STAY CONNECTED

HOW DO YOU CHOOSE WHICH SATELLITE COMMUNICATION DEVICE TO USE FOR OCEAN SAILING? BY LEARNING FROM OTHERS! TOBY HODGES CRUNCHES THE DATA FROM 216 SKIPPERS ON THE LATEST ATLANTIC RALLY FOR CRUISERS

- TOBY HODGES

Our desire for almost constant communication and messaging, even when on board, and our reliance on the internet continues to soar. Technology and the ability to stay in touch has allowed many sailors to take their work with them afloat and go ocean sailing while still employed or running a business. (That said, for many of us the joy of losing signal and truly switching off remains a key lure of sailing offshore!).

Indeed, an increasing number of cruisers make a living from showcasing their lifestyle afloat in vlog-style videos and social media posts. And for that you need high-speed internet through wifi or 4G/cellular networks.

If you're thinking of going further afield, to cross an ocean you'll need longer range communication devices to remain just an email or phone call away.

Equally your needs should/will be paired down, probably to the odd email or weather forecast while on passage. However, balancing just what you need or want and how much you're willing to spend to attain that is not as straightforward as you might think.

To help understand and decide on options, we sought the feedback of the 216 skippers who took part in the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC) last year.

We also spoke with industry experts about the current options for those wanting to buy or upgrade satellite communications.

SPECCING UP

ARC organisers, the World Cruising Club (WCC), insist that all yachts sailing in their transocean rallies must carry long-range communication equipment. Yachting World has partnered with WCC for the last two decades to issue ARC participants with our 'Great Atlantic Gear Survey. The 216 skippers of the combined ARC 2021 crossings shared their communications setups, while 70 respondents gave us feedback on 30 detailed questions all about their satellite devices, costs, airtime, apps etc...