Be square

When I first started using Instagram I found myself annoyed at the default square format, but they later allowed us to show the full rectangular frame that most people use as their default setting. However, as I began to post more and more I found myself shooting and editing photos with the square format in mind, and then I finally got a phone that allowed me to shoot in a square format using the default camera app.

What a revelation! Just like with a Rolleiflex twin-lens reflex film camera from back in the day, I have learned to embrace and love the square. Yes, it is limiting in some ways. Yes, it is a bit unusual compared to 90% of the shots taken around the world. And, yes that slightly different frame can also lead to new creative views.

Just like with a Rolleiflex, there is a certain way you have to hold the phone, and that opens up new possibilities. I have always found it awkward to rotate a phone to the horizontal to capture a photo, yet when shooting in square format there is no need. Suddenly my phone became easier to hold securely in portrait mode, and I now have a case with a strap on the back that allows me to slip several fingers through for even better grip when out and about.

Since I'm not rotating the phone I don't have the problem of menus that don't rotate or shift positions. This makes it much easier to swiftly adjust settings and frame a shot, while the phone is also held much more safely. I often do this one handed.

Using the square format means when I slip my phone out of my pocket and up to my face (when face unlock actually works!) the camera can be ready to go in an instant and I know by experience exactly where the shutter button is.

I've found other hidden benefits of being square. Of course, this format is perfect for posting on social media, and I find the auto-cropping that many sites do is generally not a problem with a square. If you are holding your phone in portrait position square photos fill more of the screen in the up/down direction because the shot does not have to be shrunken to fit the wider landscape direction. I find square format is often ideal for portraits and people shots. It also forces me to concentrate on defining my subject more, and there is less possibility of shooting something distracting off on one of the edges of a wider landscape view.

Try being square for a change!

The following shots are of the Hudson River near Schuylerville, NY. Samsung Galaxy S22.

Choose your "film"

Photo of the Hudson River. Samsung Galaxy S22. Google Photos Honey filter applied.

I've been shooting with smartphone cameras since my first Lumia 520, right up until my current Samsung Galaxy S22. After the Lumias I went for a series of Pixel phones and learned that I really liked what Google was doing with the color science. This GSMArena article from late 2018 is a good overview of what various phone companies were doing in that regard. 

Of course this is an always evolving feature that each company wants to use to one-up the others. For example, Google has recently been touting their work on getting skin tones right. And, of course a lot of pro photographers use iPhones, touting their excellent color science.

Science is one thing, but what you like is another. For example, online I am seeing lots of digital photographers displaying photos with strange washed-out hues that resemble what I would consider subpar film looks of the past. I can vividly remember arguing with my photo friends about the merits of Kodachrome vs. Fufi, or even Agfa and others. Some of us liked one and were right, while others like something else and were wrong!

One of the great things about mobile photography is you can choose your own "film" and get it just right for what you want. The first big choice is of course the brand of your phone. As I noted, I found I liked the Pixel look, even though I moved to a Samsung phone for the features, better reliability, and better reception in marginal areas, where I am often traveling and photographing.

Right out of the phone I find the Samsung colors rather saturated and punchy, but sometimes just wrong for the scene. Sometimes they are great, and other times they are terrible! Lately, I've been experimenting with some Google photos filters, and I've found that with nature shots and landscapes the Honey filter often makes the shot look more like it came from a Pixel--contrasty, darker, with rich colors still. Of course there are numerous apps that can provide filters and more editing tools, but I like to keep things simple so I am currently experimenting with the ones provided by Samsung in the native camera app and those provided with Google photos, which is where all my shots get uploaded.

One word of caution is necessary when searching for your favorite "film." Keep the original shot after applying edits and filters, then blow both up and check them out carefully side-by-side on your screen. I did this with one highly-rated camera app and I found that despite things looking good on the phone screen, when blown up I could see the new app was destroying sharpness, introducing artifacts, and ruining shadow detail when the shots were challenging.

Find the "film" you like, and don't be afraid to use different ones for different shots.

Photo: Summer Saratoga. Samsung Galaxy S22. Google Photos Vogue filter.

On the Hudson River

 We decided to take a short trip up to the Hudson River to swim off the rocks and cool off on a hot summer day. Samsung Galaxy S22.

The camera with you

Photographer Chase Jarvis is well known for the quote that resonates so strongly with many of us, and that headlines this blog: "The best camera is the one that you have with you!" Check out his work.

I was lucky enough to take my family on a two-year sailing expedition down to South America and back, and of course as a photographer I wanted to document what we saw. Before leaving I bought myself a brand new Nikon D70s along with a more portable Nikon Coolpix 5400. For the day (2005) they were sophisticated digital cameras, and I did get many great shots.

However, the Coolpix died early on, leaving me with just the big Nikon and a bunch of lenses. On a sailboat this stuff had to be stored in a large Pelican case to stave off moisture, saltwater, and physical damage. Sailing is tough on even the best gear, and we quickly lost several laptops and other electronics onboard. By the time we made it to Cartagena, Columbia, we were limping along with many items onboard out of commission--just like every other boat in the harbor.

Luckily, despite the unreliable mail and shipping systems, my father was flying down for a visit and he was able to bring us new computers, hard drives, and a small pocketable camera, the Canon Powershot SD800. Well, despite having the big Nikon D70s available, the tiny Canon became my go-to for much of the rest of the trip. Yes, the Nikon could still produce superior technical results, but often my favorite shots from a location would be from the always-available Canon.

Just before Cristmas we joined a tour of the neighborhoods in Cartagena to see their amazing decorations. The streets were jammed with excited kids all jostling to say hi and ask for their pictures to be taken. The Canon was perfect for that night. It was secured by a wrist strap, and many shots were taken on the fly as we moved among the crowd. There were no worries about having my expensive camera gear broken or stolen, and people are much more relaxed when you use a "casual" camera.

Today I'd be using my phone camera in a situation like that, and I would be getting even better results! Today's best phones have amazing cameras, capable of taking great photos in low light, bad weather, or anytime. Since everyone else is snapping photos with their phones people don't freeze up, like they often do when you raise a big pro-looking camera to your eye.

The camera with you is truly the best camera to use!

Juggling All the Variables

Certain harbors are gathering places for sailors headed offshore. Back in the good old days I met a lot of fellow cruisers while arguing about the weather as we holed up waiting for a weather window to jump offshore. The sources of information were few — pretty much everyone shared the same data. Here in the USA the main sources were NOAA Coastal, Offshore, and High Seas text forecasts, gathered by weather fax, VHF and SSB radio. Sometimes we downloaded small-scale (large area) weather maps that gave us very general information on huge areas of ocean. And sometimes we just walked up to the weather station, as in Bermuda. 

