{"id":138823,"date":"2022-06-14T06:00:23","date_gmt":"2022-06-14T05:00:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/?p=138823"},"modified":"2023-11-28T08:36:25","modified_gmt":"2023-11-28T08:36:25","slug":"satellite-communication-how-to-stay-connected-at-sea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/yachts-and-gear\/satellite-communication-how-to-stay-connected-at-sea-138823","title":{"rendered":"Satellite communication: how to stay connected at sea"},"content":"Our desire for almost constant communication and messaging, even when onboard, 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<\/a> 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!).\r\n\r\nIndeed, 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.\r\n\r\nIf you\u2019re thinking of going further afield, to cross an ocean you\u2019ll need longer range communication devices to remain just an email or phone call away.\r\n\r\nEqually 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\u2019re willing to spend to attain that is not as straightforward as you might think.\r\n\r\nTo help understand and decide on options, we sought the feedback of the 216 skippers who took part in the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers<\/a> (ARC) last year. We also spoke with industry experts about the current options for those wanting to buy or upgrade satellite communications.\r\n\r\nIf you're looking for a guide for what's available on the market right now, don't miss our guide to the best satellite phones<\/a> for sailors.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_138842\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"630\"]\"\" Many were still debugging their systems come the Las Palmas start. Photo: James Mitchell\/WCC[\/caption]\r\n

Speccing up<\/h2>\r\nARC organisers, the World Cruising Club (WCC), insist that all yachts sailing in their transocean rallies must carry long-range communication equipment. Yachting World<\/em> has partnered with WCC for the last two decades to issue ARC participants with our \u2019Great Atlantic Gear Survey\u2019. 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...\r\n\r\nFrom former ARC surveys we know the majority regularly choose Iridium as it has a full, intelligible range of options and is the only brand with full global coverage. But it\u2019s not just about picking the satellite provider. Selecting which type of hardware suits your needs (handheld or fixed with separate antenna), what airtime package, whether you want a router and perhaps a dedicated marine service for setup, email compression, support, and weather forecasting, is all budget relevant and should be a factor in your decisions.\r\n\r\nThe pace of satellite communication technology is slow, nevertheless these are still phones we\u2019re talking about here, so people always want the latest!\r\n\r\nA full 90% of our survey respondents, for example, only had their data comms equipment installed since 2019 and many were still debugging their systems come the Las Palmas start.\r\n\r\nIridium\u2019s new Certus system has been in the pipeline for some years now and there were a few yachts which carried its higher-end 700 system last year. The more compact and economic 200 and 100 systems launched last summer, though, and will doubtless be in demand for those crossing this year and in the near future.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_138828\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"630\"]\"\" A simple handheld is typically the slowest yet most intuitive of satcomm options. Photo: Tor Johnson[\/caption]\r\n

Basic \/ handset satellite communication options<\/h2>\r\nThe choice at the most affordable end of the scale is to go for a portable or handheld style satphone, a compact unit with its own aerial, such as Inmarsat\u2019s Isatphone or Iridium\u2019s 9555 or 9575. The latter were carried by 15 of our 70 skippers.\r\n\r\nOther than economy, the benefit of a handheld device with a keypad is arguably the ability to dial a number easily when in trouble and take it with you in a grab bag.\r\n\r\nWalkabout<\/em>, an Oceanis 45, has a second-hand 9555 (\u20ac800 from MailASail). \u201cIt worked okay but we found that text messages often got chopped off,\u201d says Andrew Roantree. \u201cTexting on an Iridium sat phone is really useful \u2013 but very painful to do!\u201d he warns.\r\n\r\nBy far the most popular option carried last ARC was the Iridium GO<\/a> (chosen by 47 out of 70 skippers).\r\n\r\nA relatively economical portable device, this essentially has the same internal parts as Iridium\u2019s handsets but without the numeric keypad. Instead they offer an easy way to create a wifi hub at sea for using mobile devices.\r\n\r\nGO has been marketed at attractive prices in recent years, particularly through PredictWind. This, together with an original promise of \u2018unlimited data\u2019 for around US$125 per month made it appealing, although it is speed capped at the industry standard of 2.4kbps.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_138829\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"630\"]\"\" Weather forecasting and routing is a prime use of satcomms. Photo: TimBisMedia[\/caption]\r\n\r\nThis means it\u2019s as slow as a handheld, or less than 5% of the speed of 1990s dial-up internet! In practice, it\u2019s enough to receive email and the odd GRIB file but can\u2019t do chat apps. It needs a paired mobile phone to make voice calls and only certain apps work with it.\r\n\r\nThe majority of the 2021 ARC fleet were content with this though, and said they wouldn\u2019t change their GO setup if doing it again.\r\n\r\nThere were many comments on data connection being slow and dropping off, but there was also a general assumption and acknowledgement that they knew that would probably be the case.\r\n

