Marriage Savers

We have not even officially started The Great Loop trip and already I am airing our dirty laundry…Thus far the most difficult issue that Mark and I have encountered in boating (and in life) is in the area of communication. To be blunt, I have a severe hearing loss and Mark mumbles. I do have hearing aides which I wear at times, but I must admit not as often as I should. I have tried wearing my hearing aides when we have taken the boat out in the past but the problem was that all sounds were amplified, making it almost impossible to hear and understand Captain Mark over the sounds of the water and the engine. Mark swears that he is enunciating properly and speaking as clearly and slowly as he can while I claim he is simply not taking the time to provide me with clear and concise instructions. Also when driving the tug Mark is inside the boat and I am outside. So when we are docking or maneuvering it becomes even more difficult for me to hear him and/or understand what he is saying. Therefore, I find myself screaming to him. If he does not immediately respond to me then I think that he has not heard me and then I tend to screech with panic in my voice and in a tone that is at best extremely annoying.

We have researched all sorts of hearing/communication devices. We have the funny Bluetooth earpiece thingies that go with our cell phones but they only work in areas where we are able to get a cellular signal. We investigated walkie/talkie devices, the very expensive headsets that professional boating crew use, and had just about given up hope that we would find something that could work for us. However, on a trip that we took this summer we watched as another boating couple came into the harbor, wearing headsets like we had never seen before. This couple was not in a panic nor were they screaming at each other while docking and they actually appeared to be working in tandem to logically/safely dock the boat. This couple had hardly had their lines tied before I was upon their dock to discover their secret and check out these magic tools. As soon as I asked about the headsets, the couple laughed and called them “marriage savers” and stated emphatically that the headsets were just that – marriage savers! In fact that is how they are marketed by Cruising Solutions. http://www.cruisingsolutions.com

At this point I must say that I have no affiliation with Cruising Solutions nor do I usually endorse products, however, these headphones are just what they claim to be. Any two people who have ever tried to dock a boat will know instantly what I am talking about…it is easy to drive a boat but it is getting in and out of the slip that is most difficult. However, with these headphones the communication between the captain and the deck crew is fantastic. The sound is crisp, clear and there is absolutely no need for shouting. Notice I said shouting, not foul language. There still may be a need for foul language between the captain and the crew but now not everyone in the harbor has to witness the tantrums.


We used our set of “marriage savers” for the first time today and I must say that they were wonderful. I could truly hear and understand Captain Mark as he spoke and I was pleased to be able respond without that tone of panic in my voice. I am going to order another pair so that if anything happens to this set we will have a backup pair. In fact the headphones worked so well that Mark suggested that we wear them all the time. They are cute and functional but not that cute…