Dear readers,

When did we forget how to talk to each other? Nowadays, most people prefer to write an email or type a text message into their mobile phone instead of simply calling the person they are talking to.

Why is that the case? Are we afraid of uncomfortable questions? Do we lack the time for more detailed conversations because we are constantly under pressure? Even many older people who have long since retired from working life are often frantically hacking away at their smartphones instead of pressing the dialling button. I don't understand it.

How much faster can questions or even problems be clarified in a direct conversation! How much more personal is a nice chat when you have the other person at your ear instead of exchanging "messages" teeming with cryptic abbreviations every few minutes!

This development is not the fault of technology, especially not the mobile phone. It's us humans who no longer seem to be able to put it down. I don't exclude myself from this. Even during a cosy sundowner in the cockpit, the little wonder is almost always within reach. And many an evening passes with hours of watching video clips instead of having a good chat in good company.

In the meantime, the nice tradition of chatting often falls by the wayside. Greeting the neighbouring berth holder in a friendly manner, asking about their well-being and where they are from and where they are going has always been part of good manners in the harbour. To go beyond this initial exchange and continue the conversation, chatting about boats, God and the world and forgetting the time - what could be more marvellous?

You might think it's old-school, old-fashioned. I think it's worth taking a self-critical look at our own communication behaviour. Sometimes our increasing refusal to talk has fatal consequences. For example, rescue services, professional skippers, lock and bridge keepers have long noticed that sailors can no longer be contacted by radio.

A VHF radio hangs above almost every navigation table (right next to the plotter, but that's another topic). However, hardly anyone uses a microphone any more. All too often, the devices are not even switched on to at least hear if there is an emergency in the vicinity. Or the lock keeper wants to give instructions on how to enter the lock chamber.

When sailors are asked about the topic, they often wave it off. "Who uses a mobile phone these days?" they say. And: "The mobile phone is much more practical!" That may be true in many cases. But not in all cases. In particular, it is a common misconception that the smartphone is an equivalent replacement for the radio!

Just recently, we read that a sailboat that had been wrecked on the Baltic Sea was unreachable. It was struggling with engine and on-board electronics failure in a light breeze. As it did not reach its destination harbour at the agreed time, relatives alerted the sea rescuers. They had to search for a long time until they finally received a weak radar signal that directed them to the missing man. If he had been using a handheld radio, the time-consuming search would probably have been significantly shortened.

Professional ship captains, for example on the Elbe, also complain that they cannot speak to sailors in dangerous situations because they are simply deaf on the radio. The same applies to traffic centres. After all, nobody has their own mobile phone number in their sails!

Experience shows that it is not uncommon for sailors to shy away from radioing because they simply lack the experience. This is understandable, as the radio licence exam was a long time ago, and many radio courses are not really practical either.

But that should not be an excuse. In the current YACHT edition and also here on yacht.com we therefore take another detailed look at the radio. The focus here is on how to achieve a good level of radio routine with a few tricks and hacks. It's worth getting to grips with the subject; if in doubt, it can save your life!

In this sense: "Over!", not: "Out!" - means I stay on reception. Write me your opinion on the subjectI'm curious.

Pascal Schürmann

YACHT copywriter

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