On Wed, 2 Feb 2011 12:53:57 -0800 (PST), Frogwatch
wrote:

All I have now is VHF but will be slowly cruising southward in my 28'
S2 sailboat from Marsh harbor. Next stop is Spanish Wells. So, do I
really NEED SSB to get weather forecasts? I would not mind having one
but the PRICE, YIKES. and then there is the matter of an antenna. IS
it possible to find a used SSB for reasonable price? I don't yak on
the radio anyway and have probably not used my cell phone more'n 5
times in the last 6 months.

For whatever it's worth.

A friend of mine sold his old boat and bought a Prout Cat (don't ask
me why) and the new boat had only a VHF. He did a lot of looking and
counting and decided that he could get a satellite phone and receive
calls, e-mails and weather charts that way considerably cheaper then
the cost of the SSB, Tuner, Antennas, etc.

Cheers,

Bruce