Starlink or Not......that is the question!!!

[Don L]

[*] Knock on the side of the hull of another boat at anchor

This is the one that having SL may effect. But it doesn't matter if YOU have it as it is a boat pack thing.

I feel you should just get the SL. All the things you worry about far as SL is either in, or not in, your control. You can look at it as a tool and it is normally better to have a tool that you use once in a while than to not have it.

 

[twistedtree]

I agree that “retired” is a loaded word. I work every day, 7 days a week. The only difference is that I pick what I do, do it when I want, and stop if I want.

And I totally agree with the need for mental stimulation of one sort or another. Exploring is one form, but I get a lot from researching and learning about new things, and that all comes via the internet. Full time internet has significantly enhanced my cruising experience, enough so that in the past I bellied up and said the crazy legacy sat internet rates. SL has significantly improved both the cost and quality of service, so I’m all in with it.

But the decision ultimately comes down to your own values, how you want to spend your time, and whether the internet adds value for you.

 

[cafesport]

I just put Starlink on board our boat two weeks ago. Haven’t really used it yet but my first impression is that is is indeed a game changer, but not for weather. I will keep my Sirius weather subscription.

Nothing better than being able to overlay real-time weather observations on nav screens. Last months weather window was small and had a strong fast moving front in the middle of it. High cloud tops with an abundance of hail, lightning and strong line squalls. Having the ability to overlay this data on our route in real time and to plot squall vectors with radars made our transit safe and comfortable.

 

[mvweebles]

I just put Starlink on board our boat two weeks ago. Haven’t really used it yet but my first impression is that is is indeed a game changer, but not for weather. I will keep my Sirius weather subscription.

Nothing better than being able to overlay real-time weather observations on nav screens. Last months weather window was small and had a strong fast moving front in the middle of it. High cloud tops with an abundance of hail, lightning and strong line squalls. Having the ability to overlay this data on our route in real time and to plot squall vectors with radars made our transit safe and comfortable.

Have you tried PredictWind? It's been a while, but I personally found the Sirus interface via MFD clunky. But I also do not care for radar overlay. Given weather is much more macro than radar, would think even less of a use case. But it could be I just never bonded with it.

Peter

 

[dannc]

Interesting list.

...
Things we no longer do due to Internet related technologies:

• Navigate with a map vs GPS (heck, navigate by ATON vs MFD)

The charter boats we use don't have MFDs. When we first went out, just day sailings, we would us the ATON. Now we go out with a tablet to track distances, time and sorta position, but for most of the navigation it is ATON time because the channels change frequently. Did use our phone and rental car navigation system to recently on vacation but I had looked at map before leaving so mostly knew where I was going. GPS was just to confirm.

• Ask for directions - when was the last time you heard "Where am I?" from a mentally sound person?

Not sure I ever asked for directions pre GPS, I always had a map with me, and still carry them in our vehicles. Even overseas, when renting cars, we have bought local maps. Having said that, recently in another country, we were using bus applications on our phones that messed us up because the map was heads up and not north up. Did not figure that out when first using it and we got on the correct bus by number but it was heading away from where we wanted to go. So we were asking "Where am I?" The bus eventually go us to our destination but we lost 30 minutes or so. Would not have happened if I had been using a paper map.

• Walk into a new restaurant without checking reviews.

Seldom check for reviews. We were in the NL recently and never checked a restaurant review, went to many new restaurants, and had some really good meals.

• Get lost, as in you really took a wrong turn and don't know where you are?

Yeah, happens from time to time, usually when using GPS. The GPS has taken me the wrong way, and long way, more than I have ever done with or without a map. Just messed me up a couple of times on vacation but that was walking not driving.

One trip in a rental overseas, the rental car company charged a fortune for a GPS in the car, but we had two atlases for the country. One was just released a month prior to the trip. We did not get SIM cards at the airport so we drove using the maps. Problem was the road signs were not quite accurate and we missed a turn so had to use the maps to get back "on course" which took maybe 30 minutes and we got to see some very pretty landscapes as a result.

