Captain's Log

The proliferation of cell phones and the ever-expanding network of cell towers along the coasts have really changed the way we think about communications when we are on our boats. And, the ease of using e-mail on our boats has meant that we can really stay plugged into our shore lives even when we are miles from home and anchored in a secluded cove.

For some of us - mostly oldies - this ability to remain connected poses something of a dilemma since the whole point of cruising used to be to experience our boats, the sea and nature in a kind of raw state. The idea was to sail away from the highway traffic, the telephone, the television and all the business of life ashore. Out on our boats we are self-reliant and leading a simple life that puts us closer to nature. Free as the wind, we used to say.

But today, connectedness has become a vital part of our everyday existence whether we like it or not. We might have been away and out of touch for a few days but the world went on without us and left us with hours of follow-up calls and e-mails to delete or answer.

For the under-30 set, severing the connection even for only a few days is not an option since e-mail, phone texting, Facebook, MySpace, YouTube and constant cell phone chat is as much a part of their social lives and standing as their clothes, cars, jobs or schools. Being connected is like breathing - they just can't stop. The thing is, if we want our younger sailors to join us out there and perhaps to move on to buying cruising boats of their own, this connectedness has to come with us. And there are a lot of ways to make that happen.

Inexpensive cell phone booster antennas will increase the range of cell phone service by 30 miles or more. Broadband receivers for laptops can keep you abreast of the barrage of e-mail flowing your way. Blackberries can package phone, texting and e-mail into a pint-size package.

And for those sailing outside the cellular networks, sat phones (Iridium or Globalstar) will keep the information flowing. Or, an SSB radio, modem and laptop can keep you plugged into the e-mail stream through SailMail, Ocens, UUPlus or Winlink.

This new world of connectedness may seem compulsive and unnecessary to some. Do we really need or want to bring the busy world with us onto our boats? But, this ability to stay connected also means that we can have the best of both worlds. We can work while we cruise, we can stay close to our families although really far away, we can live dreams while also fulfilling responsibilities and we can watch the sunrise over a tropical lagoon while singing happy birthday to a grandchild a hemisphere away. Magic.

Cutting the mooring lines and severing day-to-day communications with folks at home used to be a barrier for many who dreamed of sailing far and wide. No longer. If we can stay connected, then no matter where we are or what we are doing we can still be very much a part of the web of life at home.

Fair winds,