Offshore, many of us didn’t get further updates, except possibly some scratchy voice forecasts via SSB radio. We usually sailed with three or four days of good predicted weather, after which we took what we got. Forget trying to predict the weather in segments smaller than 100 miles. Ocean current predictions were just general averages.

There were a lot of little things we did to supplement forecasts. We would wait in harbor until the wind clocked around after a front. A thermometer would tell when we had reached the Gulf Stream. A change in swell patterns might tell of an approaching storm. A certain ocean color and a type of seaweed indicated you were in the Gulf Stream. Or, you could spot the stream miles off by the line of clouds and thunderstorms down the middle.

Sounds pretty primitive, but all of these seat-of-the-pants methods, in conjunction with historical weather and route information summarized on the pilot charts, worked quite well. Still, I would argue that choosing the right route in the right season remains the single best weather decision you can make.

Taking into consideration not only the wind, but the currents, the speed of your boat, your planned times of departure and arrival, can be confusing. Wouldn’t it be nice to read a general forecast for a large ocean segment, hundreds of miles on a side, and  a weather map with winds and currents for that patch? What if you could take into account other variables and automatically get a plan for best departure and arrival times, along with the route to take for the most comfortable passage?

There’s an app for that

The digital revolution has brought us an era where we not only have 10 to 14 days of coastal weather predictions served to us via the internet. Many voyagers continue to enjoy these benefits when offshore by utilizing weather apps, satellite internet connections, and high-resolution displays, from phones, laptops, dedicated chart plotters and large monitors. Resolution is such that you can download predictions for your patch of ocean, including ocean currents. The addition of near-real time ocean current information is a huge leap forward, and makes for a much speedier and more comfortable trip.

To read the rest of this article check out Ocean Navigator!

Smartphone photography onboard

Like most cruisers today I carry and rely on a smartphone for many things: email, maps, weather radar, even phone calls (Google it)! However, as someone who enjoys photography, and as someone who frequently sells illustrated articles accompanied by photographs, I have learned both the pluses and minuses of smartphone photography onboard.

The biggest plus is of course that "the best camera you own is the one you have with you." When a great photo presents itself you don't want to be regretting you left your DSLR and its heavy bag back on the boat. Since many of us feel naked without a smartphone, we tend to carry one wherever whenever. This means you won't miss that shot of the amazing sunset, or the funny looking dinghy at the dock, or the cute town ashore. You will have both your phone and your camera with you almost all the time.

I have benefited from this availability many times, and can bitterly remember many missed scenes from the past when all I had were big, bulky, expensive cameras that were likely to be buried in a protective case stored in a locker down below when you saw the scene of a lifetime. Those of us old enough to remember film cameras of the past used to remark that a sure way to encounter a Pulitzer Prize-winning scene was to leave your camera behind, or to be changing your film.

With digital cameras we don't have to worry about changing film, or running out of film, which was worse. However, the smartphone in your pocket is not always the ideal instrument to capture the scene. One huge disadvantage is also an advantage in certain situations. Most phones today have big, beautiful screens that allow for great compositions, if you can see something. Unfortunately, bright sun, shadows, glare, and polarized sunglasses mean that we are often taking photos using the crudest point-and-shoot technique--point the phone in the general direction of the scene and hope you've captured what you want. In those situations take lots of photos to make sure that something is usable.

I find that many boating photos on the water suffer from this problem. Even on days without bright, full sun there can be so much light and glare that using a smartphone screen is nearly impossible. You might be able to see something on the screen if you shadow it, or point the phone in a different direction, but then you're facing the wrong way to get the shot. The bright environment means the photographer only has a vague idea of what she is pointing at, and careful composition relies on cropping the scene later. Take lots of extra photos!

It's a Big Wide World

There's good news and bad news with regard to composition. Smartphones have wideangle lenses, often equivalent to around a 28mm lens for those of you who used 35mm film equipment. Wideangle is great for some things--not so great for others. Typically, a wideangle lens is great for onboard shots illustrating what it is like on deck or down below. But, try to capture that lighthouse you are sailing close to and it will look like you were miles offshore. In general, smartphones are not good for photographing other boats from your boat, or even most scenics, unless there is something really big and really close to your boat.

I have made some interesting shots underway, but most include my own boat in the scene. For example, a wideangle lens can work for sunsets over the deck, or when passing through a big opening bridge that looms over the boat, or when shooting the wide expanse of a crowded mooring field full of boats.

Wideangle lenses are of greater use ashore when looking for telling details: flowers, brickwork, door knockers, etc. But, you have to get really close to fill the frame. They are great for wide streetscapes with lots of buildings and people. You have to be careful with closeups of people because the wideangle will distort faces, making for big noses and goggly eyes. Typically, portrait photographers utilize slightly longish lenses in order to be able to stand a bit further away from a subject and to flatten features, which in most cases is more flattering. Watch out with wideangle lenses not to shoot up at people from close range, which can make for some silly looks. Try keeping the smartphone camera on the same plan as the other person's eyes, or be slightly above them looking down. Again, if you are a lot taller than the other person, or are shooting down at them, you get more distorted looks.

One huge bonus with many phones is that they are easy to hold still and don't create any vibration to mar the shot, while also utilizing digital and other stabilization technology. This means you can take photos in dim light without the use of a tripod, and the best smartphones do a pretty good job of it. Cheaper phones tend to boost ISO (a measure of sensitivity to light) in low light, which results in the equivalent of "grain" that we used to see using fast film. This digital "noise" is not liked by most people, though I have seen some photos that use it to good effect. However, in general, with a top-level smartphone camera, you will find many night scenes come out very nicely. For extra stability try leaning against a light pole, or physically hold your camera still against a wall or table. With some cameras the stabilization technology is so good you can take handheld shots onboard in very dark situations. Try out photography at night with your phone and find out what it can do.

Get Out of the Marina!

The post mortems are coming in for Hurricane Ian, and from a boating perspective the lessons are clear. Get well out of the path, if at all possible, and secure your boat well away from others and on a mooring or anchors. The many scenes of wrecked marinas clogged with sunken boats perfectly illustrate the problem with relying on fixed docks. Very few marinas are designed to handle storm surges of 10-15 feet above normal high tides, and even if they are you are completely at the mercy of how well the boats around you are tied up. Once one goes the domino effect takes over.

However, a well-designed mooring and/or anchor setup can easily manage the storm surge if anticipated. Extra scope will be needed, along with extra lines and chafing gear, but I would much rather have my boat pointed into the wind and secured by the strongest cleats and lines from the bow. Pointing into the wind will vastly reduce the strain on everything.

