The JAZZ 250 and Tropical Storm Bertha

August 3rd, 2002

My wife and I decided to go camping and what we call gigging, spearing flounder, on Last Island. Last Island or Isles Dernieres off the Louisiana coast. We checked the weather loaded up the boat with all supplies and were on our way. My brother-in-law and his son as well as my next-door neighbor accompanied my wife and I on our overnight fishing trip. This would be my nephew's first camping experience. We launched out of Cocodrie, Louisiana about 15 to 20 miles from the island. Our boat is a 17-foot Cape Horn with a 70 HP Suzuki Four Stroke engine. It is not the largest boat in the world, but is unsinkable and pretty reliable. The water was a little rough but the forecast called for 1 to 2 foot seas and widely scattered thunderstorms.

My Neighbor "BUSTER" walking from the boat. Jacob's First Camping trip!

About 6:00 Pm we set up camp and anchored the boat bow and stern, with the bow facing in about 20 yards from the beach. We get the fire rolling and unload all our equipment from the boat. Louisiana is known for being the sportsman paradise and that night it was. We walked on the edge of the water after sunset with our headlights. We must have picked up five-dozen crabs that had come into the shallow tide pools between the sand bars. The water was too rough to see any flounder so we soon gave up gigging in hopes that hotdogs would soon be roasting on the fire.

Note the JAZZ 250 and My VHF in these Pics! Oh yeah that's my wife isn't she pretty!

The night was surely upon us when we watched rolling thunderstorms coming from offshore to the southeast. The wind began to switch from northeast to due north. Something was changing. I went for my VHF, only to find that the battery was dead. I could go out to the boat to charge the radio but decided against it as the seas were too rough and the water was too deep to go at night.

Our friend Bertha on her way inshore.

Then I remembered I had taken along my Xantrex JAZZ 250 to provide us extra light with it's included fluorescent light. I simply plugged in my radio to the truly wonderful portable power unit. According to the VHF, the weather was not set to get worse till morning so we decided to wait it out. Needless to say is was an uncertain night for me, but my nephew had the time of his life. The way home in the morning was really rough; we set off directly into an approaching thunderstorm. The waves were probably 6-8 feet by now. We did get very wet but made it home safely.

The JAZZ 250 had made my night and my mind much easier. It wasn't a life or death need to have that VHF at that particular time, but it sure helped. I can speak loudly enough of having a portable power unit properly stored and charged in your boat. From jump-starts to lighting to VHF charging, It's a must have!

Chad Whitney