You're correct Boater2be... transmitting on land is illegal.
A marine Utility Station License is required to transmit from a land based location. This license is valid for a hand-held radio only.
Quote from the pertinent FCC regulation-
You must have a special license, called a marine utility station license, to operate a hand-held marine radio from land -- a ship station license IS NOT sufficient. You may apply for this license by filing FCC Form 601 with the FCC. To be eligible for a marine utility station license, you must generally provide some sort of service to ships or have control over a bridge or waterway. Additionally, you must show a need to communicate using hand-held portable equipment from both a ship and from coast locations. Each unit must be capable of operation while being hand-carried by an individual. The station operates under the rules applicable to ship stations when the unit is aboard a ship, and under the rules applicable to private coast stations when the unit is on land.
Further quote-
WHAT COMMUNICATIONS ARE PROHIBITED?
YOU MUST NOT TRANSMIT --
False distress or emergency messages.
Messages containing obscene, indecent, or profane words or meaning.
General calls, signals, or messages on channel 16, except in an emergency or if you are testing your radio (these are messages not addressed to a particular station), or
When your ship is on land (for example, while the ship is on a trailer).
To transmit from land, as a poster described he did, a Coast Station License is needed. More info regarding coast station licenses can be found on the following URL:
http://www.popular-communications.com/Radi...July.%2003.html
Note that this license is normally not available for uses as suggested by the previous poster, i.e. calling home from the lake.
Don't get caught. The fines can be heavy. And, I wouldn't advertise that you are violating FCC regulations.