Of course, this assumes you have a mooring or anchors with sufficient holding power. Typical mushroom anchor moorings or heavy blocks, as are frequently used, are not up to the task unless they are deeply buried in thick mud. With a sandy bottom, that is unlikely. Helical screw type moorings can provide the needed holding power, and these are available in places in Florida like Boot Key Harbor on Marathon in the Keys. By all accounts, the moorings there have held through hurricanes, with the weak link being the lines securing the boat. Usually, line failure is due to chafe onboard.

In major hurricanes it is wise to also put out your best anchors in support of your mooring. In Hurricane Bob we put out two Fortress anchors to help the two-ton mooring block we were on. The anchors were easy to set from the dinghy using long lengths of nylon line, and after the storm it took me most of the day to winch them out of the muddy bottom. Judging from how hard they were buried, both anchors provided significant holding power to the mooring rig. During the same storm many moorings were dragged ashore, in most cases due to insufficient scope added for the storm surge. However, many typical moorings are not well buried, undersized, and may not be in the best bottom for holding power. Unfortunately, harbor regulations often guarantee moorings are not well buried, due to frequent inspections that necessitate pulling the mooring completely out.

It is the topic of another post, but I have had complete success using large diameter PVC water tubing slid over mooring lines. Some reports indicate a possible problem with lines overheating and failing when encased in PVC, but I have not seen evidence of this after several hurricanes, a few tornadoes, and numerous gales. Other people have used and prefer sliding tubular nylon over your mooring/anchor lines. I too have tried this and it works well under ordinary storm conditions, though I believe the PVC provides the ultimate protection.

Another problem is how to best route the lines to your boat so that they contact as few points as possible to avoid chafe in the first place. Anchor rollers on bowsprits are vulnerable to being leveraged down or up and off. Plus, bobstays can act like hacksaws on your lines. Personally, I like multiple lines leading direct to deck-edge cleats or over smooth surfaces to cleats. Anchor rollers can work if very short and mostly on deck, and of course securely bolted down. Keep in mind that your boat's bow may be pitching down as well as up! In other words, don't depend on a downward pull on the line to keep it within an anchor roller. There must be something to prevent the line from being pulled up and out of the roller. On our boat I have also installed a bow eye near the waterline as an additional strong point.

It is a good idea to try to balance the strain by using multiple lines to the anchors and moorings, and then run lines from one cleat to another, if possible. In some cases, it might make sense to run lines back to mid-deck cleats or possibly the mast, if keel stepped.

Note I haven't mentioned the use of chain. It should not meet your deck under strain! In other words, make sure all chain is overboard with long lengths of nylon line leading back to the boat, or use long and very strong nylon snubber lines. Some friends once had their anchor chain jump the roller in a storm, and it began to saw down through the deck and hull as the boat pitched. The skipper was badly injured while trying to get the chain back into the roller.

So, how much wind can a good mooring/anchor setup take? During Bob, as described above, winds reached around 100mph with a storm surge of over 6 feet. Where we were only three boats broke free from their moorings: two were due to chafe and the third boat pulled the mooring straight up and floated with it to shore. Put out plenty of scope! Winds of 150mph with 10-15 feet of storm surge are another matter, but some moorings in Ft. Myers Beach did hold despite the vast damage there. I look forward to learning more about what happened to moored vessels there, in Punta Gorda, and in the Keys. I suspect that very few boats would have deck gear able to withstand the strain of Hurricane Ian winds, which is why running away is so important in the first place. But, if you can't escape the path, get out of the marina!

Hurricane Respect

A lot of people in Southwest Florida recently learned a hard lesson when Hurricane Ian slammed into the Punta Gorda/Sanibel/Fort Myers area with winds of 150mph and a storm surge that may have reached more than 10 feet in some areas. The cleanup is ongoing and the death toll is way past 100 and climbing.

Stories are beginning to emerge of intrepid and/or stupid boaters who survived the storm, or not, onboard. Most of the ones I have read conclude with an admission from the boater that it was a mistake to stay onboard and they had no intention of ever doing it again.

Along with these harrowing tales we are also starting to see many uninformed people blaming the National Hurricane Center (NHC) for its forecasts, which in reality were excellent as usual. Yes, the storm track moved slightly to the south and east in the last few days, and yes it didn't slam directly into Tampa Bay, but Fort Myers was always within the warning cone. Anyone checking official NHC information regularly should have been abundantly aware that even if the storm had tracked more to the north the Fort Myers area would have dangerous impacts.

Read the disclaimer on the warning cone page: Note: The cone contains the probable path of the storm center but does not show the size of the storm. Hazardous conditions can occur outside of the cone.

Even those who had not been paying attention until the last minute would have had 24 hours or more to prepare. In the case of boaters, that would have been enough time to move up the Caloosahatchie River into the Okeechobee Waterway. Once inside the Franklin lock you would have been protected from the worst of the storm surge. Even though extreme winds and flooding were experienced along the waterway, it was a much better place to be than exposed at Fort Myers Beach, Cape Coral, or Punta Gorda.

Every cruising boater should be monitoring the National Hurricane Center at least daily during Hurricane Season!

But, cruising boaters shouldn't have been anywhere near Fort Myers in the first place! Read my old post: Get Out of the Box. And, despite the endless repetition of the recommendation to, "Follow the advice of local officials," every cruiser should be collecting their own information and making sound judgments for their own boat and situation.

I have written a lot about hurricanes in the past. Just type "hurricane" in the search box.

Winter on the Island

We've had some real snow this winter on the Island, and it is beautiful after it first falls. But, you have to get out and enjoy it because it soon melts. Having grown up in Upstate New York I am used to a winter that lasts all winter, but here in the Island, surrounded by the relatively warm ocean, the climate is much milder. Yes, we do get the occasional Nor'easter with plenty of wind and precipitation of one sort or another (usually another), but as they say with regard to New England, "If you don't like the weather, just wait a minute."

Make Yourself a Round Peg

A never-old topic among liveaboard and fulltime cruisers is what to do about receiving mail, and along with that where to be "domiciled." The latter term is important and it differs from where you are a "resident" in important ways. Your domicile is where you consider your one and true home and where you intend on returning to after your travels.

