Marriage savers

Wondering if anyone can recommend a good set of wireless two-way radio/headsets for on-board comms during docking.

thanks
Gordon

Buying a couple of holsters for your cell phones sounds like a nice easy solution. Add Bluetooth head sets and put the phones in your pockets if the standard (wire) earphones are cumbersome.

was thinking about that

Easting said:

Buying a couple of holsters for your cell phones sounds like a nice easy solution. Add Bluetooth head sets and put the phones in your pockets if the standard (wire) earphones are cumbersome.

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That works while in the US, but in the Bahamas, perhaps not so much, depending on how far south we go. Last times I was in the Exumas, the phone reception not good throughout.

Thanks
Gordon

Easting said:

Buying a couple of holsters for your cell phones sounds like a nice easy solution. Add Bluetooth head sets and put the phones in your pockets if the standard (wire) earphones are cumbersome.

Click to expand...

That might be a fair solution.... need good cell service, might not be loud enough...

The better ones aren't cheap.
I've got the Eartec Ultralite ULS, about $300 for the set. Self contained, no wires, can hear well, muff, not ear piece.

There was another similar thread recently.....

Some other threads, search terms you can use: Cell phones, maybe. Family radios, maybe, EarTec maybe. SENA Bluetooth maybe (seem to get the most positive remarks, for those where the other solutions won't work).

-Chris

Looks like Sena gets a solid thumbs up from members.

We use a pair of in-ear Bluetooth headsets with our cellphones: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004MCJBJI

We specifically bought these because they have a foam wind-proof cover for the mic. It works really well. They are plenty loud, also. Of course you'd need cell service with these.

I have also seen some "walkie-talkie" apps for the phone that use Bluetooth or peer-to-peer WiFi only (no cell service needed). I tried a couple, but can't seem to find any that are reliable and also support a BT headset. Ah, well....

We've tried three different wireless devices and find the Sena to be the very best, although expensive. The sound quality is very good. Broadcast distance is more than adequate for anything less than the Queen Mary. Battery life is also good, but once you get the battery low message, they quit within a couple minutes. They can also be paired with your phone for music and phone use. Check them out on Amazon.

We have Sena SPH10-10 and love them (yes, a bit expensive, but worth it for us).

Under $300/pair

Whoa, Nellie!

Have the chips implanted behind your ears.

Another vote for the SENA. They are really, REALLY good.

Sena

Cell phone app to turn your phone into a walki talki and use a Bluetooth headset. Check out the app Zollo.

Easting said:

Buying a couple of holsters for your cell phones sounds like a nice easy solution. Add Bluetooth head sets and put the phones in your pockets if the standard (wire) earphones are cumbersome.

Click to expand...

Unless you don't have cell service, which often happens to us.

Eartec wireless. We use them almost every day, and wouldn't be without them.

Gordon J said:

Looks like Sena gets a solid thumbs up from members.

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They sure work for my wife & I!

Greg S said:

Cell phone app to turn your phone into a walki talki and use a Bluetooth headset. Check out the app Zollo.

Click to expand...

Anything that requires you to push a button to speak is not the best idea for this application. You really need true voice activated sets.

Where we boat in almost fjord like fingers of water where cell/mobile phone service is patchy at best, anything that works via a phone service is from unreliable to useless.
I bought a pair of Uniden radios which came with headsets. Seemed ideal, radios are great, but one headset was faulty and Uniden were uncooperative replacing it. Relationship remains at risk.

mbevins said:

Anything that requires you to push a button to speak is not the best idea for this application. You really need true voice activated sets.

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That's why you have a VOX headset. As I understand it these work as local walki talki and no dependency on any cell or data system.

Greg S said:

Cell phone app to turn your phone into a walki talki and use a Bluetooth headset. Check out the app Zollo.

Click to expand...

Greg S said:

That's why you have a VOX headset. As I understand it these work as local walki talki and no dependency on any cell or data system.

Click to expand...

Perhaps that app is "Zello"?

FWIW, one of the reviews says does not work if no cell or internet connectivity.

