I think this is the best way to stay in touch while cruising in remote areas... get yourself an Iridium satellite phone. Prices are falling on these and the last lowest price I saw was $1150. Then buy 500 minutes (usually costs $1/minute)...then install apps called Ocens Mail and Ocens Weather ($59) ... Now you have satellite voice, eMail and weather forecasting capability. This is 100% reliable (unlike those old-fashioned SSB based eMail programs). When receiving and sending eMail just connect the phone to the satellite for a minute and the outgoing mail blasts out and incoming mail zooms in.... so you only use a minute of satellite time. You also have the ability to make satellite phone calls which comes in very handy in emergencies. And you can get weather forecasts worldwide...
I lived on a catamaran recently for 6 months and this is an awesome way to stay connected to your business, family, friends yet still cruise to the best areas... I know cruisers now running businesses using this strategy and as costs come down it becomes more practical to leave the crowded, polluted, noisy, tax-overwhelmed, overly complex, crime-filled world. Vote with your feet and get out!
