[Rhodes22-list] Mayday

[Bill Effros]

Rummy,

I have to assume this is the result of cutbacks in government spending.  
There is really no excuse for it.

You can't give emergency information on a list like this because what's 
right for one region will get you killed in another.

The beauty of the *CG was that at least it was standardized--it didn't 
matter what cellphone company, or what region.  I don't even think you 
had to have an active account with any cell phone company.  If you were 
in trouble on the water you could press *CG and get directly connected 
to the Coast Guard.

You can't imagine how many boats are out on LIS on a summer 
weekend--each with an expensive radio and a high mounted antenna.  The 
radio traffic is incessant and inane on every channel.

Bill Effros

R22RumRunner at aol.com wrote:
> Bill,
> On our lake (region) channel nine is ONLY used for emergency contact.  
> Channel 16 is for hailing only. My VHS has the weather channels and will  
> automatically switch to it if there is a weather alert issued. It happened to us  a 
> couple of years ago waiting on the boat for the fourth of July fireworks. The  
> alarm went off and we just made it to our dock as the squall roared through.  
> Many boaters were not as lucky. In fact, we were chased down by the CG for  
> speeding in a slow no wake zone. He didn't have a clue the storm was  coming.
>  
> R
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