There is little doubt that satellite technology and all of the modern devices that have emerged from it has radically changed the way we approach heading offshore. While we used to sail offshore with a sextant for navigation and a HF radio—Ham or SSB—for communications, now we navigate with GPS and communicate with a satphone or a sat link like the ubiquitous IridiumGo. While we used to have to depend on our individual abilities, preparation and resourcefulness to keep the boat and crew running smoothly, now we are only a phone call away from an expert who can walk us through whatever troubles we may be having. And if the worst happens and we need a rescue, there are EPIRBs that will deliver help in hours. Before EPIRBs, cruising boats and crews did occasionally, albeit rarely, simply vanish while on passage. Self-sufficiency means something different in the satellite age; it means we need to understand and use the technology available so we can enhance our own proficiency. Satellites have made us a lot safer at sea and have made passagemaking more accessible to those new to sailing. Still, good seamanship also means we still need to be able to navigate without GPS and fix everything on the boat ourselves or be able to carry on sailing without it, since we never really know when the satellites might go dark.
