Staying On Course With Wi-Fi
Ocean Navigator|January/February 2017

The boat as wireless network had arrived for the voyager.

Bill Morris
Staying On Course With Wi-Fi

Enjoying fingertip wire-less access to the Internet while sailing in coastal waters has become a way of life for many sailors. At the very least, we depend on our cellphone service providers to make sure we stay in touch around the clock. If we are near a Wi-Fi transmission point, or if we pay the high cost of worldwide Internet service while sailing offshore, our crew enjoys the benefits of connectivity wherever our vessels roam. With or without such worldwide Internet access, we can still enjoy the benefits of Wi-Fi connectivity within our own networks while afloat.

Most of the material we find on marine Wi-Fi is focused on Internet access provided through an onboard hot spot, which is connected to a high gain antenna capable of receiving Wi-Fi signals up to several miles way. Many coastal cruisers sailing near large population centers are able to use their smartphones as hot spots but often with less connectivity.

In addition to its place in personal electronics for voice, text and Internet communication, onboard wireless connectivity is also growing in another critical role aboard cruising vessels: connecting into navigational electronics without the need of an Ethernet cable. Instead of having to clamber out to the cockpit in the middle of a raging gale at 0200 to check the chartplotter, that job can now be made easier through Wi-Fi access on an iPhone, iPad or Android device anywhere on the vessel.

Wireless navigation basics

The core of an integrated wireless navigation system is, in most cases, the chartplotter. Readings on vessel speed, heading, GPS position, weather data and engine panel are brought together via a Wi-Fi or Bluetooth antenna system mounted separately or embedded in the chartplotter, transmitting readings to a remote hotspot provided by the manufacturer or to a smartphone or tablet device.

Denne historien er fra January/February 2017-utgaven av Ocean Navigator.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra January/February 2017-utgaven av Ocean Navigator.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA OCEAN NAVIGATORSe alt
Stay Connected
Ocean Navigator

Stay Connected

Satellite phones have evolved a full ecosystem of gear and services

time-read
9 mins  |
July - August 2021
Respecting Paradise
Ocean Navigator

Respecting Paradise

Thoughts on voyaging responsibly

time-read
6 mins  |
July - August 2021
Yankee sails on
Ocean Navigator

Yankee sails on

The steel ketch Yankee in the Connecticut River.

time-read
3 mins  |
July - August 2021
TRANSPAC RACE PREP
Ocean Navigator

TRANSPAC RACE PREP

How a group of determined mostly military veterans built a race team

time-read
7 mins  |
July - August 2021
NOAA upgrades its global weather model
Ocean Navigator

NOAA upgrades its global weather model

More data and a better global weather model should make for improved weather distributed to users, like this temperature gradient map.

time-read
3 mins  |
July - August 2021
From North Sea fishing to Sea of Cortez voyaging
Ocean Navigator

From North Sea fishing to Sea of Cortez voyaging

The former Dutch fishing vessel turned power voyaging yacht Varnebank in Mexican waters.

time-read
4 mins  |
July - August 2021
Chatter Chartroom
Ocean Navigator

Chatter Chartroom

IN 2019, MY HUSBAND, DOUG PASNIK, AND I RACED OUR first Transpac together with a team of 10 on our Andrews 70, Trader, comprised primarily of military veterans (see story on page 22). This year we are doing the race again and inviting four mentees from The Magenta Project to race with us.

time-read
7 mins  |
July - August 2021
Doing it all with one screen
Ocean Navigator

Doing it all with one screen

The steering station on this Gunboat cat is equipped with large-screen B&G Zeus MFDs.

time-read
8 mins  |
May - June 2021
Don't scrimp when it comes to the crimp
Ocean Navigator

Don't scrimp when it comes to the crimp

Solid crimp connections make your power voyager’s electrical system more reliable.

time-read
5 mins  |
May - June 2021
Chartroom Chatter
Ocean Navigator

Chartroom Chatter

Maritime Publishing acquires Ocean Navigator

time-read
7 mins  |
May - June 2021