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| We share Santa’s (l)attitude this Christmas. We’ll let you decide what letter(s) come before “uck.” |
Today our Christmas day cruising activity is getting an Iridium Go! Satellite WiFi device activated while we’re still in US waters. Successful completion of this extra emergency and expensive communication contact system stands between us and leaving the U.S.A.
Do-as-I-say-not-as-I-do advice for cruisers….
Do not
- diddle around until your final, primary connectivity device (laptop in my case) requires a wipe and reload to return to health, taking with it your now-corrupted password hint files
- wait until right before Christmas week with no permanent address and primary WiFi originating from your phone hotspot and your marina WiFi service, especially if it’s on a military base
- choose the day before Christmas eve for your package to arrive (it won’t that day)
- choose Christmas day (as your package if you’re “lucky” might arrive a day late, on Christmas eve) to set it up.
- attempt to set it up on anchorage, far, far away from reliable high speed internet
Do
Wish me luck (and plan better than I did)!
Please stay tuned! I may pre-post some blogs before we leave this anchorage and before we have blog-worthy WiFi working. Once in Panama, expect loads of interesting catch-up and greater adventures ahead as we move into the South Pacific.
Meanwhile — May you enjoy Christmas or whatever winter holiday(s) you celebrate — certainly a splendid New Year!
Location Location
25 December 2014, USA anchored just outside Key West (N24.34.389 W81.48.080) Florida, USA. Next stop, Dry Tortugas, Florida — unless we stop at Boca Grande first if we’re unsure we’re able to anchor before darkness falls. Once we leave this Key West anchorage, no more US phone or WiFi service. In fact, quite likely there will be no WiFi until we arrive and set up in Panama, sometime in late January — or ever a little later. Our first Panama stop is is the remote San Blas islands; Kuna native territory. It’s quite possible there is no internet there. If so, it will be February before we access internet. Family will be provided with our satellite phone number once it’s working — today — hopefully. Yes — We are South Pacific bound. These last few steps, however, have been frustratingly slow.
Hey, sounds like more lessons learned? It seems like it's always a test on one's patience. You mention that you're headed to San Blas, cool. I've heard from my sailing buddies who've sailed all over the Gulf, that it's like stepping back in time by about 50 years, so you might not get wifi? The other thing they tell me is that I have to put the dinghy on the bow and get it off the transom because it would be dangerous back there, and that everyone seems to run out of wind about a day out from shore. Hope you catch lots of fish, breeze, and shooting stars. Looking forward to your next post. Kb
Yup! We are indeeded headed to theSan Blas though won;t have much time there before we're canal-bound. We expect no wifi unless possibly local phone cards work there. On the list to check.
The dinghy hoist… is that due to theft or weather?
We do plan to lash it down when we do our long Pacific crossings, not carry it on the davits.
Thanks for the well wishes, Keith.
When do you set sail?