I know, you don't intend on ever going back to land, but to exist in the real world of bureaucrats, tax collectors, and departments of motor vehicles you need to declare someplace on land as your domicile. I can just imagine some reading this grumbling about faceless bureaucrats and where they can shove their tax forms, but you simply can't fight this war and win. You will be pigeon-holed by the government even if they have to jam your square peg into a round hole against your will. I believe that most will be much happier in the long run if they round off their square corners in order to fit into the appropriate round holes unless you enjoy endlessly wrangling with bureaucrats, paying fines, and looking over your shoulder for the local sheriff.

By making your strange life as a fulltime cruiser look like anyone else's life when viewed from the office buildings in Washington, state capitols, and local government offices you will make your life much easier. Creating or maintaining a normal looking domicile is one key factor in doing this. Lots of mail forwarding services offer real street addresses that at first glance appear to offer the possibility of giving you something that looks like a real domicile, but they don't. The government and every financial service now requires you to prove your actual residential street address to access many services, like banking, driver's licenses, healthcare, etc. Almost everyone wants to have a driver's license, and in the USA the Real ID act means you must provide multiple proofs of a residential street address somewhere. In most cases they will not accept a commercial address like a UPS store, a mail forwarding company, or a Post Office box.

Since you will be on the move a lot you have no doubt thought about using a mail forwarding service. Many of these now offer mail scanning so you can review what has come in and decide what can be recycled, what needs to be forwarded, and maybe have a few things opened and scanned so you can simply download the mail without having to receive actual paper mail somehow. These services can be hugely helpful, but they mostly won't work to establish your domicile. 

The key word is "mostly." A few services used by fulltime RVers and cruisers have been able to convince officialdom that they are legitimate addresses for domicile. The major ones often provide street addresses in Texas, South Dakota, or Florida and they have many loyal users. One major service used by many sailors is St. Brendan's Isle, providing an address in Green Cove Springs, Florida. I've used them in the past and their service is excellent. Prepare to spend $15-$30 per month for most services. Personally, I would only choose one of these services that is reasonably close to a place I might actually want to visit or bring my boat to. That eliminates Texas and South Dakota for me. I don't want to have to fly to South Dakota just to sort out a driver's license problem!

One way to use these services is to simply have your mail forwarded there using the US Postal Service, but keep in mind that certain things may not be forwardable--often mailings from election boards, tax collectors, and motor vehicle bureaus. In other words, some of your most important snail mail won't get to you via forwarding.

But, the best way to be a round peg is to "simply" find a real street address in a location you want and use that for everything important. Unfortunately, "simply" is not so simple for many fulltime cruisers. This real street address needs to be one where it is safe to receive valuable mail, is checked frequently by someone, won't change, and is not too costly. Obviously, you need to find someone you trust to manage this for you.

What are your options? For many of us, a trusted relative or friend is the first place to look. Who in your family or circle of friends is reliable, unlikely to move, and also takes an interest in your travels and lifestyle so would be willing to support it by lending their address to be your domicile? For long periods of fulltime liveaboard cruising I was lucky enough to be able to use my mother's or father's address for this purpose. I actually paid my mother a regular monthly fee to do this in order to enhance the idea that this was an important arrangement and to somewhat compensate her for the time involved. People are less likely to balk at doing something that is their job. One beauty of this was that my address was a place I would actually visit from time to time, making trips to a motor vehicle bureau or other office easier to manage. I would keep this in mind if you decide to use a commercial mail forwarding service. Make it someplace you visit anyway, or can get to easily when needed. 

If a relative doesn't fit the bill, consider professionals you may use for other things. Possibly you have an accountant, or bookkeeper, or lawyer who takes an interest in your lifestyle and wouldn't mind receiving and occasionally opening and forwarding important mail for you. Be aware that you probably won't be able to use their business address as your residential address since automated systems will detect that--you need a real residential street address! But, someone like a bookkeeper is used to dealing with bureaucracy and government red tape that might be daunting for mom or dad.

An option that some cruisers use successfully is the street address of a marina where they dock or rent a mooring occasionally. Again, a business address may or may not be acceptable for some things like a driver's license, though I suspect you could convince some DMV offices to accept it if you brought a letter from the marina saying you liveaboard there. However, what if the marina sells, or the office manager changes, or maybe they just decide to stop accepting mail when you are on the other side of the world? I wouldn't use this option unless I had a good personal relationship with the people managing the marina. I've noticed piles of uncollected and unforwarded mail in many marinas.

Once you've found the reliable domicile address it is important to use it for every important piece of identifying mail or service: driver's license, U.S. Coast Guard Documentation, boat registration, car registration, insurance, taxes. When you're clearing into another country you want to have everything up-to-date, with matching addresses, and all looking totally ordinary so that nothing gets questioned. Having a regular street address that matches on all your documents helps. For example, I have seen cruisers have problems when the boats document doesn't match the hailing port on the stern or even sometimes the name on the boat. I myself have had problems with state taxes when the authorities assumed my hailing port meant my boat was located there, when in reality the boat had never been there.

This points out another reason you have to weigh all of your address options carefully. Some taxing jurisdictions (notably New York in my experience) are very aggressive at going after perceived tax cheats. Even though the Coast Guard doesn't require you to use a hailing port based on your home address it might make your life easier dealing with certain things like this. It is important to save things like marina receipts, haulout receipts, fuel receipts, etc. to prove where you have actually been if a taxing authority is claiming you owe. On the other hand, we have all seen hailing ports on transoms from places no boat has ever been because the area offers tax benefits. Again, this is a case of making yourself the round peg for the round holes that bureaucracy likes to see. For example, if your boat is actually based in Massachusetts a hailing port in Florida or Delaware might stick out like a sore thumb when the harbormaster is checking who is renting moorings. Certain ports of convenience, like Delaware hailing ports, are red flags that make you subject to even greater scrutiny from the tax man than you might deserve. Bottom line is to pay your taxes where they are due, and avoid the hassle and anxiety of trying to weasel your way out of them.

Sure, you can have non-critical mail sent someplace other than your domicile address, but you are probably better off just eliminating that mail if at all possible. Try to pair down what is sent to your domicile address to only the important stuff. However, no matter how hard you try, junk mail will end up going there eventually. This is another reason you need a trusted person who can review what is coming in and take appropriate action: credit card offers go in the trash or a pile for later forwarding, tax notices need an alert sent to you via email or other means, something like an actual credit card or bank card needs to be saved for when you are someplace you can receive actual snail mail safely.

Life on the water will be easier if you make yourself the round peg for the bureaucrats' round holes!

Working Remotely Onboard

Now that everyone has decamped from their cubicles to work from their homes they are beginning to get a taste of what it is like to be a liveaboard worker. Many of us who cruise don't get away from it all as much as we would like because we still have to work to fuel the cruising lifestyle. The good news is that we now live in an era where working remotely is easier and better than ever.

