Module 5 - Routine Calls
Ship-to-Shore Telephone Calls
What you will learn
Explain public correspondence and the AAIC syllabus term without assuming that a coast-station telephone service is currently available.
The SRC syllabus retains ship-to-shore telephone calls, coast-station services and AAIC knowledge. In practice, public-correspondence availability, channel, account and charging instructions are service-specific and must be verified before use.
Public correspondence is a coast-station service that can connect routine ship communications into a public telecommunications network. ITU List IV identifies coast stations and distinguishes stations providing public correspondence. That definition does not prove a particular VHF station is open, monitored or available to a leisure vessel today.
AAIC means Accounting Authority Identification Code. It identifies the accounting authority used for maritime communication charging and settlement; it is not an MMSI, call sign, channel, licence number or distress code. Never invent or borrow one to complete a call.
Where a current provider offers the service, follow its published call, identity, account and working-channel procedure. Keep the traffic routine and concise. If the underlying situation is grave and imminent danger, concern for safety or a navigational warning, use the correct distress, urgency or safety procedure instead of trying to route it as a private telephone call.
| Term | What it does | What it does not prove |
|---|---|---|
| Public correspondence | A coast-station communication service connected to a public network | That a named local station currently offers the service |
| AAIC | Identifies an accounting authority for maritime charging and settlement | Vessel identity, channel allocation or distress priority |
| Coast-station instruction | Sets the current call, working channel and service steps | Permission to ignore message priority or local conditions |
Verify the service before planning to use it
An old training note says a coast station can connect a telephone call, but your current passage information does not list the service.
1. Separate syllabus from availability
Recognise the public-correspondence and AAIC concepts without assuming the historical service is operating locally.
2. Check current evidence
Use current provider or official coast-station information for availability, channel, hours, identity and accounting requirements.
3. Choose the real priority
If the communication concerns safety rather than private routine traffic, use the applicable distress, urgency or safety route.
Sense check: A valid plan names a current provider and procedure; knowing the term AAIC alone does not create a working service.
Common mistake or limitation
- Treating AAIC as another name for the vessel's MMSI.
- Assuming a syllabus topic guarantees that every coast station still offers public correspondence.
- Using a routine telephone-service plan for communication that has become urgent or distress-related.
Recap
- Public correspondence is a routine coast-station service connected to a public network.
- AAIC identifies an accounting authority; it is not a vessel or channel identity.
- Verify current availability and provider instructions, and classify safety traffic on its real priority.
Optional quick check
Section 4 of 10
What does an AAIC identify in maritime public correspondence?
Sources and factual review
Reviewed 20 August 2026 - Compass Revision editorial review.
Continue studying Routine Calls
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