What is the best option for internet on for an offshore cruiser.?

Question

What is the best option for internet on for an offshore cruiser.?

Answer 1

i think the kind RV's use can be used on boats.

Answer 2

Obviously a satellite system is required. I've had experience with one from Verizon that seems to perform well wherever I go. There are others on the market, some can be costly. They are all fairly easy to use, plug the small transceiver into a USB port and within a minute you've got connectivity.

Answer 3

Anything regarding bank repo' boats which today are being

sold at 40% savings.  Wait awhile and that repo' offshore cruiser option will sell for even less.  It won't be easy to bail out from same purchase tho' as the market is glutted with other toys.

Answer 4

There are several company's that offer satellite service, but I'd recommend that you contact service providers in your area.  I'm in Baltimore, and sail the bay and just off shore.  I use a broad band service, (Portnet.net) that is much more affordable.    There are areas that I can't get connected, But Then again most of the time I have no problems.

Answer 5

Between my two my sons and I - we have done it every way (I think possible) that it can be done... (one son is quite the world sailor - and the other is well, a very successful Geek that owns his own software and communications company - and keeps me and my other son well equiped with all the "gadgets"...  

So, If indeed, by "off shore" you mean making an ocean passage across the pond - we have found both the top rated email through satellite systems to be slow and expensive - even after all the equipment, it is was all still approximately $40 for each message sent or received.

If it is just email you want, in our opinion... get your General HAM license (if you don't have it already)  - this will allow  you unlimited "free" email through the SSB and it works nicely - (as good as the other at $40 a whack).

So, if you don't want the expense of satellite. The SSB radio is the way to go.  You can use your Ham radio, or using SailMail on marine SSB.

The first thing you need (of course) is a suitable marine SSB radio.  We use an Icom M710/700PRO. Next thing needed is a radio modem. This performs the same function between the radio and computer as a telephone  modem does between the telephone line and computer. So, don't be shocked by data rates back to 1200 baud.

Our modem is a SCS PTCII. According to my (geeky son) the SCS PTCII is the best radio modem money can buy at this time. It employs modulation for speeds up to 1200 baud with data compression. The digital signal processing increases receive sensitivity by 18 dB - that like increasing the transmitter output of the distant station from 100 watts to over 6000 watts! And since the Sailmail stations use PactorII., you get the same effective increase on your signal. Signals that cannot be heard by the ear get through. It is the most amazing thing (my geeky son) says he has seen in transmitting data over radio.

Bottom line is for about $700 (you can buy it direct from SCS for $945 plus shipping) you can be all on your own with email at sea with no charges for minutes or transfer bits.  

You should know that the learning curve with data over radio took us awhile to properly configure the modem, but once it was done, that was it, and it works great.

So, until you see that "Verizon Guy" and all of his network friends on a raft floating in the middle of the sea... I think this is the best alternative.

The other  thing to be aware of is that this is NOT like using a telephone for e-mail. The station  may be busy on another frequency that you can't hear it or the station using it. Or there may be some solar activity negatively affecting propagation. But it does work and it is relatively reliable. Several of the boats on the Pacific Cup Race use it to communicate with the folks back home,  and it was the primary means of contact between the vessels in Hawaii and US mainland.

I know personally it works well between Galveston, TX USA and Polynesia, and USA and Greece... I understand it works great in all the regions.

Happy & Safe Boating!