Radiowaves

摘要

I enjoyed the piece about navigating on flowing water, even if it was a bit Thames-centric.rnMy only reservation is about contacting London VTS on leaving Limehouse. As I found, a basic handheld VHF unit has trouble reaching London VTS, especially from the back of a narrowboat. It would be helpful if advice could be given about the minimumrnset-up needed to communicate reliably. Come to that, I don't see why this is left to the boater. The lock-keeper letting you onto the Thames has all the information VTS requires; on other rivers, the lockies usually pass on such things to those who need to know. I think the professionals should take responsibility for notification about craft joining the tideway.