For a bit more money, some newer technologies offer reasonable global voice and data service. For several thousand dollars, your boat can be equipped with satellite telephone service that allows you to select various service plans, or merely pay a per-minute charge. Technology is no longer a barrier to communications; cost of equipment and service is now the only legitimate obstacle to reliable global communication. And for a bit less money (free), you can connect with others over your existing internet connection using instant messaging, including text, void, and video calling.
Radio Communications—VHF and SSB
For any liveaboard taking a boat out for a cruise, radio communication equipment is a requirement, not a mere amenity. With economical radios available, all boaters can now radio for help.
There are two kinds of radios: very high frequency (VHF) and single-side-band (SSB). VHF radios are economical, easily installed, and reliable over short distances. SSB radios tend to be quite expensive, require complex installations, and, in return, offer communication over far greater distances—often several thousand miles.
Many boaters, including myself, advocate that anyone who heads into coastal waters should have not one but two VHF radios aboard in case the boat loses power or a radio fails for one reason or another. One radio should be a handheld, or be otherwise capable of operating independently of the boat’s electronic systems.
For VHF radios, range is a function of antenna height (primarily) and power (secondarily), since VHF communication range is line of sight, and typical fixed radios can communicate over 5–25 miles. Antennas are placed at the boat’s highest point (sailboaters tend to put their fixed VHF antenna at the top of the mast) in order to achieve maximum communication. VHF radios often include a variety of extras, such as global positioning system (GPS) locators, emergency beacons, weather reports, and loudspeaker systems. Many VHF radios can monitor multiple frequencies simultaneously and provide a remote microphone/speaker so that one unit placed securely down below can also be operated from a remote unit located at the helm or different part of the boat.
Handheld radios are good not only as a backup, but also for local communications or communications when not near the fixed radio (such as from the local restaurant near the marina). Some VHF radios can be connected to an external antenna so that, even with a lower power transmission, the radio can achieve better distances.
Spend the extra money (it’s not too much) to buy a radio that is waterproof and capable of taking a beating. This is such a critical piece of safety equipment that its failure could turn a dangerous situation into a life-threatening one.
For cruisers going offshore, a SSB radio is important, for it offers reliable long-distance communication. The radios can be expensive and installation may be extremely expensive. The advantage is that once it is installed, there are no additional fees—and communication capabilities are greatly enhanced. In addition, SSB radios can permit e-mail/data transfer as well as receive weather faxes.
Internet Access and E-mail
The ability to send and receive e-mail is no longer considered an amenity by many; it has matured into a full-fledged requirement even for those who wish to otherwise escape civilization. There are many different alternatives available at dock, with fewer in open water, although many of these options are quite reliable and, even in distant waters, are now quite economical.
The Internet was historically delivered over telephone lines with a telephone call to an Internet service provider. The use of this landline telephone system requires a computer with a modem and a working telephone line, as well as an account with a service provider. Any working telephone line will do, since the service is provided by the telephone number that is called. Traditional (slow speed) accounts tend to cost less than $20 per month.
Higher speed wired connections are often available through telephone lines (called DSL connections) or the coaxial cable that provides your boat (and houses) with cable TV (called broadband). These systems require a computer with either a DSL or cable modem and require that your marina provide you with the proper connection (telephone or cable). Your local telephone or cable provider will need to offer the specific service you are requesting, as neither DSL nor broadband is available in all locations that provide telephone or cable TV service. Monthly fees can range, but in some areas can exceed $50 per month, not including rental or purchase costs for the modem—often provided by your service provider. The advantage to these systems is their extremely high speed, and the fact that they are on steadily when connected. The primary disadvantage for liveaboards who cruise is the slightly higher expense and the lack of service once the wires are unplugged or when the subscriber is away from home port.
Some exciting wireless options are currently offered through many cell phones; these options work throughout areas in which the cell phone has adequate reception (typically requiring digital/data service). Many cell phones allow e-mail to be received and transmitted via the phone, often as part of the cell phone service plan or as an add-on—often quite economically. Many phones and plans these days permit Internet access as well—right on the cell phone screen. In addition, many cell phones can work as a modem, and for the purchase of an inexpensive cord to connect the phone to the computer, can provide a liveaboard with full Internet access on any computer.
The primary drawback to using a cell phone or cell phone card is that it tends to transmit data at slow speeds (much slower than traditional telephone line service) and data service can be erratic or nonexistent off shore and in other areas. Cell phones do tend to be very economical solutions, providing that there is adequate coverage.
Some marinas are beginning to implement wireless networks for their tenants. The marina creates what is called a wireless hotspot, and boaters are provided with the information necessary to connect to the marina’s high-speed wireless system. This is still an emerging technology, but increasing numbers of marinas are now doing this. Some marinas are providing this service for no additional charge, while others are offering subscriptions to their boaters. This is appealing to marinas, for high-speed Internet is a valuable service that can be offered with no additional lines to install or maintain.
