Mobile Phone while Liveaboard

[LadyStardust]

One thing to watch out for is the atmosphere affecting the phone, I have been living aboard for a few years now and I have 2 iphones, two ipads and two android phones all suffering from corrosion in the charger connection, the charger leads also suffer, so take a good supply of leads. I try to keep my phones wrapped up in plastic bags when at sea. I recommend some kind of waterproof case for when you have to dinghy ashore.

[hzcruiser]

Originally Posted by lawrence_craig

Hi All,

I am a UK resident. Later this month I am taking the plunge to become a liveaboard as I cross the Atlantic and sail the Caribbean till May next year.

Good luck and all the best, mate!

I am curious what people do with their mobile phone. I have looked at various options such as global SIMs, UK providers etc. I need to be able to receive mobile calls for work. I do have a Wifi antenna so data isn't the issue hopefully.

I have heard people buy local Sims however we won't be in an individual country long enough to possibly warrant that.

There are plenty of threads on this forum around these topics, try to do some research first.

Two things I would note in your case: Having a WIFI antenna is not going to give you much "data", as there are not many free WIFI access points left that you could access from your boat. People usually go to cafes, bars and restaurants to use their WIFI while they consume something there as well.

Secondly, buying a local SIM would give you a different number every time: far from ideal if you need to be reachable by others.


As mentioned, VOIP is your best friend here, as you keep one number no matter what SIM card or WIFI you're using.

[john61ct]

It is not hard to look like a US resident signing up if you want to.

I doubt they check their surveillance databases too hard, nor would the downside be great.

[john61ct]

TextNow is a great service for SMS and VoIP without messing around technically.

Keeps your number the same across all SIMs and screen devices.

Free long as you remember to send a text every few days, ~$10 / month to not have to bother.

[stevenstoll001]

Get a mobile phone that has dual GSM & CDMA capabilities. Motorola G series are dual-band capable, which allows you to buy/use a Sim card from anywhere and it will work. Purchase a Sim with enough data only, and use Skype or other VOIP to make phone calls, that way your number won't change and people can contact you. You really won't need/want the mobile phone aspect, only data, since you're using VOIP for all calls/texts.