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  • Listen to weather reports. Inform your family of your voyage plans when you are going to be out for a longer voyage, especially over open waters.
  • If you are significantly delayed or change your voyage plans, notify anyone who may get worried or inform the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre.
  • Listen to radio broadcasts now and then – especially Swedish Radio P3 and the regional programmes – there could be a message that people are looking for you. The MRCC tries to avoid descriptions of persons, but rather issues bulletins inquiring about the vessel.
  • Make sure that people at home can provide a good description of your boat.
  • The vessel, skiff, life saving equipment and other equipment should be marked with the name and home town of the boat and/or your name and address. Notify the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre if you lose any of this, which may prevent searches when found materials are reported.
  • Call the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre immediately if you find out about an accident. Inform the MRCC which assistance you can offer and try to stay at the site as a contact person until help arrives.
  • Call the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre and ask for advice if you are missing someone and are worried. A call to the MRCC does not automatically trigger a search - that happens only after consultation with the person who filed the report.
  • Always use 112 as your emergency number. Do not call individual maritime rescue bodies as that can cause duplicate work.
  • Send up red rockets only in an emergency and only when you are unable to make direct contact via VHF or telephone – you may need your rockets or flares at a later stage to help the rescue units to find you. If you have sent up rocket and received assistance from anyone other than the maritime search and rescue service, notify the MRCC as soon as possible.
  • Inform your passengers on the route you are planning and show them where safety equipment is located and how to use it. This applies in particular to fire extinguishers, VHF radio, rescue vests, life buoys, throw ropes and life rafts (if applicable).
Updated: 2012-01-24