Archive for May, 2011
Some communcation equipment on short supply…
If you’re planning to invest into a VHF Marine Radio or a CB Radio this year, you may be wise to get your order in early. I know that several of the models have been out of stock from the manufacturer and the manufacturing companies are “playing catchup” as they didn’t anticipate the influx of orders they have encountered. With the down turn in the economy, they apparently pulled in their horns to wait out the storm without an excessive amount of inventory. Then, when spring came upon us and the orders came, they were not ready for what happened. Some items are actually being listed as back ordered until sometime in October!! This, I’m sure, is very frustrating to all involved from the purchaser, to the retailer, to the manufacturer. Although I can understand from a business standpoint why the decision to not build inventory was made, I would think there would be very little excuse for an estimated stocking date that far out. So, I guess the word for the day is to “order early”. To coin a very old slogan which still has merit…..”the early bird gets the worm”. Happy Boater.
First radio broadcast can sure give a person the “willies”!
I’m sure you can remember the first time you made a call over your VHF marine radio. Kinda unsettling, isn’t it? It feels like everyone is looking at you – even if nobody else is on board! Your tongue gets all tangled up, you forget what you were going to say (after all, it seemed pretty clear until you pushed that dumb button)! Don’t worry – we all went through that and it DOES get easier and better. You’ll find that everyone that heard your broadcast (no matter how badly you screwed it up) is sympathetic because they probably can remember what it was like when they made their first transmission. Now, does it mean that they didn’t get a chuckle out of it? Not on your life, but, then if the worst that comes of it is knowing that you brought a bit of happiness into someone’s life – maybe the only smile they had all day – you’re a winner…and next time you will be one step closer to becoming a pro. Don’t let fear of talking on the radio scare you away from installing a VHF marine radio on your boat or pontoon. Only good things come of that. Happy Boater.
Pick your way with a CB!
If you’ve never tried it, you are really in for a surprise as to just how well it works to get advice and even meet new friends on a CB Radio while traveling. Some stretches of road get really pretty boring. You know what I’m talking about! If you’ve driven across Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, the Dakotas, you know there are a lot of long stretches of road with really nothing at all to see. Even heading south on 35W from Minnesota to Oklahoma or Texas. Miles and miles of nothingness. This is the time you whip out your CB Radio. It doesn’t have to be a fixed mount unit – it can be a hand held CB Radio. They work fine for a mile or 2 – at least it will put you in touch with someone you probably have never met. Maybe you will be lucky and be able to avoid a bad stretch of road if they are ahead of you and they come upon a road block or something like that. Truckers are always chattering and if nothing else, it’s a refreshing thing to listen to instead of the radio or the 10th time through on a CD. Try it – you might just like it!! Happy Boater.
Are you behind schedule this spring, too?
I always like to get out and get going when spring finally happens around here. This year, it seems like just after I put out the lawn furniture and yard ornaments, all we’ve had was miserable weather (maybe a blessing because I had several “inside” projects that needed my attention and they just didn’t want to go away. Now they are pretty much gone and I’m waiting patiently to get outside to attack those other projects that need my attention. When the yard firms up enough to get the boat out of when we had it stored for the winter, I’ll get to spend some time polishing it up and getting it ready for its’ “maiden voyage” for the year. Part of my “get ready” scheme is to check over safety items like flares, horn, battery, live vests, hand held vhf marine radio, tow rope, and life raft. I’m sure your list looks pretty similar to this one, but it does help to have a list in your pocket when checking over things, because it really is easy to overlook a very obvious item that you may kick yourself for missing later. Take your time and do it right. Happy Boater.
I expect better fishing as well as better boating conditions this year…
The weather people seem be consistently wrong when they issue a forecast for our region. Now, most of the time it’s not their fault – we just have a very large body of water sitting right here that seems to do very odd things to weather patterns – the same patterns that forecasters can count on in other areas. Not here. The good news is that we have had an incredible amount of snow this year which should bring the lake levels up. They’ve been really low the last couple of years. Fact is, I even had trouble getting my boat on the trailer this past fall because the lake was so low. It feels good to see the lake levels up. I expect a lot of inland lakes in our part of northern Minnesota will “ice out” this week. Some of them realized an “ice out” situation even on Sunday (May 1st) which is really late for us. Usually our ice is out somewhere between the 15th and 24th of April. About 13 years ago, we still had ore boats stuck in the ice in the middle of May – so it could be worse. More water will mean cooler water for a longer period of time which equates directly to better fishing!! Yeah!! Why not make the effort now, before you get your boat in the water to outfit it with a new digital VHF marine radio or maybe a new set of marine speakers to replace those that were sounding all “garbled” last season when you were trying to understand someone’s transmission. Be safe. Happy Boater.
Channel 16 is ready and waiting!
When you find yourself needing help, isn’t it nice to know that someone is there to help? That’s the situation you inherit when you install a VHF Marine Radio in your watercraft – it could even be a hand held VHF marine radio! The common baseline here is that they both will allow you to access channel 16 – the “meeting” channel and also the channel on which you will receive weather updates or warnings from the US Coast Guard. The will keep you advised of the latest in marine traffic issues,, whether it be a simple update on weather conditions, or a full blown small craft warning advising you to pull up lines, pack up, and head for shore or a safe harbor if one is available. These services are priceless…both for you and for those you have on board with you. Don’t wait any longer if you don’t have a radio installed on your watercraft – start the new boating season off right!! Happy Boater.