Make mine GO<\/h2>\r\nCoco<\/em>, a Lucia 40 catamaran<\/a>, used GO with Iridium Mail and PredictWind: \u201cThe calls would briefly drop out, but only due to the device being situated inside,\u201d skipper Alfie Moore reports. \u201cIt reconnected to the call quickly when signal was reestablished. The app would sometimes glitch, there are a few bugs that need ironing out within the app interface and the Offshore weather app could also do with a few upgrades. But in general it was a fantastic device and certainly helped us in the situations we were in during the crossing.\u201d An external antenna is one of the only additions he would consider.\r\n\r\nArticle continues below<\/em>\r\n\r\n[collection]\r\n\r\nAmanaki<\/em>\u2019s crew, using the same package, rates it for value for money. \u201cRecommend people buy second-hand units on ebay and the PredictWind packages\u201d. Equally, the Dutch on Hallberg-Rassy 46 Morgane<\/em> of Sark<\/em> were very happy with their GO and MailASail app, at a cost of \u20ac800 plus \u20ac170 per month for unlimited data and 150 mins.\r\n\r\nThe Norwegian skipper of Albicilla<\/em> spent only \u20ac700 on his GO and \u20ac110 per month on airtime, running Iridium Mail and PredictWind and admitted: \u201cSlow as hell, but works good for what you really need! GRIB + simple email.\u201d\r\n\r\n\u201cWell, the speed was as low as expected, but we could live with it,\u201d says Just4fun<\/em>\u2019s Thomas Klaus Henkelmann. \u201cSometimes it took up to 20 dial-in attempts before a connection was made... annoying.\u201d\r\n\r\nFor others, it tested their patience. \u201cThe Iridium GO system is such old technology,\u201d thinks Jim Davies on the First 40 Olympia\u2019s Tigress<\/em>. \u201cIt regularly dropped data calls, especially if run for long periods. The nature of the data service on the Certus system is much more user friendly in a modern world. I have no interest in streaming while at sea, but low text services like WhatsApp (with media downloads turned off) are useful...\u201d\r\n\r\nDavies adds: \u201cThe Ocens OneMail service is great as it allows you to check your own email address through GO. Also, the PredictWind Offshore app is superb for low data rate GRIB downloads.\u201d\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_138834\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"630\"]\"\" They require patience but the simplicity of a handheld satphone with keypad still appeals. Photo: James Mitchell\/WCC[\/caption]\r\n\r\nThe Valgrens on their Hallberg-Rassy 44<\/a> Pleasure<\/em> found they had to restart their GO on a regular basis (1-2 times a day). \u201cMoving the laptop closer to device improved the connection. An Android mobile seemed to handle the connection in a better way [than using a laptop with Windows].\u201d\r\n\r\nPerhaps the best summary of GO, however, was from Bavaria 51 Favorita of Hamble<\/em>\u2019s Barnaby Green: \u201cWe might trade up to a faster connection but not sure why. GO was sold as a basic entry level with low expectations but I thought it was excellent. Reliable. Portable. Transferable. Affordable. Slow.\u201d\r\n\r\nThe majority chose the simple option of an Iridium GO and no router, but, as Jeremy Willems on Shadow of Black<\/em>, one of the smaller yachts, warns: \u201cWe did need to have the intervention of the chap from MailASail to get it working properly\u201d. (It should be noted they only purchased their equipment two months before the ARC). MailASail is a marine communication specialist and WCC partner, which has had support staff at Las Palmas for the ARC start for the last two decades.\r\n\r\nOver half didn\u2019t use a smart router (41\/70), while 21 skippers used MailASail\u2019s RedBox. Data compression tools such as this and the rival Redport can save airtime charges by optimising email and web use, act as a wifi hub and can integrate cellular and wifi extenders.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_138833\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"630\"]\"\" The ability to download GRIB files mid ocean is a priorty for ARC skippers. Photo: James Mitchell\/WCC[\/caption]\r\n