I have done a lot of remote, on-the-road work over the years, and today's Working From Home (WFH) folks don't know how good they have it. I can vividly remember getting a letter (old-school words typed out on piece of paper) forwarded to me in Puerto Rico after a long delay informing me that it was now time to create an index for a complicated book I had written. The process began by combing through the printed version of the manuscript and writing down important words on pieces of paper and index cards. We then had to record on the cards when these words appeared on a particular page. Eventually, I collected all these notes and manually typed them up and mailed them into the publisher.

That gives you just a small idea of what we used to have to deal with when living on a boat and working remotely. Luckily, today we have small and powerful computers onboard, along with Internet available in most harbors. I won't go into how to hook up to the Internet, which is a huge topic on its own, but I have learned a few key things that will help you keep and organize your digital data.

Mostly Cloudy

First, the cloud is your friend. Yes, it is possible to store everything locally on hard drives, USB sticks, and laptops, but don't do it! Of course, you may often be away from an Internet connection so it is important to use those local storage devices, but your ultimate goal is to become as independent from them as possible by uploading everything to the cloud whenever you can.

In my experience, computers die on boats. It is as simple as that. If it isn't physical inundation with salt water, it is the insidious salt air environment. Or the constant motion. Or the laptop flies across the cabin and hits the floor. Or it is stolen when you go to the Internet cafe. Or, or, or. In short, the marine environment is harsh, the boating environment is harsher, the waterfront environment is not much better, and why take the chance you'll lose everything?

Put it in the cloud and in the worst case scenario it will be inaccessible for awhile until you can find another computer, or reach the next Internet cafe, but it will be there waiting for you. Put everything there: photos, music, charts, email, files, whatever.

I read a story last year of someone who had to escape rising water during the Houston hurricane. He didn't have time to grab anything more than the clothes on his back. He was a freelance journalist, but he had stored everything with Google. He ended up sheltering in another state, but was able to purchase a new Chromebook and instantly get back to work from his hotel room. 

That exact scenario could happen to a boater displaced by a hurricane, or maybe your boat just sinks at anchor after catching fire, like happened to some of my friends. They were away diving at the time, and when they returned their boat and all their possessions were just gone. Luckily, someone had pulled their dog from the harbor. Store your digital life in the cloud.

Your Virtual Office

The foundation of this technique is to choose and use one of the online office systems. I recommend using either Google or Microsoft. Google offers free online office tools along with their excellent Gmail. They also offer a professional-grade alternative, called Google Workspace (formerly G Suite), which is very similar to the free stuff, but with one huge advantage--real customer service! Free Gmail and its office apps are great, but if something goes wrong you are on your own. There is no human customer service or help, except via forums that are not monitored by Google. You have to be 100% certain you store your password securely, utilize every alternative security method there is, record your one-time codes, be sure to keep and maintain a phone number, etc. Without these things it is just a matter of time before you lose access to your Gmail account, and then your only hope of getting back in is an automated process that is completely opaque. Many people lose their Gmail accounts!

Workspace's basic tier, at $6 a month, doesn't really gain you much functionality over regular Gmail, but it does give you that very valuable access to real human beings, via phone, email, and chat, that can possibly help you solve problems, and most importantly will work with you when you become locked out of your account.

Microsoft also offers free email and online office apps, and they cover the same bases as Google's: word processing, spreadsheets, presentations (PowerPoint), etc. Plus, they too have a professional grade version that recently underwent some name changes. The deal of the bunch is Microsoft 365 Business Basic at $5 per month with 50GB of email storage and a whopping 1TB of OneDrive file storage. That is one of the best deals going for online storage, even if you don't use any of the other business features. However, the one huge downside for the Office Online products is they aren't usable "offline," meaning when on the boat away from the Internet. If you need Microsoft Office, be sure to also have the desktop versions installed, which are not included with Business Basic. I know, I know, Microsoft makes it confusing.

Both Workspace and various tiers of Microsoft's business offerings provide the ability to utilize your own domain for email, which is very important for professional use. In fact, I recommend it for everybody. It's the best way to be able to create memorable, branded email addresses that you can keep for life. Read more about that here on this blog.

I personally use the free Gmail stuff and I am extremely careful about checking all the security settings, making sure my phone and alternate email address are up to date, and using two-factor authentication. The latter security feature, often abbreviated 2FA (or 2SV for Gmail), means that you not only need a password to get in, but also a code either sent to a cell phone, or created using an authenticator app, or in some cases you can use a separate hardware security key, like the ones made by Yubico. If you set this 2FA stuff up Google will create some one-time codes that will allow you to get back in when 2FA breaks down for some reason. Be sure to store those codes someplace really safe, like an online password manager. I would also write them down on a piece of paper that is stored with things like your passports. Most people would not know what to do with these odd looking codes, so the security danger of keeping them handy is minimal.

But, what about when you're offline, maybe offshore too? Both Google and Microsoft, and Apple too, offer ways to utilize their apps while you are offline, and only when you reconnect with the cloud will everything sync up. In Google's case, the offline versions of Gmail and Docs will automatically sync up with the cloud when you do get back online. I use a Google Pixelbook Chromebook for most of my freelance writing work, and I have found it is the easiest way to manage this process when I am often on the road, on the boat, or on assignment. Being on the boat is really no different than being at home in my office, because I use the same systems in both places, though with different equipment.

By the way, another huge advantage of using Google's online offerings is that you don't even need your own computer to get stuff done--use whatever is available hooked up to the Internet. I was on an island and needed to send something in for work, but there was no Internet cafe or wifi anywhere. Luckily, I knew someone who lived on the island and I was able to use one of his computers from his house to log into my Google account and quickly get some work done.

This is a big topic, and I will be back with more on how to set up your floating office!

A Harbor to Ride it Out

With the virus emergency getting worse each day we are beginning to read of communities, islands, regions, and states attempting to shut their borders to outsiders, and those of us who travel by boat know that we are almost always "from away." So, what does a longterm cruiser or liveaboard do during an emergency?

Obviously, if you liveaboard and are in your homeport, you should expect to be treated like a local and receive the same rights along with the same responsibilities. Sadly, this is not often the case in my experience. Liveaboards are considered close to homeless people by some, and if your boat has a hailing port from somewhere else you will be considered to be from there no matter how long you have been tied up in one place. I have purchased boats with various hailing ports, and without fail we are assumed to be from the location featured on the stern.

