Arriving in Arradon (Brittany, France) everything was ready to go out and enjoy RIBbing in the Morbihan and further out. A super spot. We’re June 2021.
Before boarding I was checking my bag for the charger of the VHF radio on the right (Cobra MR HH325 which is a very solid and a very good one), I turned red from shame to behind my ears: I had forgotten the charger at home.
At that moment I never realised I knew so many languages.
What do to now?
Going out without VHF radio was no option for me. Different scenarios crossed my mind. Using my iPhone to call for help at sea seems a possibility. But the important disadvantage of that method is that you can only reach 1 person. Using the VHF radio you shout to all ships nearby.
On the photo you can see how much juice I have left on the Cobra ‘s display on the right. It looks sufficient to operate it but once it got “online” it used all of its juice within a few minutes. So I would become “deaf” at sea. A situation I don’t like at all. So no RIBbing.
I had no other choice but to buy a new VHF radio because in Arradon and Vannes they don’t sell that charger separately.
Of course it’s a Cobra again because I am very satisfied with that brand. Finally I bought the one on the left (see above). It’s floatable and weighs less. It also has an orange border. The “keyboard” offers some extra shortcuts. Super!
But … it came with a car charger only. On my RIB (Sogno) I have only two USB ports.
Again I had to look for a solution. Looking for a “land” charger, I found one (see below in the left). It does the job perfectly. It has a display as well to show the progress of charging. I’m a sucker for displays.
All of this could’ve have been avoided by checking the gear more carefully at home, all of the gear needed on the console. A lesson learned.
On the bright side … I now have a handheld VHF radio and a spare one.
