www.iFourWinns.com

I am just wondering if the smaller Four Winns owners carry a VHF on board. I have an H180 and wasn't planning on getting one. I always boat in Nantucket sounds off of Cape Cod no more then a mile or two out. I was at West Marine over the weekend and they were saying that the Coast Gaurd will not answer cell phone distress calls. What do you guys think?

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2007 H210
2011 Chevrolet Tahoe LT

If I boated where you do, it would be the first accessory I'd own.

I have one, but in this area they are of very little use.

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Mike
2005 Four Winns 230/240
VP 5.7GXi/DP
1998 F-150 XLT
Boat Pic

add a poll....

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2006 FW 203 FS
2005 Dodge Laramie 1500
2003 CRF 247F SuperMoto racer
2001 CBR1100XX

I think Coast Guard regs require that you have a VHF in a coastal region, which it sounds like you're in. All the boats here in LI that I have ever been on have them. The CG checks for all required equipment when the do routine stop and boardings.
Not only do I have one but I have a spare, many people I know have a regular hard wired one and a hanheld. Very important to have. You also need flares, a distress flag, mirror, whistle, PFDs and a throwable PFD

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88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II

I wouldn't be out on the water without one. Just an example. About 3 yrs ago now there were two boys 16 & 17 I believe. They when off shore just north of Clearwater beach in the winter time here in Florida. Well, they had no communication, the jetski they were riding was disabled by debris in the water. They died from hypothermia. Yes hypothermia in Florida! A handheld VHF radio is a very very very cheap safety device... worth far less than you or a family members life.

We have a fixed unit on mental Floss. I also always go out with a "ditch bag" It contains a flare gun and flares, whistle, signal mirror, a hand held vhf radio, spare set of "AA" batteries and some glow sticks. For the bag, I use a soft side 6 pack cooler which I got free from BoatUS. For less than $200 you could put together the same thing and just grab it up when you go to the boat.

Like in another post, I haven't said anything on the board about the on-line business for boating accessories I'm setting up. If you would like some prices on handheld vhf radios i can get you what you need. But regardless of where you buy... definitely buy something. We always recommend vhf over Cell phones in every USPS Safe Boating class we teach and I spend about 5 minutes in the GPS Seminar I teach for the Power Squadron on the importance of interfacing your GPS with your DSC VHF radio so a DSC distress call includes your lat and Lon. It takes the search out of search and rescue for the Coasties.

Lou:

The required safety gear needed to meet the federal standards for the Coast Guard DOES NOT include a vhf radio. During any Vessel Safety Checks I perform, it is HIGHLY recommended, but not required to receive a Inspection sticker.

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Jvalich
http://www.badcock.com

'04 FW 288 Vista "Mental Floss"

You know I did not check the regs before typing that, but it is still hard to believe you can get a ticket for expired flares (been there done that!) but not for not having a VHF! Doesn't make sense to me. I went throught the whole boat and made sure I had everything else required a few years back, even the rubber insulators on the batt terminals. Good if you ever drop a wrench with the bat box cover off!

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88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II

After all your responses it now sounds like a no brainer. Thank you all for your help. I will be buying one this week.

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2007 H210
2011 Chevrolet Tahoe LT

A VHF fixed to the boat will BE THERE. And if the boat has power, so will the radio. A fixed VHF can also tie into your GPS so when you call it automatically broadcasts your location (the DSC button). A fixed VHF has much farther range than a handheld. A handheld VHF is really only good for a mile or two. A handheld cell phone or VHF can get lost overboard. Granted, a handheld radio will also have it's own batteries (provided you make sure they're fresh) and would work if the boat's electric is disabled. A cell phone would crap out in a big hurry if you were in wet weather and in real need of help. One wave, or sheeting rain and it's toast.

I'd never go offshore without a VHF. Look at it this way, when you call out on the VHF for help you're getting to everyone that's within listening range. When you try calling on a cell phone you get only the one party on the other end of that call. If you make a call on VHF there's also the chance that boater will relay the call to others. Mind you, I'd call for help on as many methods as possible and when you're on inshore waters it's sometimes faster to call land-based emergency services and haul ass to the nearest dirt. But out on the ocean you really want other boaters, the coasties and their helicopters to hear and find you.

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-Bill Kearney, 2005 348 Vista