Don't throw out that old cell phone after you upgrade to a newer one! Buy a cheap car charger for the phone & put both into a ziploc bag. Stash the bag into your boat in case of an emergency.
The phone will have no service & will not take calls BUT IT WILL DIAL 911! :-* This way should something happen on the water, you will always have a phone in the boat that you can use to call 911.
that is true the YWCA has a shelter for batter women here and town and you can donate your old phones to them just for that use i have donatied a couple and if there broken the will use them for parts to fix other phones
Ed