With cell phones everywhere now, are marine radios still necessary in

I ain’t drifting for god knows how long trying to get a signal

Seriously?

Let’s not even worry about signal.

What happens if your cell breaks, gets wet, becomes unusable? Then you have nada.

quote:

---

I ain’t drifting for god knows how long trying to get a signal

---

I have done multiple cruises in the Bahamas, Belize, and etc.. I have had to make cell phone calls for work and never have had an issue while at sea.

I wouldn’t take that risk offshore. One problem with cellphones is that you need to know the number to call. If you have an emergency and need to reach the nearest vessel, what number will you call? If you call shore and they need to radio the nearest vessel, what number will they call? Radios have a very important place.

Then you haven't been very far out.

Like everyone else said, you need help and you see a boat on the horizon. Even if you do have service, what number do you dial?

Absolutely necessary. Boat in areas where you have spotty cell service no way you could use that for emergency or just to communicate.

So have I. I was never able to get service. No way I’m trusting a life or death scenario to cell phone coverage. Also, I find it hard to believe you had uninterrupted cell service in the western Caribbean.

quote:

---

I have done multiple cruises in the Bahamas, Belize, and etc.. I have had to make cell phone calls for work and never have had an issue while at sea.

---

Cellular at Sea

Same thing that happens when an asteroid hits you. You're fricked.

Best thing to do is have a radio with a nmea hookup to the GPS with an oh shite button that broadcasts your position. Couple that with a satellite phone and one of those self-detaching beacons if youre going to be way out.

I personally would be comfortable with just the radio with SOS broadcast and position indication. I dont have that right now, but I dont get out of sight of land either.