Stay Connected

Satellite phones have evolved a full ecosystem of gear and services

- JOHN KETTLEWELL

Now that many of us have learned the joys and perils of working from home (WFH) and the always-connected 24/7 life, you may have decided it is time to get away from it all and sail over the horizon. Sick and tired of receiving urgent text messages at midnight? Mad because there is no longer an excuse not to check in? Longing for the days when the phrase, “Sorry, I didn’t have a connection,” was a legitimate excuse? Thanks to the availability of satellite phones, being anchored in that fabled tropical lagoon in the middle of the Pacific is no longer an excuse for kicking back and relaxing.

Look on the bright side. Today’s satellite phones, devices, software, and accessories mean you can now reach mom on her birthday, like you are supposed to! Instead of blaming the midnight squall on the weather gods, you can now get the forecast in time to save the sail. And yes, you can check in with the boss, or make that important day trade, or ask for another weekend off, even when in some place where the only thing you can see is the horizon all around.

No doubt you’ve heard of Iridium, Globalstar, Inmarsat and some other satellite phone services. At first, most of these provided mainly voice communications. Then came options to download and upload text and data utilizing various cables, adaptors, and hardware. Now, we see a full ecosystem of wireless and wired devices, software, accessories, and apps that can make data, text, and the Web readily available throughout your vessel by utilizing the smartphones, tablets, and computers you already have and use.

Sacred texts