Internet access afloat
 

Greetings--

We're planning a trip to Alaska next spring via the standard inside passage route. Our boat is a Victory Tug 37. I'd like to have uninterrupted internet access along the way, aboard the boat. If this is possible, how do you go about it? Any advice or suggestions will be much appreciated. Sorry to be so computer-disadvantaged.

Thanks,

Dick Behan
LNVT "Annie"

R.W. Behan wrote:

We're planning a trip to Alaska next spring via the standard inside
passage route. Our boat is a Victory Tug 37. I'd like to have
uninterrupted internet access along the way, aboard the boat.

For all practical purposes it is still just wishful thinking. Cell phone
coverage is spotty at best and my luck with cell interfaces has been
stunningly slow connections that make a shoreside dialup look like a
DSL. Since I "upgraded" to a GSM phone I have lost even that service ...
digital data via cellphone is so expensive as to make satellite look
cheap. You could run up thousands of $$$$ in a few weeks just getting email.

Satellite access is your best bet but even that will be unavailable in
many areas due to high mountains on each side of your route.

Rick

In article ,
"R.W. Behan" wrote:

Greetings--

We're planning a trip to Alaska next spring via the standard inside passage
route. Our boat is a Victory Tug 37. I'd like to have uninterrupted
internet access along the way, aboard the boat. If this is possible, how do
you go about it? Any advice or suggestions will be much appreciated. Sorry
to be so computer-disadvantaged.

Thanks,

Dick Behan
LNVT "Annie"


There are a few WiFi hotspots in Southeastern Alaska. Mostly you have
to ask around at each Port of Call.

Bruce in alaska
--
add a 2 before @

I had very good luck with digital service on my cellphone. If I
recall correctly it ran at 115K baud and cost $9.95 per month
flat fee. I was able to surf the web quite comfortably along the
ICW. No service in the Bahamas, but I used Winlink for email
while there.

Doug
s/v Callista

"Rick" wrote in message
nk.net...
R.W. Behan wrote:

We're planning a trip to Alaska next spring via the standard inside
passage route. Our boat is a Victory Tug 37. I'd like to have
uninterrupted internet access along the way, aboard the boat.

For all practical purposes it is still just wishful thinking. Cell phone
coverage is spotty at best and my luck with cell interfaces has been
stunningly slow connections that make a shoreside dialup look like a DSL.
Since I "upgraded" to a GSM phone I have lost even that service ...
digital data via cellphone is so expensive as to make satellite look
cheap. You could run up thousands of $$$$ in a few weeks just getting
email.

Satellite access is your best bet but even that will be unavailable in
many areas due to high mountains on each side of your route.

Rick

On Thu, 18 Nov 2004 22:55:51 -0800, "R.W. Behan"
wrote:

Greetings--

We're planning a trip to Alaska next spring via the standard inside passage route. Our boat is a Victory Tug 37. I'd like to have uninterrupted internet access along the way, aboard the boat. If this is possible, how do you go about it? Any advice or suggestions will be much appreciated. Sorry to be so computer-disadvantaged.

Thanks,

Dick Behan
LNVT "Annie"

You might try

http://www.bbxpress.net/locations.asp

But I doubt if you will get uninterrupted access.


Sou;ldn't you be "getting away from it all" not taking it with you.

Jack

__________________________________________________
Jack Dale
Swiftsure Sailing Academy
Director/ISPA and CYA Instructor
http://www.swiftsuresailing.com
Phone: 1 (877) 470-SAIL (toll free)
__________________________________________________

My triband (Australian) GSM digital phone didn't work on a recent trip in
the Alaskan inside passage- neither did UK phones. I assumed that GSM wasn't
available there- ?CDMA.
Good trip- went on one of the small boats and stopped in a town each night.
Lots of whales (nearly as many as in Hervey Bay here in sub tropical
Queensland) and an infinitely greater number of glaciers!

My Iridium satellite phone is horribly slow and expensive- a few short
emails is all that it is reasonable to expect on such a trip.

Peter HK

"Doug Dotson" wrote in message
...
I had very good luck with digital service on my cellphone. If I
recall correctly it ran at 115K baud and cost $9.95 per month
flat fee. I was able to surf the web quite comfortably along the
ICW. No service in the Bahamas, but I used Winlink for email
while there.

Doug
s/v Callista

"Rick" wrote in message
nk.net...
R.W. Behan wrote:

We're planning a trip to Alaska next spring via the standard inside
passage route. Our boat is a Victory Tug 37. I'd like to have
uninterrupted internet access along the way, aboard the boat.

For all practical purposes it is still just wishful thinking. Cell phone
coverage is spotty at best and my luck with cell interfaces has been
stunningly slow connections that make a shoreside dialup look like a DSL.
Since I "upgraded" to a GSM phone I have lost even that service ...
digital data via cellphone is so expensive as to make satellite look
cheap. You could run up thousands of $$$$ in a few weeks just getting
email.

Satellite access is your best bet but even that will be unavailable in
many areas due to high mountains on each side of your route.

Rick

"Getting Away From It All" does not generally mean abandoning one's
family, friends, and various other obligations. Most folks that go cruising
do still have a life.

Doug
s/v Callista

"Jack Dale" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 18 Nov 2004 22:55:51 -0800, "R.W. Behan"
wrote:

Greetings--

We're planning a trip to Alaska next spring via the standard inside
passage route. Our boat is a Victory Tug 37. I'd like to have
uninterrupted internet access along the way, aboard the boat. If this is
possible, how do you go about it? Any advice or suggestions will be much
appreciated. Sorry to be so computer-disadvantaged.

Thanks,

Dick Behan
LNVT "Annie"

You might try

http://www.bbxpress.net/locations.asp

But I doubt if you will get uninterrupted access.


Sou;ldn't you be "getting away from it all" not taking it with you.

Jack

__________________________________________________
Jack Dale
Swiftsure Sailing Academy
Director/ISPA and CYA Instructor
http://www.swiftsuresailing.com
Phone: 1 (877) 470-SAIL (toll free)
__________________________________________________

On Fri, 19 Nov 2004 17:15:58 -0500, "Doug Dotson"
wrote:

I had very good luck with digital service on my cellphone. If I
recall correctly it ran at 115K baud and cost $9.95 per month
flat fee. I was able to surf the web quite comfortably along the
ICW. No service in the Bahamas, but I used Winlink for email
while there.

What cel provider?



Rodney Myrvaagnes NYC

Let's Put the XXX back in Xmas

Thanks very much, everyone, for your comments. Maybe a holiday from the Internet will be a welcome respite, after all. Cheers.


"R.W. Behan" wrote in message ...
Greetings--

We're planning a trip to Alaska next spring via the standard inside passage route. Our boat is a Victory Tug 37. I'd like to have uninterrupted internet access along the way, aboard the boat. If this is possible, how do you go about it? Any advice or suggestions will be much appreciated. Sorry to be so computer-disadvantaged.

Thanks,

Dick Behan
LNVT "Annie"

Sprint.

"Rodney Myrvaagnes" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 19 Nov 2004 17:15:58 -0500, "Doug Dotson"
wrote:

I had very good luck with digital service on my cellphone. If I
recall correctly it ran at 115K baud and cost $9.95 per month
flat fee. I was able to surf the web quite comfortably along the
ICW. No service in the Bahamas, but I used Winlink for email
while there.

What cel provider?



Rodney Myrvaagnes NYC

Let's Put the XXX back in Xmas