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If you're looking for something to listen to over the weekend then scan VHF marine channels... I was listening for about 20 minutes and heard all kinds of transmission including boaters yelling at each other and USCG chewing out people. F-Bombs galore.

VHF Marine:

http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/?pageName=mtvhf

Any freqs/channels better than others?

I'm up in the north part of Puget Sound and, on the VHF marine bands, I get the group calls from the CG on 16 and the big tankers checking in with Seattle Traffic, also on 16.

Like the CB channels are informally reserved for certain things (such as they are) are VHF marine channels informally reserved for different purposes?

Jeff KB7AIL

Some are formally reserved and the rest is informal. This should give you an idea of the band layout and usage:

http://www.interceptradio.com/s.php?ssvc=MAR&sfreq=1&cfreq=1&ccounty=1&ccity=1&ssort=1&z=1

Best way is just to program all of the marine channels into a group and scan the group. On my Uniden 396XT, I have a dedicated "CONVENTIONAL" group and of that I have 10 sub-groups -- such as, CB, FRS, HAM, MARINE, RAILROAD, PSE, etc.