staying connected
 

how hard is it to find wifi hot spots while cruising the southern u.s. coasts,especially the icw,does one need to rent a temporary slip.thanks

I cruise with wifi opportunities from Maine to Florida seasonally and find occasional spots. Certainly, when renting a slip there is often wifi available, but I can usually take my laptop ashore from an anchorage and connect at a cafe or library. Sometimes I pick up an unsecured router nearby my anchored spot, but those are uncommon. Some town docks like Portsmouth,Va, Elizabeth City,NC & Jacksonville,Fl. had wireless "hotspots" a few years ago, but they seem to have not been supported or maintained and are no longer working. Take care and joy, Aythya crew

thanks capt,thanks kindof what i suspected,i almost always sail single handed [not fit for human company i suppose] damm,i sometimes miss human interaction

It really helps to have an external Wifi antenna to extend your range. Also, you do find wifi hotspots that charge on a per-use (or weekly or monthly) basis

I like an aircard better
 

Yes, there is a small fee, but it works anywhere there is cell phone coverage, including many non-harbor areas where there is no wi-fi. No fussing around.

Sail Delmarva: Wi-fi versus 4G

pdqa,thanks,plz tell me more about this aircard,i'm basicly a cave man when it comes to computors plz keep in mind i'm a slOOOw learner

edit: the link pdq has i for the Aircard from Sprint.

the major carriers have a phones that will become a HOT spot, allowing you to hook up 5 to 8 wifi connections, there is also the stand alone USB device that will allow you to connect to the internet.

the Phone that becomes a HOT Spot after upgrade, or 2 year contract for new customers, will add about 10$ a month to your bill.

The Aircard ( USB device) will depend on who you get it from or about 40 to 60 Dollard a month with a limit on data usage.