel. KIL841 was the call sign for the transceiver I was using in the Catalina Isthmus Harbormaster's office. We didn't actually say, "this is," or "channel" like above. They were implied. Since this was just a call to request pickup at the dock for a ride home after work, we kept the call on 16 quick and terse.
(Speaking of distress communications, Donald was the only one to respond at 1:30 AM to a worried channel 16 "hail" from Splendour the night Natlie Wood perished in stormy Isthmus waters. After querrying and copying down all the details from Splendour's owner RJ Wagner, Don quickly pulled together a search party during the rare thunderstorm, and informed the Harbormaster, then the Baywatch life guards, and the Coast Guard in due course. Don had also been on duty as the night manager of Doug's Harbor Reef, tending the party as RJ, Natalie, Walken, and Splendour's skipper Dennis Davern, were having dinner and drinks. Donald so loved to recount this story!)
Once we had switched both our transceivers to channel 72, I transmitted,
"Hi, Donald, I'm at the dock."
"Bill's on his way!" he replied.
"Thanks, I hear his outboard starting! Out."
Living at Two Harbors meant all one-hundred or so of the year-round inhabitants knew each other very well. And we all got to know the summer population of young staff, and lots of the yachties from "over town" in various measure.