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Headphones
The Cruising Solutions website
(http://www.cruisingsolutions.com) calls them Marriage Savers.
Maybe or maybe not, but these reasonably priced headphones are a
must have. They allow hands free communications between the captain
and crew. Unlike walkie-talkies, the headphones are true duplex
devices (like a telephone) allowing talking and listening at the
same time. Always on, no need to push to talk (just be careful what
you say!), your hands are always free. Everything is on your head,
no wires to snag, nothing hanging off your belt or stuffed in a
pocket. Since the headphones are always on, there are no
lost/clipped words, a common problem with voice activated or push to
talk microphones. The foam insulation does a good job of keeping the
background noise at a reasonable level. The headphones have a high
and low power position so they can be used on big and small boats
keeping the volume at an acceptable level.
Headphones can be used in any number of situations, but we get
our most use from them when anchoring or docking. Put them on and
just talk/listen. It is like having a conversation about the
maneuver you are performing.
"Fifty feet to the spot I want to drop the anchor, neutral
please; OK; Ten seconds of reverse, please; Reverse; Anchor's away;
Time's up, in neutral; What's the depth?; Eight feet; Thanks; Sixty
feet of rode out; Rode secured; Hard back please; Hard back; Anchor
is set, power down and neutral please; OK."
Another recent example, on our shakedown cruise this spring we
needed to parallel park on a dock between a couple of million-dollar
yachts. There was sufficient room, but not an excess, and, of
course, the 15-knot wind was blowing off the dock. Each season,
until my wife gets her sea legs back, things out of the ordinary can
be a bit anxious – this situation was overload! Without the
headsets, I would not have even tried it; with them, despite her
nervousness, we pulled it off without a hitch. Due to the wind, I
had to carry a bit more speed than normal to ensure we got to the
dock...
"I'm aiming for the cleat about 10' behind the front boat, do you
see it?; Yes, I have it but you're going TOO FAST!; I'll reduce
power in a little bit, the wind will slow us right down - when you
get close enough, loop the line around the dock cleat and bring it
back to the cleat on the boat; Ok, speed’s better, I still don't
like this; It will work out fine, 10' and closing, in reverse to
kill the remaining speed - after you get the line around the boat’s
cleat, don’t secure it. Just hold tight, tell me when you have it;
(%*#$@*! a few expletives as the cleat is lassoed) I've got it,
holding; Good job, now you can stop worrying about hitting the boat
in front of us. Plenty of clearance from the boat behind, I'm
putting the boat in forward and turning the helm to push the stern
in, I need you to slowly slack your line… little more... little
more, hold that; Ok, I'm holding; I can't reach the aft dock cleat
from the helm, the prop thrust will hold the boat against the dock
while I secure the stern; Ok, bow is holding; Stern is secured,
powering down, I'll come forward to help you secure; Thanks, that
was really pretty easy!"
No cracked fiberglass, no screaming, no misinterpreted hand
signals, no need for the person on the bow to be looking at the helm
to be sure directions are understood, hands are free to complete
your tasks. Makes you and your crew look like pros!
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