The boat as wireless network had arrived for the voyager.
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.
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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.
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Stay Connected
Satellite phones have evolved a full ecosystem of gear and services
Respecting Paradise
Thoughts on voyaging responsibly
Yankee sails on
The steel ketch Yankee in the Connecticut River.
TRANSPAC RACE PREP
How a group of determined mostly military veterans built a race team
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.
From North Sea fishing to Sea of Cortez voyaging
The former Dutch fishing vessel turned power voyaging yacht Varnebank in Mexican waters.
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.
Doing it all with one screen
The steering station on this Gunboat cat is equipped with large-screen B&G Zeus MFDs.
Don't scrimp when it comes to the crimp
Solid crimp connections make your power voyager’s electrical system more reliable.
Chartroom Chatter
Maritime Publishing acquires Ocean Navigator