• Use a barometer, a watch, a thermometer?

My watch has a watch, barometer, and a thermometer. Use the first two all of the time. The watch even has a compass I use from time to time. Actually, have a FitBit on the other wrist that also has a watch.

• Lose track of time

Never unfortunately as an adult but that his not new. Wish it would happen.

• Knock on the side of the hull of another boat at anchor

Have never done that either but even when we have been on boats for a week or more at a time, we were usually not around other boats.

• Share a newspaper with a seat mate on a plane or restaurant counter

I might have done that in a hotel "restaurant" many years ago but I did not travel that much so never really had that happen.

...
Peter

Guess it gets down to how does one use the technology. Just because technology is there, does not mean one has to use it. I certainly do not use all of the technology that is available by choice. Usually this is due security and privacy issues.

Later,
Dan

 

[heysteve]

I get the nostalgia for simpler times: paper charts, etc. A less complicated life is what we recall from our youth. But dang, it sure is handy for all the reasons listed above.

I probably watch too much YouTube as there's only so many times you can go outside and enjoy nature... especially in MX in the summer. I suppose living aboard makes a difference too as I doubt I'd spend much time on the internet if we were chartering.

And maybe it's just coincidence, but I'd swear there is less socializing ashore since it became ubiquitous in the cruising fleet. Two years ago, at Marina Puerto Escondido, there were always a handful of cruisers hanging around the outside tables. This year, crickets.

 

[Don L]

The only thing I ever miss about "the old days" is being younger

So OP, what you going to do???

 

[FWT]

Things we no longer do due to Internet related technologies:
Navigate with a map vs GPS (heck, navigate by ATON vs MFD)
Ask for directions - when was the last time you heard "Where am I?" from a mentally sound person?
Walk into a new restaurant without checking reviews.
Get lost, as in you really took a wrong turn and don't know where you are?
Use a barometer, a watch, a thermometer?
Lose track of time
Knock on the side of the hull of another boat at anchor
Share a newspaper with a seat mate on a plane or restaurant counter


Did 3 of the 8 within the last 10 days

Navigation by chart
I wear a watch and check thermometer daily.
And my car dash GPS got me well and truly lost in NYC area 10 days ago. I didn’t ask for directions because stopping in the hood was a NFW situation. Otherwise that would be 4.

 

[mvweebles]

The only thing I ever miss about "the old days" is being younger

So OP, what you going to do???

I already have starlink installed and running and at around $70/mo in Mexico, its cheap. But I also have iridumGO.

I'll see how it goes with Starlink I suppose. I really need to relearn how to read books. I have a short attention span - 1500 words seems about right these days.

Peter

 

[Don L]

I already have starlink installed and running and at around $70/mo in Mexico, its cheap. But I also have iridumGO.

I'll see how it goes with Starlink I suppose. I really need to relearn how to read books. I have a short attention span - 1500 words seems about right these days.

Peter

Books You mean the PAPER ones

You will need your SL to shop and download kindle books

There is settled now as a NEED!

 

[wkearney99]

Have you tried PredictWind? It's been a while, but I personally found the Sirus interface via MFD clunky. But I also do not care for radar overlay. Given weather is much more macro than radar, would think even less of a use case. But it could be I just never bonded with it.

I share your opinion on the ways the SiriusXM weather products have been integrated. They 'made it work' but seem to have put zero effort into making it something you want to use on a regular basis. The bad UI combined with being overpriced have made it something I no longer bother to purchase/use.

For quick wind forecasts I've found the PocketGRIB app to be useful.

 

[Simi 60]

Books You mean the PAPER ones

You will need your SL to shop and download kindle books

There is settled now as a NEED!

When I was building a large catamaran I got rid of all our books because of weight
Now I've got a big trawler, weight is not an issue, but no bloody books.

Yes, we do have hundreds on tablet but not the same

 

[Mako]

We have had Starlink for 15 months now. We wouldn't be without . . . . some fast internet service . . . . . but not sure it will be Starlink in the future if their policies and pricing keep changing at random and for the worse.

