Solving Those Pesky Communication Problems

Once your boat leaves the dock, one of your primary safety elements is good communication with the rest of our surrounding world: marinas, coast guards, ships, family, work, your boat mechanic, etc.
 
We asked six captains about three communication problems they’ve solved. Here’s what they told us.

Jim Niehaus, Discovery, Northeast Motorsail 42
 

• Reasonably priced cell phone plan that works in Canada, U.S, and Mexico with unlimited data, messages and phone calls.
• Iridium GO! Marine installation.  This allows low cost phone calls, unlimited texting, emailing and unlimited detailed weather forecasting when in remote areas where cellular or Wi-Fi is not available.
• Listening more often to my first mate (work in progress).

Fred Kaufhold, Dreamweaver, Mariner 35

Failure to communicate is not totally a boat issue.  However, the unique communication issues found on a boat usually involve anchoring and docking.  For these evolutions, we have tried head sets and found them to be a nuisance for our applications.  For the anchoring drill, we have developed a set of hand signals over the years, which serve us well and are not subject to being dropped overboard. 

When docking and undocking, we review the plan in detail ahead of time and work together as the situation develops.  When all else fails, our boat is small enough that we can always resort to verbal communications – no yelling, please. 

In truth, we have been doing this for so long that we can anticipate most situations and have a pretty good idea what the other person will do.  Most times, we get it right.

Read how Bonni uses headBonni Nutter, New Adventure, Pacific Mariner 65
 
The best communication device we have is our Garmin Inreach. We were able to text our family every day we were in Alaska either with our cell phones or our Inreach. Our family was able to follow our trip because they received our GPS coordinates with each transmission.  
 
We also have worked very hard at finding a cell plan that covers Canada with minimum charges. 
 
We have a SAT phone with global star. It is less than we hoped for. It drops calls often.  It’s more frustrating than it’s worth. I’m going to try something different this year. 
 
We have a Skyroam device for international calling. It’s pay as you go. You buy a day pass for about $10 a day and can link five devices to it.  It works as long as you have a cellular signal.  It will not work if you are in the Broughton’s where there is no cell reception. 

Read Bonni's The Galley Gal blog to learn how she uses headsets when docking.

Dennis Thornton, Tonic, Riviera 40
 
For us, cell service phone, VHF, Inreach and Iridium handle all communication.  I use Sirius Marine Weather displayed on my Simrad Chartplotter and VHF for weather comms.  Pretty satisfied with information I can transmit and receive.

Dave Wilshin, L’Esprit, Ocean Alexander 44
 
We have Iridium and Global Star satellite phones. Usually one of them works. It’s rare that they both don’t work. We also have a cell phone booster.

When in Alaska, we have a AT&T GoPhone because they’re not our normal carrier. We also have a Verizon MiFi and a Skyroam puck; both need to be in a place where there’s phone coverage in the first place.

Our InReach lets our family know where we are, and it gives them a way to contact us if there’s an emergency (with four kids, there’s bound to be one!).

Also, we rarely use headsets to talk with each other, because neither of us want to hear the other’s chattering (or breathing) when we’re concentrating. For more than two decades we’ve used hand signals for anchor drills. Works for us. We use short verbal cues when docking and leaving port. We’ve been known to yell; it has nothing to do with our marriage.   

Mary Robbins, Prime Time, Bayliner 47
 
When unable to see or hear each other on the boat when docking or anchoring, handless headsets with Bluetooth technology for communication are must haves between the Captain and First Mate.  We prefer the style with the band behind the head with rechargeable battery self-contained and no belt clip.
 
Communication between the Captain and First Mate must clarify clearly the distance of the boat from the side of a slip and distance to the back of the slip either bow or stern in.  While ten to fifteen feet may be helpful at first, the First Mate must judge distances accurately within a slip, and also indicate if speed is a factor, if there’s a need to pull out and try again, or if we’re going to bounce off a dock, so the Captain can adjust the course appropriately.  Also important is the conversation while docking so the Captain knows when the stern is secure, and if the First Mate has stepped off the boat, is standing on the swim step, and has mid-line secure, etc.
 
When assigned an inappropriate slip due to weather, maneuverability or size/angle of a slip, the Captain should request a different slip or choose another marina.  The Captain decides, not the Harbormaster, what is an appropriate slip for the boat.

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