🔍 Key Concepts

• Licensing and authority of coast radio stations under international and U.S. regulations • Distinction between U.S.-flag vessel licensing and shore station licensing • Role (and limits) of the U.S. Coast Guard in routine commercial radio communications

💭 Think About

• Think about whether a U.S.-flag vessel’s radio license restricts it only to U.S. coast stations or allows use of any properly licensed station worldwide. • Consider whether prior authorization is normally required each time a U.S. vessel wants to use a foreign coast station for routine traffic. • Ask yourself what the Coast Guard actually does on the radio: does it assign working channels for all merchant communications, or mainly safety, distress, and certain traffic services?

✅ Before You Answer

• Verify what a ship station license generally permits regarding communications with foreign coast stations. • Check whether there is any normal requirement for prior authorization before using a non-U.S. coast station for standard commercial or operational traffic. • Confirm the actual role of the U.S. Coast Guard in maritime radio: safety/distress vs. commercial message routing.