It didn’t start out like this.  I was just barely computer literate then, but had never sent an actual live e-mail. What brought me into the fold and made me a believer (and now an active proselytizer, I guess) was Trish’s going to Caracas, Venezuela for a four month stretch ten years ago.  Phone contact was impractical, so our mainstay was daily e-mails.  Now it’s my mainstay for staying in touch with friends and family.  Since I’ve lived a nomadic lifestyle cruising on my sailboat for the past 4 years, getting connected has proved to be challenging at times.  Here’s what I’ve learned.

How I’ve Done It in the Past 
Being a nomad certainly has its annoying limitations.  I’ve contracted at marinas for conventional phone service (Oxford, MD), and cable TV with high-speed internet (Annapolis, MD).  The hitch is the contract.  They want you to stay put and use their service for anywhere from 6 to 12 months, and there are significant disincentives for pulling up roots (docklines?) and moving on, er…let’s just say “prematurely.”  And most such services require deposits, which can be a hassle for the nomad to recover. 

For places where I’ve settled into for a while (for a month or more), I’ve made it my habit to put seeking out the local library on the top of my to-do list.  In Charleston, SC I found a great city library that had lots of computer stations.  They just want a local address, and accepted the marina address.  Other options I’ve used in the past include “Airmail,” a ham radio based free e-mail service.  You need a general class ham license to use this (Note that they recently reduced the Morse code requirement for the general license to 6 words per minute, and it’s not that tough to pass the exam).  It is slow but OK for text messages.  The big advantage is that you can connect from anywhere on the face of the earth, given adequate radio propagation.  A similar service using single sideband radio is “Sailmail,” a subscription service costing $200/yr. 

How I Do It Now
I get online wirelessly from the boat using my cell phone via Sprint’s wireless option ($5 extra/month) using a data cord to connect to my laptop and using Earthlink as my ISP.  The connection is slow (14.4 baud ) but adequate for text messages. 

I recently added a nifty external antenna to boost the signal.  It helps here in the marina, and theoretically should be a great help getting a workable connection from an anchorage or marina “on the road.”  The antenna is a “Wilson Trucker Antenna,” apparently popular among long-haul truckers. (I ordered mine off the web, just type in “wilson trucker antenna” on your search engine of choice.) 

When I need a faster connection, say to surf the web or to download graphics or pictures, I connect using a WiFi card with my laptop.  This slick little device plugs into the PCMCIA slot and allows me to connect at places called “hot spots.”  I recently found a hot spot not far from the boat at a coffee/bakery.  For the price of a latte and (maybe) a croissant. I can connect wirelessly at very decent speeds.  I also use the local library, which has about 20 computer stations with broadband (i.e., fast) internet connections.  When the place is busy, though, I’m limited to a one-hour session, so that can be a hassle.

What’s on the Horizon? 
WiFi hot spots are becoming more prolific. The bigger commercial marinas are now setting up WiFi capability as a service to the boating community.  Sometimes this is free or associated with a nominal fee, and sometimes it is not so nominal, depending on the philosophy of the marina management.  There seem to be more and more WiFi spots “on land,” also with a range from no fee to substantial fee.  Another option for wireless internet is dish cable services that offer an internet option.  The dishes used to be rather large, but these have evolved down in size to ones practical for mounting at dockside.  I’ve seen them on the tops of dock boxes and pilings in some marinas, and you can mount them on your craft.  Lastly, there is the option of a satellite phone ( Iridium or Globalstar).  The price is way too high for this retired cruiser and most of my sailing friends, but it is out there.  If you’re interest, there is a wealth of information out there on the web.  Just type in “satellite phone” on your search engine.

If you have questions about the connection techniques I’ve outlined in the article, especially the HF radio-based ones, please feel free to contact me through THS.

Skip Randall, cruising sailor, is husband of THS owner Trish Lambert. He cruises their Baba 30 Nehalennia, and is currently located in the Florida panhandle.