Staying On Course With Wi-Fi

The boat as wireless network had arrived for the voyager.

- Bill Morris

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.