That's a good idea having a VHF nearby. Much better than faintly hearing the one at your helm, in the middle of the night, and having to scramble to the pilot house find out if the transmission was important or not. LOL! I still have my Halloween decorations out (though they're a few feet away among my potted plants). Their color makes a nice contrast to the greenery and I keep them out all year. :) Happy Birthday!

Thanks for this article. Great idea, having a second VHF. Here on the upper Volga River (Russia) we always keep at least one extra VHF that we can easily get to. Fog and Boat Traffic can be dangerous so we have to be able to respond quickly. Even then we sometimes bump into things we shouldn't. Our equipment is very old so maintenance is really critical. We do not always hit the mark, but we try. So additional VHF radios are really helpful. Keep up the great work. We read you all the time over here. We keep up on news from America. We often think you do not know how good you have it over there. All the best. Captain Yuri. PS - Your reader Pam always has delightful comments, eh?

Having the radio right near my ear helps in discerning words. Frankly the hearing is not-so-good anymore. It's so convenient to respond to a nearby boater without having to get up too. Nobody would know I'm still in my bunk, reading the Kindle and snuggling Skipper.

And now you know my secret Pam.

I would love to keep up my Chrsitmas decorations for longer. A couple I do have but mostly I put things away. I Spend a lot of time stowing stuff. Today I found room for a couple more oil filters. I have to change the oil in Betsy. She's due for some fresh stuff.

That's life aboard Seaweed. Thanks so much for your comment. I appreciate that. J.

It was lovely for you to comment on this article. I am glad you enjoy my website. It is always interesting to see where readers are from. Stay Warm! And thank you for your comment. J.