A huge area of concern for me in Going Sailing is communications - how will we keep in touch with Jess, Claire / Chris, both families and friends from a sailboat and locations which will range from marinas, anchorages in populated areas and deserted islands in the Bahamas? If I can't keep in touch, I'm going to worry and fret, but the challenge is to keep in touch without it costing more than our monthly Spending Plan*. Hour long mobile calls from the Bahamas to the UK will add up to a significant amount very quickly!
Our Communications Plan focuses on an approach of being able to communicate from anywhere, but in the most cost efficient manner possible. So what does that look like? For us, it is location dependant.
The locations we expect to be in are:
Marinas - Seldom and not for long.
Anchorages in populated areas - Quite a bit
Anchorages in unpopulated areas - Also quite a bit
The technology we expect to use:
Cellular - Local (pay as you go) and international (scaled back calling plan for emergency use only and for when we're back in the UK)
Skype - Voice over IP or Internet phone. Free calls worldwide to other Skype users. When we have an Internet connection, we'll talk to our kids / family using Skype. That's where we get to have those long chatty 'phone calls'.
Blogger - Using text email (via Sailmail and a Pactor Modem), a text or text / picture from a mobile phone or a WiFi connection to post where we are, what we're doing and share photos. We'll also be 'dual blogging' with Eileen, Steve's mom - we post on ours what we're up to and she posts on hers what she and the rest of the family are up to
Google Earth - A map on our blog to show where we are and stops along the way
Animoto - A slideshow 'animator' for pictures turning static photo albums into lively 'shows' with music to match
Picasa - Free downloadable software from Google to manage, edit and store your photos online
Sailmail / Pactor Modem - Old style text only emails via our HF radio from anywhere
Locations and associated technology:
Marinas - Easy to access WiFi, but with an associated cost. Can also get off the boat and take advantage of WiFi access at local businesses. We can use any of the above technology from a marina.
Anchorage in a populated area - Depending upon our access to a signal (Steve is installing an antenna for me to boost this) it will either be all of the above technology or text email to the blog and family / friends via Sailmail.
Anchorage in an unpopulated area - No WiFi here so Sailmail will be our only option!
Hopefully this will provide the 'anytime / anywhere access' we are used to at a reasonable cost.
*Spending Plan - Budgets suck! They're boring and focus on what you can't have. Budgets are about deprivation and saying No. Spending Plans are a conscious decision about where to spend one's money. They are proactive, positive and all about saying Yes. I can get excited about a Spending Plan, a budget just makes me feel constrained.