This can really hit home when you try to move about and your out-of-state driver's license doesn't cut it with the local police. Is your health insurance local to the state you are in? Where is your doctor located? Do you own a car with out-of-state plates? All of a sudden you find your clever parsing of state laws in order to avoid paying some tax or another might not have been the best idea. In short, if you plan on living aboard in one locality for long, make it your real home (your domicile) for tax purposes, and follow all the local regulations for drivers' licenses, car registration, etc.

Then there are the cruisers who are truly transient, moving from place to place, with no real fixed "homeport." Don't be surprised if you find yourself at the nasty end of pointed questions with regard to your hailing port or the flag you are flying. In times of crisis people become very tribal and rightly or wrongly defend their home turf. Most of us would do the same. Think of how you would feel if the positions were reversed--you're looking out from your waterside home and see a boat arriving with a hailing port known to be a hotbed of the virus. Your boat and you may not have been in your hailing port for months or years, but that is where you are assumed to be from. Ask anyone driving around the country with New York license plates what type of reception they are getting right now.

Port in a Storm

So where can a cruiser go when the world is shut down? One huge advantage we have is the ability to carry lots of longterm stores, water, and fuel. Cruising boats are perfect for self-isolation in many ways. The virus doesn't travel far, and if you are anchored out or on a mooring you are unlikely to have much contact with anyone carrying the virus.

In some ways, being on a long passage might be the ideal spot to be, personally, but eventually you have to find a port that will allow you in, and some may not. Avoid heading offshore for that reason. You won't know where you will be able to end your voyage safely, and you don't want to find yourself ordered to quarantine in some horrible commercial port.

Many of us have certain ports we have visited over and over again because we love them, and possibly have friends who live there. Those friends ashore could be your key to finding a safe port in a storm. With the local tribe hunkering down and trying to prevent an influx of outsiders you need that inside help. The close friend ashore might make a huge difference if you need assistance such as needing a car to get groceries or medicine. Also, those local friends will know others that you might need help from: the local mechanic, the police, the health clinic, the harbormaster.

However, often you will be far away from that favorite port with the friends ashore, so what should you look for in a safe harbor? The #1 feature, I believe, is to head to a port that is boat friendly. You want to be in a place used to seeing lots of cruisers coming and going from all around the country and the world. That type of harbor also has lots of local boaters who may themselves have been cruisers at one time or another. Those people ashore will know what you on your boat need, and chances are very good the local officials will know and understand what you are doing.

Ports in the USA that fit this description include Newport, Rhode Island, Annapolis, Maryland, and Fort Lauderdale, Florida. These places already have hundreds or thousands of boats tied up with hailing ports from everywhere, and chances are great that you and your boat will be able to instantly "fit in." In a place with lots of fellow boaters you will quickly become part of the local tribe. The customs officials will understand, the harbormaster will understand, the police will understand, and many local people will understand. You want to be in a place with robust services of all sorts, including transportation. You want a port where you could leave your boat indefinitely if you had to.

Choose a port that is on the mainland so there are good connections via road, train and air. Good transportation connections mean your purchases at the local supermarket won't be a burden on the system. Needed supplies should still be plentiful. You'll be able to purchase fuel for the boat, get water easily, find repair parts.

I have been lucky enough to live in some of these places, and I have visited them by boat many times. Yes, they are busy, and services are not always the cheapest, but there has always been an understanding that cruisers are welcome. Cruisers are part of the lifeblood of these major ports, and therefore you are appreciated for what you bring to the local economy.

Plus, they tend to be fairly large communities, with much more robust healthcare systems. That lovely, isolated island in Maine or the Bahamas may be a great place to get away from it all, but it probably has very limited medical capacity during normal times, if any. During a pandemic people from away will not be welcome when a single additional person burdening the healthcare system could mean life and death for someone who lives there year-round.

It may seem counterintuitive to some, but now is not the time to head to an off-the-beaten-path place. Those are the very places that are terrified of outsiders right now, and rightfully so, because each additional newcomer has the potential to bring the virus with them or to become a burden on local limited resources. 

This is a time to stick together and be in a place where all around you are other boaters just like you. You won't stick out, you will fit in.

A Year on the Island Part 2

Having mostly visited the island by boat previously, I had not explored many parts of the island away from the major harbors of Vineyard Haven and Edgartown. There is so much to see and do, if you love nature, that I still feel I have only scratched the surface after a year.

There are innumerable trails, short and longer, all over the island and only a short ferry ride away on Chappaquiddick. Many start off in a beautiful forest only to end up on a sandy or rocky beach. There is something very special about a hike that combines woods and water.

Some days, winter or summer, we just walk along one of the many gorgeous beaches. In the summer popular places will be swarming with bathers and sun worshipers, but in the winter you may be the only person on miles of beach. In any season you can eventually find your own quiet spot to just listen to the waves and wind, or to lie down and soak up some sun. There is no more relaxing exercise than walking on a beach.

Having tired of wandering off the beaten track it is always just a short drive or bike ride to one of the small towns. Each one has its own interesting businesses and restaurants, though many close in the winter. It's always a good idea to call ahead during the off season.

Those without cars can still explore almost every corner of the island using the excellent VTA buses. For such a small island the service is amazing! When I first moved here I lived car-free for about 6 months and really didn't miss much. The main difficulty was obtaining wine and beer, which are heavy to carry and only available in limited locations--none for sale except with a meal in Vineyard Haven! 

Before I had a car, I would just rent one when venturing off island. There is a convenient car rental reachable by shuttle bus at the ferry parking lot in Falmouth. Not having to make a reservation for your car means you can just walk onto any ferry, saving lots of hassle and money. During the summer car reservations are hard to come by, and many people book in January for July trips. I also have a motorcycle, which has the advantage (besides being fun to ride!) that you can almost always slip onto a ferry. Same with bicycles.

Of course, all of these ferry trips to escape to the mainland add up in cost, making for a substantial line item on many budgets. Since Sail MV is flat out in the summer, I rarely get off island during the peak travel times, but then in the fall, winter, and spring I have to time ferry trips around bad weather. Last October we couldn't get off the island for three days during a gale, and my son was on the verge of missing a flight when we finally did make it. Just one of the peculiarities of island life!

A Year on the Island Part 1

I've now lived and worked on Martha's Vineyard for a year, and here are some thoughts on island living.

I began my job as executive director of Sail Martha's Vineyard in January 2019. Finding a place to spend my first six months on the island was a hurdle due to higher prices than nonprofit salaries support, and lack of available rental housing. Due to its summer popularity there are tons of homes on island that are unoccupied most of the year, but most people don't rent for the "off season."

