What Are Standard Marine Communication Phrases?

Every ship needs communication systems that allow the crew and personnel to communicate with each other about technical matters related to i) internal aspects of everything on board and ii) external aspects related to navigation and voyage, either with the shore or another vessel.

While we are more or less aware of the various systems and constantly evolving technologies governing communication modes, it is crucial to know the rules, regulations, and guidelines that dictate how these communications are carried out.

These communications need to adhere strictly to a formal code and avoid outliers. Thus, for all practical purposes, any form of internal or external communication encompassing technical aspects in a vessel under operation is under the purview of a set of well-defined verbal protocols, as stipulated by IMO under the resolution of Standard Marine Communication Phrases (SMCP).

They are similar in framework to the protocols that pilots need to follow when communicating with Air Traffic Control. Still, in the case of vessels, they are on a much more extensive scale owing to the time, complexity of operations, large number of stakeholders, and a litany of reasons at various levels.

The SMCP guidelines were adopted by IMO in 1977 as a replacement for the Standard Marine Navigation Vocabulary. The language of communication is universally English, but in some rare cases, like communication between two vessels of a particular country where English is not an official language but adheres to the same rules applicable to the given language. The SMCP, as a whole, can be divided into two main parts for reference:

• Part A
• Part B

Part A deals with all phrases and communication protocols dealing with external matters. These include communications between a vessel and port of call, between two vessels, or between a vessel and any other point of communication on land, air, or water that may be of interest. For all practical purposes, external forms of communication adhere to the ITU Radio regulations. Part B deals with internal communications only, as mentioned, and will be followed by crew and personnel on board.

However, these terms and phrases do not entail any form of offendable violation or stringency in practice. They can be missed, supplanted by general or informal dialect, and spoken anyway as per our intention.

However, they are mostly considered general conventions that should be followed universally as a standard form of…

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