On 9-Jul-2004, "Rusty O" wrote:

FRS radios can be used legally in the US to talk ship to shore, wheel to
anchor person, or boat to boat. However, they are line of sight and very low
power and not a substitute for a marine VHF in an emergency.

I think Cobra makes a handheld that has both marine VHF and FRS transceivers
in it. I'm not sure about the quality of Cobra, though. I saw one while
searching the web for what's new in marine VHF units recently.

A single unit with both systems seems to me like a good option for lots of folks.

Mike