Another FWIW, when we used VOX headsets coupled with our family radios (good ones), we always experienced a time lag at the beginning of a transmission. Had to get into the habit of starting with something like "One, Two, Three, rest of message..." otherwise the first words disappeared into the ether.

I don't remember if that was also the case with cell and Bluetooth; we tried using the phones/Bluetooth headsets a few times and I think I remember it worked fine, which implies no delay (that I can remember). Need cellphone connectivity, though.

But mostly we just use hand signals. Or the hailer, sometimes, if there happens to be someone on the dock "helping" and not quite getting it right.

-Chris

Xsbank said:

Its only a #%}+£€]¥ boat! If the helmsman/helmswoman can't get the boat against the dock so that the deck ape (or ape-ette) can't step off the boat in a dignified manner and throw a rope over something solid, you're doing it wrong. I am still seeing people mucking about and getting all stressed out over docking the boat. If you can't dock your own boat, learn how to do it or don't go out.

What's the worst you can do? Put a mark on your boat? If that is really important to you, practise practise practise.

Really? Marriage saver? Give me a break

Rant Switch........OFF

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Yes... but it's the "practice, practice, practice" part where the marriage savers come in handy. To suggest that a boating newbie can get good at docking a trawler in all conditions in less than about 100 attempts seems overly optimistic. 100 times of stressful yelling at each other? Nope - we invested the $300 in the Eartecs, and love being able to "practice" docking, and undocking, and anchoring, and weighing anchor, and running the pre-start checklist, all without anyone raising their voice.

Xsbank said:

Its only a #%}+£€]¥ boat! If the helmsman/helmswoman can't get the boat against the dock so that the deck ape (or ape-ette) can't step off the boat in a dignified manner and throw a rope over something solid, you're doing it wrong. I am still seeing people mucking about and getting all stressed out over docking the boat. If you can't dock your own boat, learn how to do it or don't go out.

What's the worst you can do? Put a mark on your boat? If that is really important to you, practise practise practise.

Really? Marriage saver? Give me a break

Rant Switch........OFF

Click to expand...

That was sooooooo helpful to this thread... I just can't tell you what an AMAZING contribution you have added to the topic.

Sarcasm Switch.........OFF

Xsbank said:

Its only a #%}+£€]¥ boat! If the helmsman/helmswoman can't get the boat against the dock so that the deck ape (or ape-ette) can't step off the boat in a dignified manner and throw a rope over something solid, you're doing it wrong. I am still seeing people mucking about and getting all stressed out over docking the boat. If you can't dock your own boat, learn how to do it or don't go out.

What's the worst you can do? Put a mark on your boat? If that is really important to you, practise practise practise.

Really? Marriage saver? Give me a break

Rant Switch........OFF

Click to expand...

Comms might be useful for the practice session....

Ladies and gentlemen, I am very pleased that you actually read my posts, but I also asked the mods to delete the post that justifiably annoyed you - I apologize for the inappropriate tone. Sadly, I wasn't quick enough as it lives on in infamy in the quotes...

Having said all that, I absolutely agree that the ear thingy would be very useful for the learning process. I also think that talking over what the plans for docking will be before attacking the dock, are very useful too. If the helmsman gets the boat to the side of the slip there is no reason why the helper has to leap, throw or otherwise take a huge risk to save a pooched docking attempt.

Then there is no talking required at all...

I watched a GB36 with twins arrive at my marina a day or so ago and it took half an hour to get him tied up on a finger, into wind, with no obstructions. Engines roaring and snorting in forward and reverse, clouds of Lehman smoke. The only reason he isn't still out there is because a bunch of us grabbed him as he was making his 42nd pass and tied him up. Apart from the danger to those of us trying to help, it took me away from my aluminum polishing that morning (I do a lot of that). Anyway, that was the second time in 6 months I tried to help someone do a simple docking (I'm a slow learner and I actually have no regard for gelcoat) and the helmsman put me in danger, the other time was in France, trying to help someone stern-tie and he ran over the end of the dock the was trying to parallel, in reverse and nearly ate me with his wheel as I ran up the sinking finger knee-deep in putrid canal water. My companions had to boil me before they would let me back on the boat.

