Almost all of the pleasure boats that I know who engage in
offshore/international cruising have a marine SSB radio aboard, and
they are not necessarily ham radio operators although some are. *Many
also have a sat phone of some sort and an EPIRB. *We don't have a sat
phone but do have the SSB and EPIRB. *If we were crossing oceans I'd
probably get the sat phone also, for redundancy if nothing else.

I comend your active mariner life! I also depart philosophically from
what is necessary to make ocean or NC voyages. I still believe SSB/Ham
installations adds too much clutter and potential problmes to boat to
warrent haveing one considering the alternative is has such a smaller
"foot priint" on a boat.

Yes, many "curisers" ahve SSB/Ham. But why? Tradition? The RDF is gone
I think inpart simply because no body could talk on it. LORAN is gone,
i think becuase no body can talk on it. BOth have been replaced by the
GPS and EPIRB, respectivly. THe only reason ssb on boats is stil here
is becuase there is a group of sprots/amature enthusisast who enjoy
jaw jacking and then tell everyone who owns a boat they have to have
one to be safe. Its like a cult similar to Amway or Scientology. Its a
club gone birkshire.....

I sail with:

Barometer
sextant
GPS
EPIRB
VHF
Iridium

HAM/SSB reciever only. I get ot hear you guys yack, glean info and
then turn you off!
I also get weather fax that goes to laptop. the receive only radio has
nothing but antina and wower supply and it DONT take no 40 Amp circuit
to run!!!!!!!!

So what happens when all the satalites fall outof the sky.............
sextant, DR, barometer, weather fax. Getter on Bra !

There is no purpose for a ssb'ham, or as my swedish step dad who
commercial fished all his life called it, the AM set
On a boat a SSB has no purpose except intertainment.
Bob Rexroth (disabled)
Dell tech support
Ogden UT