So to summarize, with the possible exception of CB there is no legal way for
me to keep in contact while out fishing that is affordable and likely to
work. However, since I am pretty well off in the boonies with no Coast
Guard and few federal officials I could likely get away with VHF, since it
would really be difficult to distinguish my "base station" from another
boat, and boat to boat communication is perfectly all right. Besides by
the time they tracked me down summer would be over.
:-)

del