So, I say again, I hope more diplomatically this time, if you are not comfortable docking your boat at a simple marina, you should not venture out any further than the closest place you can use to practise. Take a couple of hours an learn about how everything on your boat that you use for maneuvering, works. The rudders, forward and reverse, combinations thereof, the wind effects, current effects, goofy dockside helpers(!) and the like. You can even ask someone in your club to give you lessons. Docking is stressful but the consequences of pooching it are a lot less that what can happen out in your cruising grounds - learn to maneuver your boat! Also, if you are helping on the deck by throwing ropes, practice how you actually do that. Spend a few minutes today coiling the rope and throwing it. If you need help, the next time a boy scout offers to help you cross a road, ask him how to throw a rope, they are all taught how.

While the keyboard is warm, learn how to quickly tie a knot on a bull rail that will hold the boat without losing any fingers. You will find that keeping all your fingers is useful for holding onto things later in life. You will thank me.

The challenges we have is going between communicating with your partner and communicating with someone on the dock. Push-to-Talk is a little klunky if you're also trying to work throttles, wheel and thrusters. Voice activation has you inadvertently shouting in the ear of your partner when you're communicating with the dock.

Good noise suppression, to avoid wind noise is critical too.

For many years we've use hand signals. This also requires that you are in sight of each other. When she's in the stern its back to yelling back and forth.

Honestly, our biggest challenge is ignoring the 'docking committee' who starts yelling contradictory commands to my wife.

Drake said:

Unless you don't have cell service, which often happens to us.

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Saw this for those areas without cell service. https://www.beartooth.com/

Beartooth works as a long range link between you and other Beartooth users. Your phone connects to your Beartooth using Bluetooth, and your Beartooth connects to other Beartooth devices up to 10 miles away over the 900 MHz ISM band.

Xsbank said:

So, I say again, I hope more diplomatically this time, if you are not comfortable docking your boat at a simple marina, you should not venture out any further than the closest place you can use to practise. Take a couple of hours an learn about how everything on your boat that you use for maneuvering, works. The rudders, forward and reverse, combinations thereof, the wind effects, current effects, goofy dockside helpers(!) and the like. ..............

Click to expand...

Xsbank,

We know you know how to dock a boat, but for the rest of us, this is how it typically goes:

The Guy is usually driving the boat and the Girl is out there and is going to throw a line, or jump off to secure the boat. If everything works absolutely perfect, no need for talk and the boat gets docked.

But, what could possibly go wrong.......

The guy gets too close and the girl screams, the guy yanks it into reverse and knocks her into the water and a shark eats her.

or...

He yanks it into reverse and scares the hell out of her and she says, "You somabitch, alpha hotel, idiot at the top of her voice so all can hear....

or...

He gets within 5 feet and yells at her to throw the line, which she does and misses and while the boat is drifting into the next boat, they yell their lungs out at each other.

or....

He gets too close and hits the dock hard, and in the excitement, she doesn't throw the line and the yelling begins.

or

She makes it off the boat, with a few scraps and tries to pull the boat in by hand. He yells pull harder, and she yells back, "I'm trying as hard as I can, get your fat arse off the boat and do it yourself.

You get the picture?
And, while I respect your diplomatic approach, the headsets are WONDERFUL for communicating... not only in docking but with other things around the boat.

And, no one learns how to dock in a couple of hours... not close. Many of us have been docking for years and are still learning.... and the poor girls still know know what to do.

For "me", I let the girl to the driving, and I throw the lines. If I need another foot or a nudge of a thruster, I simple tell her..... "one foot stern".

Still not perfect, but, yes the headsets are marriage savers. Just like single place kayaks.

Have used the SENA SPH 10-10 sets for two seasons now .They're great. I am deaf in one ear and used two hearing aids, one is a cross so I can hear things on my right side by the sound being transmitted across to my left hearing aid. The SENA system works and allowed the hearing aids to continue to do their job. We travel through the Rideau lock systems all summer so we rely on theses sets every day.