Flying with a VHF Handset

As thoughts turn to sailing in warmer foreign climates, many will look to travel with their personal VHF handset for ease of communications with other yachts and shoreside mooring offices. Having travelled mostly to both North and South Ionian waters with family and friends, many has been the occasion when I have asked a crew member to disappear into the saloon to make "a call" especially at time of approaching a mooring only to find that having limited knowledge and experience of vhf communications and practice has resulted in unclear and often forgotten key information relating to mooring instructions being relayed to the helm and standing by crew. As many of my crew sail infrequently, setting up the yacht for mooring, issuing instructions and keeping clear visibility in often busy moorings I really don't want to then have to disappear into the saloon to take over this additional task. I also want the crew to feel engaged in the whole yacht holiday experience and so prefer that they take on this role and engagement.

In recent years I have started to take my handheld trusty Standard Horizon HX210 so I can monitor and even support communications from the helm. However, recently I read an article whereby a skipper in the same position was stopped at security and after a lengthy discussion relating to the carriage and transportation of VHF equipment, had to surrender his VHF handheld to the stored property office for a fee (£20 I think) which resulted in him nearly missing his flight as he had to locate and walk to the stored property offices (you can bet it's never near your start or finishing point!!). The whole family holiday could have started on a miserable tone and experience, something no one wants especially if travelling with a young family and skipper wants to maintain his proven status as Master and Commander and not fall at the first hurdle of leaving the UK!. On return, this gentleman took up the issue with his airline and long story short, was advised that VHF's are NOT on any prohibited goods list, BUT seemingly understanding of transit regulations can be down to the individual at security on the day. He had previously seen information that VHF should be transported in both hold and cabin luggage and hence the confusion.

I bet many flocking to the Med and other sailing grounds this summer will be taking VHF handsets and I wanted to share my experience of finding out what is required to avoid stressful discussions at the security point with grizzling, screaming kids annoying both me and the security officer.

I started with asking my niece who is the Jet2 Deputy Duty Manager at Birmingham airport, who after extensive discussions wasn't able to get a definitive position but gave me a number for Pre Travel Assistance colleagues. Unfortunately, initially they weren't there to answer calls and when they did, they required a Booking Number to provide any answers to my questions. I advised that I didn't have the reference to hand as the Sailing Holidays have not yet confirmed all my trip details but it was a simple (so I thought!) pre travel question on which I wanted clear and accurate advice. This seemed to worry the lady in Pre Travel Services as I assumed she felt the heavy weight of responsibility to get it right and didn't want to be named in a possible legal challenge should her advice prove to be wrong.  She kept me waiting for 15 mins "whilst she checked" but the call then mysteriously disconnected.

I then headed to the font of all knowledge, Keith Harding  who believed that the issue with airlines relates to the battery in electrical equipment and that airlines should be able to state their policy clearly, but my experience above proved this not to be the case. Keith's view correctly was that Lithium Ion batteries should be transported in hand luggage and NOT hold luggage so they could be recoverable if there was an issue (I assume he means an explosion here!) and they could be readily inspected. BUT the policy of the airline would dictate.     

So taking a belt and braces approach and since retiring having many hours at my disposal, I emailed the RYA who promised an answer in 24 hours but they never responded after that, and I returned to the airlines. Firstly submitting the HX210 Specifications page for scrutiny and response and then taking another call with Jet2's Pre Travel Services. This time success, I was directed to an online policy document which although didn't mention VHF's did mention Lithium Ion batteries and that as long as the battery did not "generate" 100 Watt hours then it should be carried in hand luggage and declared when passing through security, just like a mobile phone, tablet, battery charging device or e-cigarette. I was advised however that the security gate wasn't staffed by Jet2 staff and again the officer inspecting my electricals may not know this key information. So asking for this on email to take with the handheld was met with a "sorry but we don't do that sir" and I stated that I was concerned that Jet2 would give out advice they wouldn't seemingly back up in writing. All I was offered was a Google web search which "should suffice".

I then emailed Standard Horizon for the Wh rating of this model as it is not stated in Specifications and I await a response. Taking a different approach I then Googled "spare battery for HX210 VHF" and found the battery included in the handset and it clearly stated 14 Wh. So after numerous hours, job done. At this point Bev stated that I really, really MUST get something to occupy my time more productively. She obviously doesn't understand the onerous responsibilities of being a Med holiday skipper!

The upshot of this issue is that to avoid any issues at security:

1. The individual airlines policy must be consulted as it may differ by airline.

2. The battery details may need to be known and you may need to be able to discuss them like an Oxford University Physics Professor, if only to bamboozle the security office proving difficult on the day.

3. Don't take it for granted that VHF's can be carried in either hold or cabin luggage, there will be a policy that you will need to be aware of and comply with.

4. It was clear that such a simple and frequently travelled piece of sailing equipment met with a lot of people not being able to offer clear and accurate advice confidently.

The other plan could be to just bung it in the hold luggage and plead ignorance on the day.....