Interestingly, entire towns are now considering providing wireless Internet to all their residents, in some cases for no charge. This trend shows signs of continuing.
Other options are available for e-mail access offshore, and Internet access is now becoming available even in more remote conditions. For a fee similar to many dial-up services, e-mail services may be performed over SSB radio. Satellite services generally also provide e-mail services, with costs either on a subscription basis, amount of data basis, or combination of the two. Costs for any of these services have become quite economical.
Conveniences
It’s the conveniences and toys that make a house into a home. Or is it love? I forget.
Refrigeration
It’s refrigeration that allows beer to taste better, and butter and milk to keep. Those who like to barbeque need a place to store meat and vegetables—and while we all know the value of refrigeration, it is the moment our iceboxes are no longer cold when we really appreciate how wonderful refrigeration was.
The easy cure for refrigeration is to not buy things that need to be refrigerated, and learn to like your drinks at boat temperature. I’ve been asked to recommend the drink called BT Rum Tango, or Boat Temperature Rum and Tang.[1] Mmmmmmm. And learning to enjoy a cup of coffee with no cream will help, as well.
For the rest of us (who like to buy things that need refrigeration or drink our drinks colder than boat temperature) there is a wide range of options for refrigeration. Many coastal/day cruisers use an icebox, or an insulated box that they put ice in to cool the space, with a drain in the bottom running to a through-hull. Depending on the outside temperature and insulation, some of the better iceboxes can maintain wonderfully cold temperatures for more than a few days without adding any additional ice. Others have been known t
o tie beverages to ropes and hang them overboard in the water. This is a perfectly reasonable option, even for many liveaboards, requiring no modifications to the boat, no electrical draw, and no cost—except, of course, for ice.
Liveaboards, particularly on smaller boats or those with budget constraints, may use a countertop electric cooler or an insulated, portable container that uses 12 volts and acts as a portable refrigerator. Some of these can keep goods frozen, and some can even make ice, albeit in small quantities. Many of these units are very satisfactory options, not always fairly considered by liveaboards who are thinking of adding refrigeration to a boat. Another thing that makes these units appealing is their versatility—they will work wherever there is 12-volt current, such as in a vehicle, so a day trip off the boat can be accompanied by refrigerated food and beverages. The advantage is that there are no installation costs and the units are highly portable. The disadvantage is that the coolers drain more than five amps, have a moderately high initial cost, do not have much capacity, and take up boat space.
Stand-alone refrigerators are another option. There are models that work either on 12 volts (designed for boats) or 110 volts (some boat units will work on either voltage). Depending on the available space in the boat, as well as the needs of the liveaboard, units can be small or large. While 12-volt units can be expensive, 110-volt units can be extremely economical and offer quite a bit more internal space than a cooler. The disadvantage to 110-volt units is the large amount of space they occupy. For liveaboards who stay in their slips and have access to shore power, the 110-volt unit can be a highly economical solution, for it can be purchased at any home appliance store and often costs less than a quarter of the next nearest option. Care must be taken when preparing the unit for cruising, since this can be quite a mess if it were to fall over at sea (I know this firsthand). Also, 110-volt units do not work away from shore power without an inverter or generator, and either system will have a significant electrical draw.
There are two other options, both requiring conversion of an existing icebox. One is the incorporation of an evaporator, and the other is a holding plate system. An evaporator system, which can be expensive, requires a compressor (which takes up space outside of the icebox, often in a locker) and cools air moving past the evaporator. These units can have a significant electrical draw of more than 5–6 amps when on; they will cycle on regularly throughout the day.
A holding plate system can be extremely expensive but has much more modest electrical needs. The system works by freezing—often very quickly—a container of fluid, which then remains frozen for many hours.
Once again, match the system with your needs. If your cruises are for only a day or two at a time, a holding plate system is entirely unnecessary. If you can spare the space, a stand-alone refrigerator or 240/120/12V cooler can be ideal because of the cost and storage capability, particularly if you stay at dock or take only short-term excursions, particularly if the boat has an icebox to store ice during trips.
Power Use and Creation
For those liveaboards who never plan on leaving the dock, I congratulate you for being able to avoid one of the biggest pain-in-the-butt problems for liveaboards, which is how to ensure that there is enough power contained aboard a boat to perform the most basic of life’s requirements, such as starting an engine; operating safety/navigational lights, VHF radios, and GPS; and, of course, running the stereo. Most of us, however, exist to leave the dock.