Mid range satellite communication systems<\/h2>\r\nFor those not happy with the ultra slow speeds typically offered by the portable\/handset style devices, the mid range choice can offer a step change in speeds (100-200kbps). Until now, this has meant a severe increase in price (from \u20ac5,000 for hardware). Again, Certus may now address that.\r\n\r\nSome GO users (including Just4Fun<\/em> and Sundance II<\/em>) say they\u2019d prefer a more broadband-based option such as Inmarsat\u2019s Fleet One. Maalu IV<\/em>, Joia<\/em> and Tortuga<\/em> ran this system through a Red Box router (equipment cost \u20ac3-5,000) and all commented that it worked \u2018perfectly\u2019 or \u2018flawlessly\u2019.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_138843\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"630\"]\"\" MailASail RedBox PRO Ultra Router[\/caption]\r\n\r\nThe German crew on CNB 60 Dumia<\/em>, on the same setup, elaborated further: \u201cWe needed special help from MailASail \u2013 very professional and it led to a very stable and reliable installation. I followed the advice from WCC regarding installation in due time and we were very happy with this.\u201d\r\n\r\nConversely, the Leests on Sandy Cay<\/em> felt the expenditure (\u20ac5,000 equipment, \u20ac2,500 installation, \u20ac400 for airtime for crossing) didn\u2019t merit the rewards... \u201cfrom other sailors I understand that they had the same services with an Iridium GO, which is a lot less expensive to install.\u201d\r\n

Airtime & communication apps<\/h2>\r\nSimilar to choosing a cellular\/mobile phone, it\u2019s not just about the hardware. Selecting the right amount of data and airtime to suit your needs is key.\r\n\r\nAgain, the most common set up was Iridium GO, Iridium Mail and PredictWind. Thirty skippers purchased airtime through PredictWind, 15 through MailASail.\r\n\r\n\u201cLoved PredictWind support and pricing,\u201d says Amanaki<\/em>\u2019s Oliver Vauvelle. \u201cNo need for an external antenna and reasonable connectivity for the price. Decent voice calls as well\u201d.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_138832\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"630\"]\"\" Installing new satcomms equipment before the start of last year\u2019s ARC. Photo: James Mitchell\/WCC[\/caption]\r\n\r\nLIV<\/em> agrees: \u201cPredictWind Unlimited for \u20ac140 per month was great. Not only did we have unlimited data and 150 voice minutes, we also got a tracking with the Iridium GO sending a GPS position report using SMS (text message) once per hour.\u201d However, Zelda<\/em> warns: \u201cPredictWind Offshore worked only by email not directly with Iridium GO. Xgate had multiple errors that stopped data transfer\u201d.\r\n\r\nChoosing a specialist email provider can also be quite subjective. Emily Morgan used GO to run Airmail (Sailmail) with Iridium apps as backup from Global Telesat Communications. \u201cGRIB files downloaded from Saildocs via Airmail, viewed in OpenCPN. Airmail filters emails so we only download the ones we want (approximately 12 received but eight actually downloaded per day),\u201d says Anna Black.\r\n\r\nThe Swedes on Arcona 400 LIV<\/em> found the Iridium Mail app \u201cpoor and always had to restart sending large mails with photos.\u201d\r\n\r\nTilda<\/em>\u2019s Fabrizio Mancini advises others to download Iridium apps \u201con more than one smartphone because it allows several users.\u201d The view from Walkabout<\/em>, meanwhile, was: \u201cMailASail systems and services are great and the service is personal and outstanding\u201d.\r\n\r\nWhen asked for feedback and any technical problems, half the skippers were either very satisfied or didn\u2019t experience issues, other than the occasional dropped call or slow speeds.\r\nSebastian Gylling, sailing his fifth ARC on Eira<\/em>, doesn\u2019t think you need satcomms, only fitting them \u201cbecause it was mandatory equipment,\u201d while Scar Cat<\/em> was left frustrated by recommendations that \u201cwere far more expensive than what I found on my own.\u201d\r\n\r\nHighly experienced skipper Dan Bower on Skyelark 2<\/em> using an Iridium handset, was one of very few RedBox users not to rate the router, finding the data compression inefficient.\r\n\r\nGrace LR<\/em> was also on the same system: \u201cDifficult and long connection times despite having bought everything MailASail advised. I gave up using their weather info and used forecasts only from ARC.\u201d\r\n\r\nLengthy downloads on Free Spirit<\/em> (also on an Iridium handset and RedBox) led them to use their backup Garmin inReach to keep airtime economical. Rather than download GRIBs they got a weather router to email them forecasts.\r\n

