JD Ray
Senior Member
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2020
- Messages
- 188
- Location
- USA
- Vessel Name
- GOML
- Vessel Make
- 1978 Fiberform Bermuda 2400
My career is one that can be done effectively 100% remote, which is good for me in these times of massive unemployment and stay-at-home orders. The downside is that it requires me to be online the entire workday.
As I shop for boats that look like they'd work for us, I look for a good desk area that is separate from the main salon/saloon area. Since I'm often out of bed and working before my wife is up, I would like it to be outside the owner's cabin also, but having boat-wide WiFi would mean that I could carry my laptop from one point to another, leaving the larger, secondary monitor at a desk.
I understand the challenges of providing Internet on a boat, and know that there are systems, specifically network routers, that can combine several options for Internet service (marina wifi, cellular, satellite, etc.) into one or more boat-based networks (guest, owner, crew). I'm fully capable of installing and maintaining one of these systems.
But, much like knowing how to start and engine and steer a boat doesn't make you a passagemaking captain, there are some blind spots for me with respect to working from a boat, because I've never tried.
The more robust I can find a work situation on board, the sooner I could spend weeks at a time on a boat. So, naturally, I'm putting effort into figuring it out.
As I shop for boats that look like they'd work for us, I look for a good desk area that is separate from the main salon/saloon area. Since I'm often out of bed and working before my wife is up, I would like it to be outside the owner's cabin also, but having boat-wide WiFi would mean that I could carry my laptop from one point to another, leaving the larger, secondary monitor at a desk.
I understand the challenges of providing Internet on a boat, and know that there are systems, specifically network routers, that can combine several options for Internet service (marina wifi, cellular, satellite, etc.) into one or more boat-based networks (guest, owner, crew). I'm fully capable of installing and maintaining one of these systems.
But, much like knowing how to start and engine and steer a boat doesn't make you a passagemaking captain, there are some blind spots for me with respect to working from a boat, because I've never tried.
- Is it feasible to do computer-based work while standing watch on a passage, or do you need to be scanning the sea ahead every moment?
- Have you ever participated in a conference call (Zoom meeting, etc.) from the boat? Was background noise a concern?
- Just how bad is marina wifi? Can you rely on it for anything more complicated than browsing your favorite Internet forums?
The more robust I can find a work situation on board, the sooner I could spend weeks at a time on a boat. So, naturally, I'm putting effort into figuring it out.