Internet Access For Yachts (Part 2: Satcom And SSB)

Part 1 of this article covered two Internet access methods that apply to coastal boaters. This part will describe two methods designed for offshore cruisers: communication satellites and marine single-sideband (SSB) radio. Both require a ship station license.

As described in my June 2007 article, "Satellite Communication for Mariners," maritime satellite communication systems offer data rates of only 600-9600 bps. This is adequate for message traffic, but much too slow for other Internet applications.

However, KVH Industries has recently announced a new system called "TracPhone V7 and mini-VSAT Broadband" that can provide maritime users with impressive broadband capability. ^1. KVH claims data rates of up to 512 kbps for upload and up to 2 Mbps for download. This makes use of the Worldwide Web at sea a viable prospect. It allows e-mail, internet browsing, and almost everything you can do on your home computer. The V7 system uses geostationary satellites in the SES Americom constellation, which provide good coverage, although only in U.S., Canadian, and European waters. The design avoids the issues of interference and accurate antenna pointing requirements by using a coded signal (CDMA), which allows many users to transmit on the same frequency without mutual interference. The TracPhone V7 radome weighs only 60 pounds and is only 26 inches in diameter. The bad news is the price tag of $33,000.

The other extreme is marine SSB radio, which provides e-mail only – no browsing on websites. Sailmail is a nonprofit association that provides e-mail services for yachts via SSB. Membership costs $250 per year, which goes to support the 18 private coast stations that handle the e-mail traffic. There is no charge for individual messages, but they are limited to 5000 characters – about 1000 words, roughly three typed pages. You are requested not to use the system more than an average of 10 minutes per day, for both sending and receiving. This usually turns out to be about 15 to 20 messages – more than enough. A modem (modulator-demodulator) is placed between your computer and your SSB radio. You compose your message on the computer, connect to a shore station, send the message via the radio, and the shore station will then enter the e-mail into the land-based network for final delivery to the addressee.^2.

There are also options for receiving weather information via SSB. You can use the sailmail system itself to receive weather forecasts at no charge from the US National Weather Service. Several commercial services will e-mail weather forecasts for a fee. You can also use Sailmail to communicate with a meteorologist or commercial weather service that can advise you on reasonable departure dates and routes and can send you periodic routing advice during your passage. Finally, there are fax weather maps and text weather forecasts that are broadcast by the USCG and other HF radio stations around the world. Your SSB modem can be used in conjunction with your laptop to receive these broadcasts. Much more information on Sailmail is available at www.sailmail.com.

^1.Tim Queeny, “Broadband at Sea,” Ocean Navigator, Sept. 2007, p. 12
^2.Steve Dashew, “The Ultimate in Cruising Communication,” Cruising Central, www.SetSail.com