Looking ahead<\/h2>\r\nLike all marine equipment, satellite communications need to be reliable, so arguably the most important advice is to buy well in advance and test thoroughly before an ocean departure.\r\n\r\nDon\u2019t make decisions based purely on specification (seek a rounded combination of hardware\/airtime\/data optimisation and support plan if required) and don\u2019t compare to land-based speeds (or expect anything close to them).\r\n\r\nWe have learned from the survey replies that there has been a shift to smaller\/budget focussed setups. The majority of offshore sailors use Iridium and bought\/used GO, primarily for its perceived ease and relative economy, and thanks to some good deals last year, particularly through PredictWind.\r\n\r\nHardware is only as good as its internal organs, and in the case of GO these are very similar to Iridium\u2019s handsets as they have the same modules inside, MailASail\u2019s Ed Wildgoose advises.\r\n\r\nThese are manufactured by various brands, but the supply pipeline started running out last year and satellite communication specialists warn of stock issues with many portable devices this year. As well as a global shortage of electronics, the invasion of Ukraine has also led to a huge demand there for handheld satphones.\r\n

A Certus future?<\/h2>\r\nAt the same time, we have seen the gradual evolution of a new crop of exciting new mid-range systems. While Inmarsat\u2019s Fleet One is well established now, Iridium has been talking about implementing Certus for years and it was only in the second half of last year that the first yachts started carrying its 100 and 200 systems.\r\n\r\nThese represent a step change for sailors. The increase in speeds these provide is the equivalent of going from walking pace to flying on a jumbo jet, says Wildgoose<\/em>.\r\n\r\nAll this leads to something of a no-brainer for those choosing new satcomms. Both MailASail\u2019s Wildgoose<\/em> and James Phipps from Global Telesat Communications now strongly advocate the Certus Skylink 100 system in particular as a sort of MkII version of GO. At around twice the hardware cost of GO (\u00a32,000), it offers a global internet hotspot, with 4G, firewall and router built in.\r\n\r\n\u201cGO has been the entry level device we\u2019d recommend, as you can send and receive email and the odd GRIB file, but you can\u2019t do Whatsapp,\u201d Phipps explains. \u201cHowever, I think the Certus Skylink 100 is the way to go and will be a really popular service and hardware to replace GO.\u201d\r\n\r\nThey think it particularly suits the sailing market as it provides fast enough data speeds for email and chat apps. It\u2019s also more portable than the 200, which is more of a permanent installation, yet half the price and with a fraction of the power consumption (3W versus 25W).\r\n\r\n\u201cPersonally, if I was going to do the ARC this year, I\u2019d get the Certus 100 terminal. It would do everything I need it to with email, Whatsapp, images at an economical running cost plan,\u201d Phipps concludes.\r\n\r\nWhen considering airtime, the Certus 200 has the same chipset unit as the larger and costlier 700, but the same airtime tariff as the 100. So unless you need the increased upload speeds of the 200, the 100 will have roughly the same download speed but at half the cost.\r\n\r\n
\r\n\r\n

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Our desire for almost constant communication and messaging, even when onboard, 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\u2019re thinking of going further afield, to cross an ocean you\u2019ll 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\u2019re 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. If you’re looking for a guide for what’s available on the market right now, don’t miss our guide to the best satellite phones for sailors. 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 \u2019Great Atlantic Gear Survey\u2019. 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… From former ARC surveys we know the majority regularly choose Iridium as it has a full, intelligible range of options and is the only brand with full global coverage. But it\u2019s not just about picking the satellite provider. Selecting which type of hardware suits your needs (handheld or fixed with separate antenna), what airtime package, whether you want a router and perhaps a dedicated marine service for setup, email compression, support, and weather forecasting, is all budget relevant and should be a factor in your decisions. The pace of satellite communication technology is slow, nevertheless these are still phones we\u2019re talking about here, so people always want the latest! A full 90% of our survey respondents, for example, only had their data comms equipment installed since 2019 and many were still debugging their systems come the Las Palmas start. Iridium\u2019s new Certus system has been in the pipeline for some years now and there were a few yachts which carried its higher-end 700 system last year. The more compact and economic 200 and 100 systems launched last …Continue reading »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":450,"featured_media":138827,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[139,977,972,159],"tags":[826,240,24,1633],"review_manufacturer":[],"acf":[],"introduction":null,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/138823"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/450"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=138823"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/138823\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":138850,"href":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/138823\/revisions\/138850"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/138827"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=138823"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=138823"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=138823"},{"taxonomy":"review_manufacturer","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/review_manufacturer?post=138823"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}