Good Afternoon All,
I am sitting here in Holyhead and I am going through the weather charts and pilots for the next stage of the trip and I realised how I hadn’t really mentioned anything in my blogs about the WIFI On Board!
I must admit when the package arrived from WIFI On Board I did wonder if the antenna would need placing at the top of the mast for which I would have to don the bosun’s chair and climb the mast? I was assured that it only needed to be on the push pit just like the GPS antenna as it only needs a couple of metres above the water-line.
So I set about installing the unit which I must say was very easy and I was up and running in under an hour and that includes time spent running the cable into the boat and sorting out the power connection.
As I have now done the west coast of Wales and I know from previous trips the mobile service is very patchy so you can’t rely on it but the Wifi Onboard kit was working without fault and I have been able to use the computer the whole way to keep the correspondence up with my team also my blogs, and speaking to the girlfriend as I’m sure we all know we have to keep the loved ones happy at home. On this trip I am entering harbours and marinas that I have never been into before and although the almanac gives you everything you need to know I am able to look at the pictures people have taken and uploaded onto the Internet which make life so much easier and safer for entering unfamiliar harbours.
Most importantly I have been able to have immediately updated weather charts on the screen and with the variable weather we are having this has been invaluable as I have been able to see when and where the wind is going to hit me and I can take actions early. This is something that only the very top racing boats usually have access to on their passages but with the Wifionboard kit it is possible to have this on any boat be it small or large.
Next week I will be making my way to the Northern Boat Show in Albert Dock, Liverpool and will be meeting up with the people from Wifionboard who have kindly invited me onto their stand to talk to people about my trip and continue collecting for Britain to Starboard. Please do come along stand SD13 from 3rd-5th June and have a chat about my trip and also quiz me on how the Wifionboard kit is helping me as I sail around Britain.
I look forward to meeting many of you at the boat show but if you do have any questions I can help please don’t hesitate in contacting me on Facebook, Twitter under Britain to Starboard or you can email me on britaintostarboard@gmail.com
Happy Sailing
Alex