posted 01-29-2004 08:34 PM ET (US)            

If you're going to sea, yes! My father didn't have a VHF radio in his sailboats (and his one Owens cabin cruiser) when I was growing up, which is probably why I didn't bother in my first sailboat. But they're so relatively inexpensive and reliable that I've had one (at least) in each of my subsequent boats, both for safety (see Doobee's comment over in General in the current topic, "Ten Ways to Die in a Whaler") and pleasure (fish finding hints to and from others, listening to and occasionally contributing to the banter and gossip, relaying messages to home, listening in to the commercial guys and the Coasties, etc).

My little 16/17 has a console-mounted VHF with oversized six-foot antenna, and I carry a immersible Standard Horizon handheld in my pocket along with my back-up GPS when I'm alone at sea, which is often, just in case...

posted 01-29-2004 10:31 PM ET (US)            

I won't go out on a boat without a VHF.

posted 01-29-2004 10:32 PM ET (US)            

If you're surrounded by other boats, have a handheld VHF, and call for help when out of range of the Coast Guard, there will probably be someone there who can get the details of your emergency, and relay them to the Coast Guard. Then they'll relay the Coast Guard questions and instructions back to you and so on.

If you have a good radio rig, you can make an emergency call to the Coast Guard directly, get their questions and instructions back yourself, save time, and not have to rely on other boaters.

These days, depending on where you might be, if you don't respond to a radio call from a USCG or Navy boat, you may get some automatic weapon warning shots across the bow.

They're also handy for communicating with marinas and fuel docks on approach, etc.

Buy a good radio now.

posted 02-04-2004 04:52 PM ET (US)            

The biggest benefit on a regular basis (and justification enough for getting one) is weather radio. My father always taught me to listen to the VHF on your way out of port. We had about a mile and a half of river (no wake) to traverse until we hit Lake Michigan, and the entire time, the WX was tuned in - it was also an hourly update - we'd listen to the WX band for 15 minutes at the top of the hour when fishing. First and foremost, it is a safety / bad day prevention tool.

Secondarily, it is an important tool to help you get assistance when you make a mistake or have an accident/equipment failure. Calling for help should not be like asking directions...you should do it automatically when you find yourself in trouble..doubly so in worsening conditions. At the very least, you may not need physical assistance, but can receive important messages and relay important information about your condition with it.

posted 02-04-2004 05:18 PM ET (US)            

I have wrecked two of mine in boats this year and I could not even see water in them when taken apart.

we take a 5 watt hand held + 25 watt main rig + cell phones, ok call me paranoid but I have called the coastguard many years ago in terrible conditions and because our one VHF was swamped and we were unable to reply to them, they actually sent a VAN to our aid.

If it hadn't been for other boaters in our vicinity, instead of my friend needing a few day's in hospital (hyperthermia) it could have been much worse.

That day the forcast was ok and the day itself looked fine until the wind came up and our unsinkable boat was full of water up to my armpits, swamped by a wave huge compared to all the other's.

radio's are inexpensive, buy both and be prepared.

posted 02-06-2004 04:14 PM ET (US)            

1. Make a phone call (the signal should be sufficient for most inland lakes except for some in remote areas and out West where cellular coverage has more gaps.
2. Use your voice - most inland lakes are small enough that you can be heard from shore - either immediately, or within a half hour of wind drifting.
3. Most inland lakes have considerable recreational boat traffic during the season, and you are likely to be able to flag down a fellow boater with your coastguard mandated flare/signal kit, or by sounding your horn (or whistle)
4. Many inland lakes are small enough that a strong swimmer can swim to shore from mid-lake, however I recommend abandoning your boat as a last option - especially on a heavily used lake - she's not going to sink and you're easier to spot.

Now - for the bays, and sounds in the ocean, and nearshore, you should at the minimum have a handheld - it is a great investment for any use, but provides the added security of weather updates, and the ability to instantly communicate your problem, location and what you need.

For offshore use or on the Great Lakes, I recommend a fixed mount unit (though I need one yet for my 15') with at least a 6' antenna to give you greater broadcast range.

Please don't think that I was endorsing a cellular phone as adequate for all or even most situations; but it is a very powerful and useful tool, and it should be brought along - despite it's sensitivity to water intrusion - for good measure.

posted 02-06-2004 08:21 PM ET (US)            

Get a case with a clear front so you can see the phone without
taking it out of the case.

VHF is my primary communication mechanism, but I take the
cell phone too.