Liveaboard cruisers need to be conscious of their power capabilities at all times, so that they know the condition of the boat and can easily identify a problem before it is too late. There are so many most important things when talking about electrical power. There typically should be two separate battery banks, one reserved for essential functions such as starting the engine and running the bilge pump, and the other for the house. There should be a volt meter and ammeter showing available volts and amperage draw, and capable of showing or switching between the two battery banks, so that you always know the state of your batteries. And you must either be able to generate more power (if this is by running the engine, you must have the fuel to do this) or conserve power by understanding the available power and related amperage draw. Particularly for those of you who spend greater lengths of time away, seriously consider a system offering not only an idea of amperage draw, but also providing some idea of the number of amp hours remaining, so you don’t wake up to find yourself without power because you ran your refrigeration and air conditioning all night long or forgot to switch your battery selector to just the house bank.
This is the game often dubbed “doing the amp dance.” Whether you are at dock or away, you can draw only a limited number of amps. Boat slips often come with either 30-amp or 50-amp service. If you go over, the circuit breaker cuts off, a terrible inconvenience—particularly in cold or rainy weather. And it’s not difficult to go over 30 or 50 amps, particularly when you are running an electric space heater or two, each drawing 10 amps, a refrigerator drawing 6 amps, an electric toilet flush drawing 18 amps, lights drawing 3 amps, a fresh-water pump drawing a few, a bilge pump drawing a few, a TV drawing a few, a DVD player drawing a few, and on and on. Of course, there are also circuit breakers inside a boat, and they will break when their rated amperage is exceeded. You can be fine one minute and then have a system cycle on and suddenly find yourself in darkness—and worse, without visual or audio entertainment.
There are few systems aboard that do not use electricity, so it is important to know not only how many amps each unit requires, but also how many amps the entire boat’s systems are drawing. Systems such as the fresh-water pump, bilge pump, stereo, lights, refrigeration, alarms/detectors, and electronic equipment (such as GPS and VHF) all draw juice and will steadily drain your batteries.
Battery Chargers and Alternators
There are two common ways of charging batteries: You can use a battery charger connected to shore power, or you can run the engine, which runs the alternator, which charges the battery. Chargers and alternators are rated for various outputs, and it makes sense to know that rating so you know how long it takes your batteries to fully charge. If you can identify when the amperage output drops, you can spot a problem. (Note that to avoid damage, the regulator will cut the power as the batteries approach a full charge. This will cause electrical output to drop naturally.)
Speaking of batteries, there are three types: wet cell, absorbed glass mat (AGM), and gel. The problem with wet-cell batteries is that they require weekly maintenance (adding water that is boiled off by your battery charger). Be committed to your battery maintenance schedule before you make this choice. The disadvantage to gel batteries is that they are not compatible with many charging systems. Check twice (both your alternator and your battery charger) before you make this choice. AGM batteries are expensive. Other than that, they are compatible with all charging systems and are completely maintenance free, which makes them the best choice if you can afford them.
There are other, “natural” ways to charge your batteries. It is not uncommon to see boats with wind generators and solar panels. For dockbound boats, these systems are generally unnecessary. They are better designed for boaters with little access to shore power, boaters who can’t afford to use precious fuel to charge batteries, and boaters without power generators. (These natural battery-charging methods might be preferred by those boaters who want little connection with land, or by those who wish for a more natural approach.) It is also possible to drag a propeller behind the boat when under way to generate energy.
As additional boating systems, these methods require maintenance and care, not to mention storage space on deck and below deck when not deployed. The best advice is to invest in them as a valuable tool and not merely for the novelty.
Generators/Solar Panels/Wind Generators
Aside from running the engine when away from dock, or using a charger while dockbound, there are three common ways in which energy can be created: generators, solar
panels, and wind generators.
Generators, which can produce a wide range of outputs, are suited to heavy electrical demand, typically providing enough electricity to run all the systems of a boat and charge the battery. They make noise and use fuel, but for many liveaboards and cruisers, they are the only way to go in order to permit life’s luxuries away from the slip. Generators take up a significant amount of space and often require a separate fuel tank and exhaust.
Solar panels and wind generators, the environmental methods for energy creation, need either sun or wind to work effectively. Many of these systems can create a reasonable amount of energy, capable of running all of a boat’s key systems. Many different options are available for each, some requiring a permanent installation, others allowing you to store them away until needed. You will need a regulator to ensure that the batteries are not overcharged as well. Pricing for these units varies widely.
Inverters
Inverters convert DC energy (from your batteries) into AC electricity (110 volts) to run your standard kitchen appliances and conveniences. Since they do draw energy from the batteries, often at a heavy rate, care should be taken to track the electrical draw and remaining power. Do your amp hour calculations before building a system that relies on power conversion. Many inverters also serve double (or triple) duty as battery chargers and monitors.
Inverters can range once again from economical to very expensive. Some require a significant amount of space to be permanently mounted and others fit into a drawer and plug into any 12-volt outlet, which is ideal for power tools, laptop computers, and the like.
The Essentials of Living Aboard a Boat Page 15
