Internet Communication?

[One Chance]

We are nearing retirement & plan on cruising Nova Scotia to Bahamas/Florida for several months during the year. As we have never done this we are wondering what is the best way to access internet for blogging /communicating? We are now in the process of planning the set up of our boat for cruising & want to do this one time the right way.

[barnakiel]

I am not sure there is only one 'right way'. There are sort of like many options.

Many people are OK with doing their Internet stuff while tied in a marina. Where there are no marinas, you may find friendly caffes with Internet access.

Some people who work online buy various services that start with mobile access and end up with satellite access.

Have your pick.

If you are going to cruise where Internet services are sparse and or of poor quality, it makes sense to have at least one device with offline email capability (meaning: things like Thunderbird, MS Outlook, etc.). Then you can at least hope to upload and download all your mail in one short burst.

b.

[Paul Elliott]

In my opinion this is a topic that in spite of the *many* discussions of this on Cruisers Forum really deserves regular updates. (Take a look at these using the "Search" function.) Do be aware that the technology is still evolving, so what made sense a couple of years ago may now be looking pretty old.

You also need to define your requirements. At harbor, near coastal, and high-seas all have different options.

Close to civilization you have cellular data service and WiFi.

At sea out of sight of land, unless you have a quite substantial budget, "internet" usually means email and other limited-bandwidth services. Think satphone and satphone offshoots (this is an area with rapid tech advances), or ham / SSB (sailmail, winlink, others).

Search away, but don't be afraid to ask for more or newer info.

[Stu Jackson]

Paul's right. You may not be aware that there is a complete section under the Forums tab, upper left, called Electronics. You could also do a site search (use the GOOGLE option) and search wifi. There have been a few very recent discussions about this issue.

[CaptTom]

Again, it depends on exactly what your needs (and budget) are.

Last year I did a trial run with the DeLorme InReach. In addition to unlimited texting (text only, no photos!) it can be set to leave a track point every 10 minutes. These tracks and any messages you send can be set up to display on a map-type web site. You can send the texts via a cell phone (connected to the InReach via Bluetooth) or a tablet.

For us, that takes care of "communication" while we're out of cell range. Likewise, the track with messages is similar in some ways to a blog. And of course, when you do get a good 3G or 4G cell signal, you can tether to that and blog away right on your laptop.

This is probably the cheapest way to maximize your ability to communicate; the InReach, it's service plan, and a local SIM card for your phone. Add a cell booster if you want to be able to use it in a few more places. A satellite Internet connection is in a whole different price range.

[Stu Jackson]

Noodle around here:

Panbo: The Marine Electronics Hub

[TJ D]

This may be too much firepower and expense for what you're after, but we are really partial to our Fleet Broadband Inmarsat system.

The equipment is expensive. It's about $5,000 for a system. However, we find it to be quite economical to use offshore. We use a prepaid setup with it, and can do email and download GRIB files for about $1-2 per day. We are not surfing the web or uploading pictures (even with the most aggressive web compression, it's about $.75 to load an average web page), mind you, but for our needs when in remote places or offshore it does very nicely. We just cache our big emails and wait for bigger internet sessions until we get some wifi.

But for our needs, we find it to be really excellent.

They also have a free emergency service attached to these systems.

Disregard if this is not the direction you were thinking, but it's a good option for connectivity anywhere outside the polar regions if the budget allows.

Good luck, TJ

[rockDAWG]

Many new sailors over estimate their need for connectivity. Once you are in paradise, your priority changes. Connecting to your blogs is the least you need or want to do.

I take my iPhone anywhere in the world, that is all the connectivity I need....hahah. If I stay in one country longer, I purchase a sim card from the local shop . For safety at sea, I have a two-way sat communication "inReach".

No I don't need steaming movies from Netflix while crossing the ocean.

[rwidman]

I use a "hot spot" from Verizon. I cruise the ICW and the Chesapeake Bay. Only once have I not had a signal and that was in rural central FL.

If a marina offers free WiFi, I use it because it's cheaper.

That's how I do it.

[Hudson Force]

This varies with your needs and everyone seems to have different needs. We cruise from as far north as Maine and down to the Keys and Bahamas. I only use free wi-fi and I'm quite comfortable with some times without contact. Actually, I enjoy being off the leash at times. Some younger people think that it's daring to walk to the corner grocery store without a cell phone. Personal needs vary!

[wrwakefield]

Originally Posted by One Chance

We are nearing retirement & plan on cruising Nova Scotia to Bahamas/Florida for several months during the year. As we have never done this we are wondering what is the best way to access internet for blogging /communicating? We are now in the process of planning the set up of our boat for cruising & want to do this one time the right way.

Hi One Chance,

Kudos for keeping your plan moving...

Regarding communications, you will have to dig deep and decide what that means to you... [as others have mentioned...]

If you told us nothing more, have less than a US$5k/month cruising budget, and you had to leave tomorrow, I would recommend an Iridium Go with unlimited data to be a safe bet- but still not let you browse the internet... [well, not like you are used to...]

However, communications are an individual thing. We have many ways of communicating and prioritize them by: one-way; two-way; one-to-one; one-to-many, voice, email, SMS, data, locations, cost, availability, etc.

Here is a link to a recent discussion on this forum that elaborates a bit further on this topic, and provides some links to additional references.

As you refine your needs and budget, this group of experienced cruisers can help you refine your technology and methodology focus.

Best wishes with your adventure!

Cheers!

Bill

[socaldmax]

Like everyone said above, it depends on if you want a cellular solution just offshore, or use the marina wifi, or satellite via Inreach, etc.

Another option I use when doing field tech support iss I stop in at McDonald's and use their wifi while filing reports, sending emails, etc. and drinking a coffee and spreading out my paperwork. Plenty of places have wifi now, like coffee shops and most fast food places.

If you're going to buy a cellular wifi hotspot, look into either Verizon or a Verizon network based MVNO. Verizon has excellent coverage and 4GLTE speed.