N4JRI's Radio Pages
Essential Marine Channels
for your Scanner
| Channel | Ship | Shore | Usage |
| 16 | 156.800 | 156.800 | Calling and Distress |
| 13 | 156.650 | 156.650 | Intership Safety (calling on waterways) |
| 6 | 156.300 | 156.300 | Bridge-to-Bridge (safety) |
| 9 | 156.450 | 156.450 | Alternate calling channel |
| 8 | 156.400 | ------------- | Ship/ship (commercial) |
| 72 | 156.625 | ------------- | Ship/ship (non-commercial) |
| 77 | 156.875 | ------------- | Ship/ship (docking operations) |
| 68 | 156.425 | 156.425 | many Marinas & pleasure boat chit-chat |
| 22A | 157.100 | 157.100 | Coast Guard Liason |
| 81A | 157.075 | 157.075 | Marine Safety Offices (?) |
| 83A | 157.175 | 157.175 | Coast Guard Auxiliary |
| 17 | 156.850 | 156.850 | Gov't Agencies (state marine police, etc.) |
| 15 | ---------- | 156.750 | Gov't broadcasts to vessels |
I keep these channels programmed in all the time. 156.800 frequently pops up to relay distress calls, or to announce broadcasts about to begin on 157.100. Traffic on the James River is active on 156.65, and I've even heard country music star Jimmy Dean talking with inbound ship pilots as they pass his Varina estate. 156.625 has a bootleg user right next to the water, and the Coast Guard Auxiliary occasionally operates a groupwide net on 157.175.