Looking forward to some competition that will hold prices down and service up.

Amazon is growing their Kuiper system but give it a few more years before it becomes a viable alternative.

 

[SteveK]

Space is endless, but there is only so much room in low orbit. I see colaboration of resources instead of attempts to compete.

 

[eheffa]

I have SL now for the last 3 months on the boat. During the passages I have the SL off, no need to be on the internet while underway, but.......as soon as we get into an anchorage we switch it on to get the latest weather, to read the messages etc.

Be aware however that, when the wind shifts, the SL will lose connectivity, will take a while before you have a signal again. If you work with a land line you won't have that problem of course.
And when we are in the anchorage ?
SL is on, but we only use it when we need it. Just busy with other things (sanding, painting, cleaning etc), but it is comforting to know you can connect when you need to.

If you mount the Dishy flat, you won't lose the signal when you swing at anchor.

It's pretty easy to disable the motors and the flat position does not degrade the speed or signal in any way.

-e

 

[rpackard]

Peter,

You already know that cruising with full internet connection is a VERY different experience than being off the web. The "just like at home" feeling is not what you want. But I fear you would have to go to the Betty Ford clinic to detox from the web.

I used iridium-go for weather in Mexico and bought the cheapest plan: about $75/ mo. Expensive for those few minutes to get "predict wind" but I wanted the piece of mind. When we were in the occasional port with internet I got my fix but wish it had not been available. It is completely addicting.

Good luck my friend.

 

[Ross Macdonald]

starlink

Peter...Great question but you might be overthinking this. We installed SL before leaving for Mexico last December. We pulled the sat dish from the KVH M7 dome and I was able to fit the dishy in the dome and anchor it down. Ran cabling into pilothouse and anchored the router down. Also connected the router to an off/on power strip so whenever we shut genset down for the night or for any other reason there is no power draw on the house bank/inverter system. We have really enjoyed being at anchorage in TB or Santa Maria or Mag Bay and were able to stream a movie. During the day as you know, there are numerous boat things to check, clean, take care of. But for us, dinner and a movie have been nice. It worked better in marinas than their wifi. We returned in June and are now sitting in Cat Harbor on Catalina and it still works well. So don't sweat the small stuff. Use it when you want to and shut it off when you don't. Simple enough.

 

[AnnapolisJoy]

Starlink or IridiumGO? No contest!

My other half and I were discussing our upcoming escape on Weebles (Baja Ha Ha around Halloween). While she is infinitely more charming, I am more social, thus my 6k posts on TF.

Topic over dinner last night was Starlink. Back of my mind is that it will be a distraction to cruising. My one 'need' is weather, everything else is optional; and I worry it will be a distraction. After I spent a few years delivering boats in the late 90's/early 2000s, I re-entered Corporate America. "On the Radar," a common corporate-speak expression, carried a special meaning for me.

I remember delivering a Nordhavn 57 from Dana Point to Ft Lauderdale. Boat had Sat Phone so basic comms; but also Direct TV that stopped working at the Mexican Border. The owner's brother was aboard and was a TV nut. We'd been underway about 3-weeks and rounded Cuba's west end towards The Keys when I came up from off-watch and the TV was on blaring CNN or something. Quite the culture shock to have the outside world pierce our fiberglass cacoon via Satellite TV. Nothing says 'you've arrived' like TV commercials for Depends undergarments.

Long intro to say I am thinking of just using IridiumGO for weather and leaving the Internet behind. When we're stopped somewhere for a while, fire-up the SL Subscription (maybe).

QUESTION - for those who have had Starlink for a while and are out cruising, has it changed your experience? One of the things I like about our old 36-foot traditional trawler is it's simplicity and austerity. Seems incongruent with with 24/7 communications via Starlink.

How have others adapted?

Thanks in advance -

Peter

We had IridiumGo! for two years. Dog slow and a pain to get good data. If you want good data get a Sirius receiver and link it to your chartplotter. If you want really great weather then Starlink is the best. Predict Wind and other forecaster aps are a breeze to operate and the subscription is much less that Iridium plus Predict Wind.