With the help of Sail MV's board of directors, I found a wonderful rental in Vineyard Haven that was right on the harbor and within walking distance of the office. I feel privileged to have been able to live there, despite the lack of insulation in the historic home and subsequently enormous propane bills.

The cost of heating was my first introduction to what I call the "island tax." Everything sold on an island must cross the water by ferry or plane, and that adds something to the bill. Unfortunately, some on the island add a further percentage due to the pervasive expectation that everything will be more expensive than just a few miles away on Cape Cod. Therefore some purchases are maybe only 10% more, while others are 50% more.

This leads to the favorite island technique of ordering needed stuff via Amazon and others that offer free delivery, even to the island! You would think that would be a total win until you end up waiting in a 30-minute line at the post office with all the other people collecting their stuff. Many addresses on the island do not have postal delivery, and many others are so obscure that expecting UPS or Fedex to get there is overly optimistic. Everyone, has both a PO Box and an alternate shipping location it seems. You often see boxes stacked up alongside a metal mailbox on a rural road. The mailbox is for some house off in the woods down a dirt road.

My particular street address is not even recognized by the power company. Instead, they have assigned me an unused address on another nearby road. My cellphone provider also refuses to recognize the address, despite it being the legal, town-recognized address for the building. It isn't recognized by UPS or Fedex either. Needless to say, it is hopeless having anything sent to the address--who knows where it would end up? So, my mail and any shipments go either to my PO Box in another town, or to my work address where UPS is able to find us! However, no mail can be delivered to the work address, so I often walk to the post office at lunch time. This is all "island normal." Luckily, the local RMV (the Massachusetts equivalent of the DMV) understands all this and is accommodating.

Another interesting thing about island life--no crime! Well almost nothing. When something does happen it becomes front page news on the two excellent island newspapers. However, the police forces are designed for the summer influx of tourists, so they are overstaffed with not much to do most of the year. Be careful not to speed on any of the deserted back roads or park your car someplace it shouldn't be or you may encounter one of the local police patiently waiting for something to do. However, they do it in a very friendly manner!

Those two excellent island newspapers mentioned above are treasures that most of the USA has lost. I subscribe to both, paper and digital, because they are really critical to knowing what is happening. Reporters are at every town meeting, and know everyone on the island. They both have experienced reporters that have been here long enough to know the territory well. It is a pleasure to read their daily email and online stories and to sit down with the weekly papers.

More to come!

Internet Bliss

While enjoying my usual evening libation in the cockpit, I often grab a cellphone or laptop to find out what is happening in the world, what messages may have come in that I can ignore, and whether or not thunderstorms are likely to wake us at the usual 2 a.m. With the wonders of Wi-Fi and cellular phone service, these joys/chores of modern life have become necessities for most cruisers, and there are many ways to achieve the state of “connected” bliss on board.

For many boaters, regular cellphones and Wi-Fi-enabled laptops (and other devices) provide plenty of connectivity when close to shore and in marinas. While coastal cruising from Maine to Florida, I am frequently within good cellphone coverage — even over to the Bahamas. Yes, there are big gaps at times, but I can survive for a few hours without checking Twitter. Almost every marina has Wi-Fi, and if they don’t, there is bound to be an Internet cafe or other public Wi-Fi nearby. I’ve run into Wi-Fi in the weirdest places far off the beaten track, like on a cay in the Bahamas with no regular phone service — but it had satellite Internet and TV!

However, many others feel the need for stronger data connections and will utilize marine Wi-Fi and cellular receivers that can feed an onboard Wi-Fi router. This can mean the difference between enjoying a quiet night of Facebooking while anchored securely in the middle of the harbor vs. schlepping a laptop ashore in search of a signal. However, the days of “stealing” free Wi-Fi from unsuspecting shoreside homeowners and businesses with unsecured networks is largely over. Though it is still possible to be a data thief, you can’t count on it for reliable service.

Obtaining a legitimate data connection that can supply the speeds and reliability you need means a combination of Wi-Fi and cellular phone data when coastal cruising. In some harbors, there are public Wi-Fi signals that reach out over the harbor, and in others you may be able to get permission and/or pay a fee to a nearby marina. But, Wi-Fi is limited in range and there are many security concerns. Unfortunately, Wi-Fi is relatively  hackable and you should read up on how to secure your data connections, possibly by using a VPN.

Typical home Wi-Fi routers have about a 150-foot range indoors and possibly up to 300 feet outdoors, depending on what’s between you and the router. Marine Wi-Fi receivers with large antennas that can be mounted on a high point above deck obstructions will receive at greater range.

With a dedicated marine Wi-Fi receiver, you can expect much improved performance over any regular Wi-Fi receiver in a portable device, however coverage and range in the real world will be highly variable. I have seen brochures for marine receivers that claim “up to seven-mile range,” and some claim to reach up to 12 miles offshore, which is meaningless since a lot depends on the originating source. If you just need a strong signal on your home mooring or in a marina and know what networks you want to connect to, a marine Wi-Fi receiver may be a great solution for you.

While cruising in unfamiliar waters, you will have the problem of sorting through all the available Wi-Fi networks to find the ones that allow you to connect and provide the service you need. That problem is made more difficult by all the other boats in the harbor broadcasting their own wireless networks. The other night, I was located well offshore in a harbor on a small island that I know has only one public Wi-Fi network, yet a quick look at my phone showed many of the boats around me were broadcasting signals that were much stronger than the public Wi-Fi service in my location. I didn’t try, but I assumed that most of those other boats had their networks properly password protected! I’ve used the public service before and know that it is expensive, slow and unreliable. The best Wi-Fi receiver won’t be able to solve that problem for you.

Cell your soul
The most reliable option, at least within the U.S., is receiving your data via a cellular phone network. Cell signals offer much greater range that can extend many miles offshore. I have found that phone company coverage maps often underestimate coverage on the water, since they probably do little testing out there. Ordinary mobile phones are often quite effective within a mile or two of much of the U.S. East Coast. Again, there are significant gaps in coverage, depending on your carrier of choice, but in general you will find a good cell signal more often than you will find good Wi-Fi, particularly when underway. Hopping from one Wi-Fi network to another is a study in frustration, but maintaining a decent cellular signal all day long is a regular occurrence for boaters in many parts of the country. In other areas of the world, your service and choices may vary greatly.

Security is much better on the cellular networks than it is on Wi-Fi, and I have also found that it is much more reliable during inclement weather. When the power goes out ashore, most of the Wi-Fi networks go down too, but usually the cell service stays up and running. This can be a tremendous safety factor during hurricanes and lesser storms, when communications may be critical. At the very least, it is great to be able to call home or send an email to let everyone know you have weathered the storm. It is also great when you need to find parts, contact your insurance company or transfer some funds when all of the ATM machines ashore go dark.

