Volunteer emergency radio station

We are building a volunteer, Good Samaritan, radio station for all boats on the Great Lakes and connecting waterways.
Cell phone coverage only extends a few miles out over the water.
Short wave radio will fill the gap and hopefully save some lives someday.
While we have a existing Amateur Radio licenses to do this, the radios, antennas and related electronic devices
are expensive.
Please help us in this noble endeavour to create a safer boating experience for all boaters on the waterways.