"Lew Hodgett" wrote in message
ink.net...

A couple of questions.

My only interest in HAM radio is to be able to get necessary weather
forecasts and communicate with other sailors who happen to be in my net at
the moment, when I'm at sea or in an anchorage.

SNIP

Given all of the above, what are my best options?

Lew

If the "other sailors who happen to be in my net" include Ham operators,
then the answer is obvious, get a license. Otherwise Marine SSB offers
various nets for cruisers. If you cruise the east coast/ Bahamas - there is
the Cruiseheimers Net every morning at 8:30 local with much of the same
information (and people) as on the Waterway Cruising Net (Hams at 7:45).
You are free to listen to the Ham nets with out a license. In an emergency,
you can do what you need to do. Many mariners will meet up on Cruisheimers
(Marine SSB) and establish other smaller nets / get togethers on other
Marine SSB channels.

Sailmail (as well as other commercial services) is an excellent way to get
PACTOR email and weather. Obviously, and decent HF receiver will get you
access to the USCG WEFAX data.

OCENS (and many others) provides software to get this HF data as well as
download sat weather images (hardware obviously costs...images are free).
OCENS also provides a highly optimized format of may of the standard weather
charts for efficient download over cell phone or Sat Phone.

VHF weather from NOAA in the US and various helpful people throughout the
Bahamas.

Herb Hilgenberg (http://www3.sympatico.ca/hehilgen/vax498.htm) on marine SSB
is probably the best weather source available for mariners on the Atlantic.
There is always information pertaining to the Bahamas / Bahamas crossing
during season.

Depending on where you are, Marine VHF is the means of communicating between
boats with in VHF range of each other. Other than on HAM nets, I don't hear
a lot of HAMs communicating boat-to-boat ---- Not that it doesn't happen,
just not the regular local gab line.

If traveling within 25 miles of the coast, a No-Code license will get you
access to all the Hams / Ham repeaters along your route. I find this useful
for local restaurant recommendations.

You have many options if you have decided that you don't want to learn code.
HF HAM is the only one you have opted out of.