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?

You can get weather on a sat phone if you know how. For your level of
cruising I think you are OK with an EPIRB and a sat phone. You could
get an SSB receiver for fax reception on your laptop.