All the major mobile carriers offer unlimited data plans, as do many prepaid carriers. Data-only plans are available too, but they may not be a better deal than a traditional phone plan. Unfortunately, the word “unlimited” doesn’t really mean limitless amounts of high-speed data, so read the fine print. However, for many of us, an unlimited cellular plan is cost effective and provides the greatest real-world data coverage.

For some boaters, a good option is to combine Wi-Fi service with cellular coverage via your phone when needed. You can “tether” other devices to your phone in order to utilize the phone’s data plan. In general, this is not for extended or heavy data usage, but it can be a great option if you just need to use your laptop for something that the phone can’t do. The other day my son downloaded a new book to his Kindle by tethering to his cellphone. One thing to keep in mind is that tethering seems to deplete your phone’s battery faster than ever.

The best of both worlds
Luckily, there are now single devices that allow you to have great Wi-Fi range when you want it and great cellular coverage when you need it. For example, the weBBoat 4G Plus by Glomex includes a 4G LTE cellular antenna and a Wi-Fi antenna, with automatic switching between antennas based on signal quality. It accepts two SIM cards, allowing you to utilize different cellular providers depending on cost, location, etc. Up to 32 devices can be connected on board at once. The antenna unit looks like a small satellite dome and can be mounted in a high spot free of obstructions. Glomex claims you can get reception “up to” 20 miles offshore. Again, your experience may vary, but you typically won’t find reliable signals at maximum range.

One interesting thing to consider is that Glomex notes that your onboard Wi-Fi signal, broadcast by the weBBoat unit, can be significantly degraded on metal boats, so it is possible to connect up to four Wi-Fi router/access points to the unit. You can also connect to LAN ports using an Ethernet cable.

Average power consumption is listed at 150 mA, and it will work on 10 to 30 volts DC. Retail price is $995, which seems reasonable considering all the various components included with the system. It is easy to spend well north of $200 when purchasing just a regular consumer/landlubber-grade, shoreside Wi-Fi router for your apartment.

It would be possible to use land-grade Wi-Fi routers on board too. I took a look at my reasonably up-to-date home Wi-Fi router, made by Linksys; the power adapter puts out 12 volts and the unit needs up to 2 amps. The Linksys could run off an ordinary boat’s 12-volt system, though battery drain would be significant if utilized 24/7. However, it might be an option to improve your onboard Wi-Fi coverage when in a marina or other location with Internet access and the ability to keep your batteries charged up.

Shakespeare Marine makes some units that are very similar in function to the Glomex models. The WebWatch WC-1 and WCT-1 also look like miniature domed satellite receivers, and they offer both increased Wi-Fi reception at great ranges and 4G/LTE reception on the cellular networks. The WCT-1 sports a built-in HDTV receiver, which could be quite useful in coastal waters. HDTV coverage near major U.S. cities can be quite good, and some report better picture quality than when using cable TV. Of course, channel selection will vary from place to place. I have found that TV weather stations are often quite useful when carefully watching the approach of distant tropical systems.

The Shakespeare units operate on 12/24 volts, with a 1 amp max draw. Pricing is in the vicinity of the Glomex units.

Shakespeare also sells their JellyFish JF-3 Classic Multi-Band Antenna, which appropriately looks like a jellyfish due to its domed antenna enclosure sporting three different cables to support the GPS, cellular and Wi-Fi antennas. This unit is a passive antenna, meaning it does not require a power input for amplifying signals, and it does not broadcast an onboard Wi-Fi signal. The cellular and Wi-Fi cables do not sport standard Ethernet connectors, so you will have to cobble together a way to supply an onboard Wi-Fi router or connect to a particular device.

Note that you can also purchase inline signal boosters that will work with various passive marine cellular antennas, but those aren’t the focus of this article on all-in-one solutions to getting your selfies online!

Catch a wave
Wave WiFi is another company offering an almost-all-in-one solution incorporating cellular and Wi-Fi antennas, but the output is a regular Ethernet cable that can be connected to an onboard laptop or separate router. Utilizing a standard Ethernet cable makes connecting to all sorts of non-marine devices much easier, potentially lowering costs. However, many devices require a Wi-Fi signal, which is the beauty of the all-in-ones noted above.

Onboard networking providers

Digital Yacht
digitalyachtamerica.com/

4G Yacht
www.4gyacht.com/marine-internet

Glomex
www.glomex.us

Shakespeare Marine
shakespeare-ce.com/marine/

Wave WiFi
www.wavewifi.com/

Winegard
www.winegard.com/connect/marine

Well known in the RV world, Winegard is now offering a marine unit that looks interesting and is less expensive than most. The Winegard ConnecT 4G1xM combines a Wi-Fi extender with a built-in cellular data antenna and router. A Winegard cell data plan (on the AT&T network) is required for 4G access. With no contracts, monthly data plans start at $20 for 1GB, and you can get 20GB for $150. Unlike the Glomex and the Shakespeare units, the Winegard utilizes an array of five short vertical antennas with no surrounding dome. The unit includes Ethernet ports and broadcasts a local Wi-Fi signal for your boat. Power requirement is 9 to 16 volts at up to 1 amp. List price is $479.

With its relatively costly data plan and the inability to use your own mobile SIM, the Winegard units might be good for those that mostly stay around Wi-Fi with the occasional cruise to more distant waters — hopefully places with good AT&T coverage. Since there is no contract, 4G data could just be purchased when needed.

Less is more
I am not usually a fan of integrating functions on a boat, which can create a single point of failure that takes out multiple necessities. However, in the case of Wi-Fi and cellular data, there are many benefits: fewer power supplies, fewer cables, fewer antennas to site and mount, fewer holes to drill for wire runs, fewer holes to waterproof and fewer controls to manage. Many of these devices are monitored and controlled using smartphone apps. And, your smartphones on board provide the ideal and very usable backups for the single-point-of-failure devices.

Other smartphone apps can assist with the proper installation of an all-in-one unit. For example, I have found that Wi-Fi scanning apps are a great way to test out router positions. You may be surprised by how you can dramatically improve signal strength by relocating a router. Also, phones can be used to help you find open and/or pay-to-use Wi-Fi access points that may require you to send in credit card information or sometimes to call for support.

Having a radar arch bristling with antennas, domes, wires and other electronics can make your boat look like a serious world cruiser, but reducing windage and complication back there might improve your real voyaging experience. And, you’ll be able to watch cat videos while offshore!

This article was originally published by Ocean Navigator in the November/December 2018 issue.