Standard Marine Communication Phrases (SMCP) are the IMO-standardized English phrases used for safe communication at sea — on the radio, on the bridge, and during manoeuvring. This interactive quiz tests the 12 phrases every seafarer must know cold, whether you are preparing for a Marlins test or joining a foreign-flagged vessel.
How to play: pick the answer you think is correct. Answers are corrected instantly and each question has an explanation.
Quick Table: 12 Key SMCP Phrases
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Say again | Repeat your last message (not heard clearly) |
| Making way | Moving through the water (has headway) |
| Let go forward | Release the bow line |
| Make fast the tug | Secure the tugboat with lines |
| Mayday | Distress — grave, imminent danger to life or vessel (spoken 3x) |
| Pan-pan | Urgency — serious but not life-threatening (below Mayday) |
| Muster station | Emergency assembly point for all crew |
| List to port | Transverse inclination to the port (left) side |
| Stand by the anchor | Be ready at the anchor station for the next order |
| Over | End of transmission — your turn to reply |
| Out | End of communication — no reply expected |
| Draft | Vertical distance from keel to waterline |
Interactive Quiz — Test Yourself
Read the table above? Test yourself with the 12 questions below. Every answer is corrected instantly with an explanation:
Quiz: Maritime English (SMCP)
12 questions — instant correction + explanations
Source
- IMO Resolution A.918(22) — Standard Marine Communication Phrases (SMCP)
