Marriage Savers - do you use them?

[sailjumanji]

Originally Posted by dcondit

We have a set of SENA SPH10s. They have been nice on really windy days, especially on a big cat. Not really necessary, but they are nice to converse when things get complicated (anchor chain issue, aiming for a specific clear spot in the grass, etc.) For us, the name "marriage savers" says it all. Yelling makes it tense. Hand signals are awesome, but a pleasant whisper in your ear sets the tone for the anchorage.

How old are yours? We have the SPH10-10 set. Like I said, used only about 8 months in 3.5 years, and having problems. Am reluctant to buy another set if this is expected life.

[JC Reefer]

We started out thinking we needed headsets. It took a few years but to be honest, now I don’t even try to listen anymore. Too dumb and deaf to hear it and when I do the instructions are normally “Look out!”

Not really a joke. My hearing is getting worse.

Hand signals and preparation. If things go sideways then we reset and try again.

Only one rule, don’t get hurt.

[JoFi]

Originally Posted by dcondit

We have a set of SENA SPH10s. They have been nice on really windy days, especially on a big cat. Not really necessary, but they are nice to converse when things get complicated (anchor chain issue, aiming for a specific clear spot in the grass, etc.) For us, the name "marriage savers" says it all. Yelling makes it tense. Hand signals are awesome, but a pleasant whisper in your ear sets the tone for the anchorage.

+1 and we love the whispering

[double u]

ours (cheap set for motorcycle riders) was totally worth it:
the look on the Frenchies's faces on the boat beside us, when they saw my lady sitting in the cockpit, bicycle helmet on her head (in case I drop a tool from my position at the masthead) quietly talking to, it seemed, herself (they hadn't seen me aloft).
Otherwise it was a poor device: the battery charge never lasted long enough for any job on the masthead, so finally: some shouting anyway...

[chrisr]

we have always relied on voice & hand signals, but have been finding as we age that hearing is not what it use to be and consequentially the hand signals have been verging on the impossible & the pornographic

so we have lashed out and purchased a pair of the latest eartech wireless headsets. imho not the cheapest, but the best available...and a lot cheaper than a divorce !

cheers,

[Simi 60]

Hand signals on a 60fter with enclosed helm

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by nwdiver

Sailing solo, does that mean I have to talk to myself? I dock solo all the time so with crew I just have them sit and watch……unless they are very experienced, then I let them help.

Go the left lobe/ right lobe route when wanting a conversation and you will never ever be alone again.

For me it is usually a weighing anchor thing and hand signals work for me.

Only issue I ever seem to have - not only when anchoring/berthing - doesn't involve hand signals - it involves looking at me when talking.

The number of times people will try and tell you something while facing away from you - only to have their words carried away by the wind.

[Joli]

Hand signals from the bow only. She says where to put the boat, my job is to put the boat on that location. Our signal for a castled anchor chain that jams the chain wheel is the middle finger. Gives the other cruisers something to giggle about when she flips me off.

If we're unsure about something we'll stop and discuss, no yelling. We've been sailing together for 50 years, mostly competitive racing, yelling is a non starter.

[Rumrace]

To thought it was going to be an air conditioning and menopause thread.

I don’t qualify to answer. I’ve not owned a cat but a couple large power boats near as wide in the beam. I’ve seen cat with exposed awkward helms with poor visibility. I noticed one using cameras. Sad stuff.

No no hand signals, no ear buds. We’ve had twins for ever. Now single screw with bow thruster. Doesn’t matter which one of us is driving neither one of us want any help at the dock. My wife has warned people not to pull my lines.

Anchoring maybe twice on a new boat.

Locking nope she likes the bow going into a lock but we might trade job in the lock.

[ranger58sb]

Don't have a cat, but we have similar issues. From the helm, I can't see crew on the main deck of this boat, so hand signals don't work all that well anymore. Nor could either of us hear each other through the bridge enclosure... even yelling.

So we have SENA headsets. I wouldn't call them "marriage savers" (cute name started I think by Eartech), just another useful tool in the kit. They do make crew comms easy, though.

-Chris

[Snore]

As a professional delivery captain, I use them for new crew, recommend them to new owners and use them on big cats and very big monohulls.

First time I used them was on a delivery up the ICW on a marginal powerboat. The deck hand was free crew to save the owner some money.... Being in the person's ear let me coach the deckhand as to when I wanted dock lines thrown. Since we were had to spring her along side, also let me tell the deck hand to have the dock person move the line to a certain piling. In about 4 days, the newbie deck and was trained. No yelling, no fuss, no hurt feelings. GREAT TOOL!!!

Another example is during a training session on Puget sound, owner's wife was forward looking for floating debris, and owner was at the helm. It allowed them to clearly communicate with each other.

If I have crew that has sailed with me before, we use 'modified crane signals' for anchoring and anchor retrieval. But even that requires the deck hand to have a contrasting or brightly colored sleeves. The common mistake is that the deckhand does not make large enough gestures. Docking without headsets really requires the deck hand to know when and where the line goes. But if I do my job right, there is little drama.

All that said, once the boat gets to 60', or if I take another ICW run, I will bring my headsets with me.

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by Tetepare

Hand signals

Another vote for hand signals and pre-planning. If it's not working, go back out to open water, go back to the helm and discuss what went wrong and how to address it.

Make sure you both know and understand what the hand signals mean.

Also very handy if you have a dockside yahoo trying to tell you what to do. Since you aren't listening for verbal commands, it's easier to ignore them and do so without eliciting an angry response.

[dcondit]

Originally Posted by sailjumanji

How old are yours? We have the SPH10-10 set. Like I said, used only about 8 months in 3.5 years, and having problems. Am reluctant to buy another set if this is expected life.

We've had ours for about two years. They have some quirks for pairing, but my wife has become an expert on that. We thought we had a problem one time, but it turned out the outlet wasn't working and one set did not charge. Once we figured that out it we had no more issues.


If there were something better out there we'd consider it, but I don't like any of the alternatives.

[tamicatana]

Discuss the approach, hand signals if necessary. After a few decades of sailing, we pretty much don't need to talk.

I would honestly be hesitant to have my ears blocked by these things; might miss some sort of important audible signal

[dcondit]

Originally Posted by tamicatana

Discuss the approach, hand signals if necessary. After a few decades of sailing, we pretty much don't need to talk.

I would honestly be hesitant to have my ears blocked by these things; might miss some sort of important audible signal

After a lifetime of flying airplanes, I almost do better with a headset on