do you or what do you use for a backup gps. cell, radio?
I'm wondering what I would do if my batteries died on the boat. I'd have no gps for location, no 2 way radio to call for help. I may have my cell phone.
I was looking for a water resistant gps/cell phone but couldnt find one. I did find a gps/2 way radio from garmin. Pretty pricey though.
Curious what others use or am I being too cautious?

First you should really have duel batts with a switch..I have one and most others do also, However I have a bag I carry with a handheld VHF...Uniden ...The way to go is with duel batts...No problems

I have a small steel can, some fire wood, and matches I keep on my boat so I can send up smoke signals to the coast guard in an emergency!!!
















Just kidding !
Safety is something lots of people take for granted!
A ditch bag should have handheld vhf and gps, extra batteries, flares, horn, some kind of light ect...
Going offshore, having an epirb is a smart thing to have also!
I have it all.
2 gps, vhf, cell, handheld vhf and gps,epirb, offshore flares, hand held horn, life raft (though it's not always on the boat in the summer)

Thanks for the info. I wont be going offshore, I'll always be staying close to shore for my style of fishing.
Salty, I can read charts but if Im fishing at night, a gps is accurate to close to 10 ft, I'll never be that good with a chart and in an emergency I'd know my exact location in seconds with a gps. Just seems like a good back up.

Like the oythers have said, I carry back up radio. Going with back up gps is a good idea, but overkill. Offshore is a different story. If you keep line of sight with land, you'll be fine.

you should have a ditch bag with a vhf epirb flares dye marker horn and gps. safety is all about preparation. It might be a lot of money iniatially but I have never heard of anyone who went intothe drink and complained about their lives being saved because of their equipment. how much $$$$$$ is your life worth?

If you have you're cell phone then you should have gps too, it is usually in all the new phones, you won't know where you are but you're service provider can locate you by your phone and relay to coast guard. I have the gps activated on my cell and on my daughters so I always know where she is, well... at least where her phone is. A waterproff bag with all the essentials is a must though and you shouldn't leave the dock without one, I use the front cooler on my boat for all that plus blankets and a full first aid kit.

good advice, I will get the back up radio and put togther the ditch bag.
THANKS

Standard Horizon:
Best submersible handheld I've used.
Durable as hell too.

Try this
http://www.sat-gps-locate.com/english/index.html

If your not going off shore your cell phone will probably be a good back up (remember it's a back up) I keep mine in a zip-lock bad and can hit the CG on speed dial through the bag. 2 batteries are a good idea as well. But some things you will want to have if you fall out/bail out at night are a good bright signaling light(preferably w/strobe) and a whistle. Both are cheep, small enough to clip to your PFD ( witch you should be wearing when ever you go out at night) and could save your life in the event there is a boat going by that can't here or see you otherwise.

Try this
http://www.sat-gps-locate.com/english/index.html

That was too funny, The whole time I was like " oh my god, I cant beievie I can do this!?

I keep a hand held gps/chartplotter and a hand vhf radio on board for backup. Dual batteries are a must with a single engine, with twins I would have 3 batteries.
The portable units are pretty cheap and gives you more flexibility. I use the portable gps as well as the 10" dash mounted unit at the same time. It is nice to have two independent and separate views. (Ie one in highway mode while the other in full chart mode. )I find this Great for night running when you want a big chart in front of you and the little unit telling you heading/turning info, it is easy to set up and you don't have to touch any of the sceeens when you are running to get any info. This is why I like it because when it is rough and at night #^&#^&#^&#^&ing with the chartplotter buttons is a pita. The portable has a dash mount that I hooked up to the 12V so it runs on the house battery and if that failed you have a couple AA batteries that will give you another 20 hours. I generally run the little one in highway mode while the larger screen is in full chartplotter mode showing me exactly where I am.

The handheld vhf radios are cheap, toss one in the console.

If you go offshore think about getting a personal gps-eprib, the cost has come down a lot and they are just as good as the full blown unit. (except they don't run a quite as long on the battery, but since the average rescue time is something like 50 min I would not worry about it) I bring it with me whenever I go offshore, even on anothers boat. You can't do that with the boat mounted ones, they are registered to the boat, not you.

Also the best thing is to know the waters you fish. I am always studying the charts and the tides of my areas. After 25 years fishing there I normally have a good idea of where I am and use navaids as confirmation.
Most people seem to get in trouble because they don't know the water and go places they shouldn't

Also get a BOAT US/SEATOW package. Best 150 spent every year. Even if I don't have to use it, I will have back up.

Also have a checklist and "CHECK' it off before you untie.

thanks Bill, I am getting sea tow.

And get a self-inflating pfd for everyone on board.

If you fish by yourself, always attach so sort of kill switch mechanism to your person. I have never fallen out0 at night but you don't want to watch the boat continue on.

Ok, it's a beautiful day on the water, you dread farther than you normally would and a T-storm blows in, shuts down your electronics, kicks up a ton of water, tosses you around and when it leaves the haze doesn't really let you see too far. Finding a can, and having a chart aboard, at least you'll be able to start a plot to get home. Had this happen with a Loran unit in strange water in Buzzards Bay, let me tell you, really scary stuff. Every Cap't needs some quality Nav skills.