Teleworking on board is of course not suitable for all jobs. Working on board is possible when you can work autonomously, alone, without the need to exchange phone calls or use the Internet too often. Don't consider such a change of life if you need to maintain physical contact with your employees, or if you spend your day on the phone with your customers.

Whatever tools you have on board, you will have to face moments of disconnection. If only because you have to take care of the navigation!

When possible, the ideal is to organize your work according to your sailing schedule: keep the work that you can do offline for the periods at sea, and take advantage of the time on land to do your research on the web, send your work, exchange by email or video conference. Be forward-looking when you announce a due date: always remember that your sailing schedule may change, depending on the weather and what may happen on the boat.

Think also that without the Internet, our whole way of working is disrupted. Just to share a document from one device to another, you have to use Bluetooth or a wired connection. Generally speaking, everything takes a little longer.

When sailing in coastal areas, the mobile network is easily accessible. With this in mind, a smartphone with a SIM card with data, whether it is a prepaid card or a subscription plan, will allow you to get Internet on a regular basis.

An on-board 4G antenna will allow you to better receive the signal, and you will be able to connect all your on-board devices through connection sharing from your smartphone.

The coverage of the different mobile networks and the price of data vary around the world. Depending on the amount of data included in your package, it may not be possible to stay connected all the time and you will have to organize yourself. Depending on your sailing area and the anchorages you plan to use, a relay antenna or a WiFi repeater on your sailboat may also be a good option to receive the networks available on land.

If you can't wait to make landfall or get close to shore, you'll need more expensive tools.

On the high seas, the mobile network is non-existent. You will then have to equip yourself with a satellite phone to get a connection. There are several solutions, such as Thuraya, Inmarsat, Iridium or Globalstar, which are to be studied on a case-by-case basis, depending on the navigation area envisaged, your needs and your budget.

Like traditional phones, satellite phones work with prepaid cards or with a subscription. They connect with your equipment by wire, WiFi or Bluetooth to bring you a connection. The speed varies depending on the model and again, the price depends on the data used. We are still not talking about an unlimited connection!

The use of satellite technologies is still expensive and does not allow to avoid shadow zones. Your choice will depend on your use and the volume of data needed. Take into account the frequency of emails to be exchanged, the weight of the files to be sent or received, the possible video conferences to be realizedâ?¦

Unlimited broadband Internet with a stable connection for work is just beginning to be considered. If today Starlink offers solutions that are still relatively unaffordable, this suggests new possibilities in the years to come.

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