I personally went with a Globalstar system because it was affordable, and seems generally user-friendly to the small boat skipper. A new Qualcomm Globalstar 1600 Tri-mode handheld satellite phone retails for just $499 at local West Marine and PC centers. Used and operable phones can also be found via Internet in places like Ebay for even less money. Another place to shop for reconditioned phones is a service provider of global mobile satellite communications. Renting the phones for extended travel into distant destinations is another alternative to owning—if you’re making a one-time voyage into The Bahamas or Central America, for example. Rents are around $70 a week, plus around $2 a minute for airtime.

The Globalstar system depends on a 48-satellite constellation in low orbit. I have found reception good throughout the Everglades, where I work most often. I opted for the basic plan which includes 30 minutes at a monthly fee of $34.95. Additional minutes are 99 cents.

Using a satellite phone is a lot like using a cell phone. Turn on the phone by pressing the power button and pull out the antenna, directing it toward the sky. To make a call, wait for an icon to pop up on the screen (it may take a minute) and then enter 1 – the area code and the phone number on the keypad and press send—it’s all very familiar for cellphone users. Calling a Globalstar phone from a cellular or landline phone is the same as calling any other phone: Dial 1 plus the 10-digit Globalstar phone number and you’ll be connected. In order to receive calls the sat-phone must of course be on and have a clear view of the sky—it’s not going to work inside a cabin or under a heavy overhang of mangroves.

Give your new satellite phone number to your family and close friends but remember, it’s not for chatting. Exceed your particular contract and you will be required to pay for the extra time, usually at a much higher price per minute.

Firsthand experience has taught me that when safety is in question, a few hundred dollars is a small price to pay. When my engine seized some 25 miles away from the Flamingo Marina I had to wait three and a half hours before communication was available through my cellular phone. Having a sat-phone would have saved time and a long ride in a passing sailboat’s inflatable dinghy.

While cell-phone service is ever expanding, areas like the backcountry of the Everglades are unlikely ever to see ground-to-ground cellular towers being erected. And if you’re a serious offshore angler regularly running over the horizon, you will sooner or later be very, very glad that you have invested the extra bucks to allow you to pull an E.T. and phone home on your satellite phone.

FS