The IridiumGO! Is sitting in a box with my old WAVE receiver. Also, the Starlink saved our marriage while in Halifax for 6 weeks for repairs after a lightening strike took out all radios (5), chartplotters (3) and other gear. We were just north of the DirecTV coverage. Starlink and AppleTVs saved the day. Not to mention that we were able to make phone calls via WI-FI calling and email communication was not dependent on crappy Wi-Fi at a marina.

$150/mo is a bargain for everything we get.

 

[JAllen]

Which service should one sign up for? We are looking at the Roam. The others have really high equipment costs.

 

[Ross Macdonald]

We signed up for the RV version and it is now called Roam. When we purchased the equipment the cost was $600 US for the dishy, all cabling and the router. The Roam service has been $150 US per month. As Peter mentioned it is cheaper if purchased in Mexico.

 

[AnnapolisJoy]

Roam is good. No issues up to 20 miles off shore.

 

[Simi 60]

Roam is good. No issues up to 20 miles off shore.

And a simple flick of the "mobile priority" switch for $$/GB when you've crossed the line and lost service

 

[MVDarlin]

I've been using Starlink on the Sea of Cortez for three months. Its great!

 

[cafesport]

Peter, I tried predict the wind years ago but found it lacking in many ways compared to what’s readily available for free. Furthermore their black box approach to predictive modeling seems to not be reliable. I look forward to what AI may bring in the future but all I can say now is that routes it derived for dauntless’s first voyage were quickly abandoned. Sirius worked best while he was in range. Once out of range the local weather charts meteorological discussions and available real time ship observations were used. Starlink does appear to be a good replacement for ssb. It also seems that unless you have a furuno network you may not be able gain full advantage of what Sirius can deliver. Clearly there are many more options available today than ever, it seems that the old comfort zone continues to expand with each rocket launch. Whatever you decide is necessary today will seem inadequate in the future.

 

[woodlord]

Woodlord in North Pacific 43 pilot house

[Leaving Tacoma Washington on or around August 1st headed for Ensenada Mx Where I will mooring it until the end of hurricane season October 15 to October 31 then leaving and heading to our home in Puerto Vallarta thinking of the Bahahaha looking forward to meeting up with other boaters on the Journey
We’re tired of traveling back and forth to use our boat so it’s time to have it near our home so we can use it all the time
Maybe we can get together for a Margarita happy boating and I hope you have a great journey
Woodlord

QUOTE=mvweebles;1181052]My other half and I were discussing our upcoming escape on Weebles (Baja Ha Ha around Halloween). While she is infinitely more charming, I am more social, thus my 6k posts on TF.

Topic over dinner last night was Starlink. Back of my mind is that it will be a distraction to cruising. My one 'need' is weather, everything else is optional; and I worry it will be a distraction. After I spent a few years delivering boats in the late 90's/early 2000s, I re-entered Corporate America. "On the Radar," a common corporate-speak expression, carried a special meaning for me.

I remember delivering a Nordhavn 57 from Dana Point to Ft Lauderdale. Boat had Sat Phone so basic comms; but also Direct TV that stopped working at the Mexican Border. The owner's brother was aboard and was a TV nut. We'd been underway about 3-weeks and rounded Cuba's west end towards The Keys when I came up from off-watch and the TV was on blaring CNN or something. Quite the culture shock to have the outside world pierce our fiberglass cacoon via Satellite TV. Nothing says 'you've arrived' like TV commercials for Depends undergarments.

Long intro to say I am thinking of just using IridiumGO for weather and leaving the Internet behind. When we're stopped somewhere for a while, fire-up the SL Subscription (maybe).

QUESTION - for those who have had Starlink for a while and are out cruising, has it changed your experience? One of the things I like about our old 36-foot traditional trawler is it's simplicity and austerity. Seems incongruent with with 24/7 communications via Starlink.

How have others adapted?

Thanks in advance -

Peter[/QUOTE]