Chasing Wifi

The kids have learned a new phrase from us which they use all the time now.

It is: chasing wifi.

After more than two months of this cruising journey, we have realized how important it is for us to have reliable internet connectivity. 

Not wanting to eat up our data quota, good wifi has become as important as a functioning propane gas stove, a reliable dinghy and outboard and, dare I say, a working diesel engine.

For us, wifi allows us to be able to check emails, message family of our whereabouts and stay in touch with their news, keep up to date with Liverpool's recent matches, read the news, scroll Facebook, upload photos, download videos .... but probably most important, check the weather and wind forecast. 

As cruisers, our lives are ruled by weather. We don't care what day of the week it is but we do care if there are thunderstorms and 40 knot winds forecasted for tomorrow. 

We pretty much shape our day and week around the weather. We pick an anchorage based on the direction of the wind so we get the most protection. 

We decide when to leave a dock/anchorage/mooring ball based on the wind forecast, if it is a going to be a good point of sail to our next intended destination. 

We know how much sail to set and when to reef if we know the weather coming up, to allow us a comfortable journey and if a Stugeron is necessary beforehand.

We like to be able to research anchorages and marinas that are ahead of us. There is an app called Active Captain that has reviews and tips that allow us to plan where we should go next.

Knowing what amenities a marina has helps us plan our upcoming chores. 

Do they have showers, laundry machines or a nearby shop for provisioning? Or should we get more milk here in this marina because we know we can get it here... but it won't last for more than a few days, and will our solar panels be able to keep the fridge going during the next few days anyway?

Should we do one last load of laundry here or will the next place have a laundromat to use, maybe even for free? But what if the next laundromat is a couple blocks away from the marina? That means taking our wagon to shore by dinghy and then schlepping it all there and sticking around for the few hours it will take to wash and dry everything. But if there is a launch service and a courtesy car, that could be useful. Oh and maybe there's wifi at the laundromat, so bonus!

Being used to living in a digital world and having all the information we want at our fingertips, it can be hard to be 'in the dark'. Not having wifi is one thing. Having intermittent weak wifi is awful, like a huge tease.

So far, the anchorages we've been to are completely off line, obviously. When we're at a mooring ball near a marina, we tend to get very weak signal and only when we're perched on deck holding our device in some precarious position. Not ideal.

Once we actually started sailing from Chester and moving from place to place, Matt and I would spend most evenings after the kids had gone to bed pouring over charts and weather forecasts. We will do this again first thing in the morning to make sure there weren't any major weather changes overnight.

We all know weather forecasts are not all accurate and so even after we painstakingly make plans based on what has been forecasted (and we consult several weather apps and talk to the locals if we can), we leave enough room to make changes or retreat if necessary.

The more we move from place to place, the more pertinent reliable wifi is in order to passage plan. And so we often say we are "chasing wifi."

As you can imagine, all the planning and weather routing can be exhausting. Throw in boat maintenance, emergency repairs, chores and homeschooling and you kind of get the idea of the state of our frazzled minds after a day!  

Matt and I joke that we feel like we have less free time than we ever did before. That knitting project has remained firmly tucked away. The ukelele has been out once. 

How do cruisers find the time for hobbies and free time? I know we're in the depths of a steep learning curve so I'm not too concerned really.

Still, it has been nice to be here at Portsmouth Yacht Club for almost one week now. We have gotten to know the marina staff, know where things are, and just feel at home here, even for a little bit. 

Routine cannot be underestimated and being in one spot for several days has provided the necessary R&R that we needed after several weeks of pretty solid sailing and constant moving around.

Today we took advantage of the marina's strong wifi.  We found a lounge upstairs at the clubhouse and while the kids binged on cable TV,  Matt and I did some planning for our upcoming Europe trip. We booked trains, planes, buses, car rentals and accommodation. We contacted friends we want to see and basically got everything organized for what will be an epic holiday. 

We don't leave for another week so tomorrow we will cast off and head 5 nautical miles east to the Isles of Shoals. 

Time to explore and journey again. We have chased enough wifi for the time being. We are ready to go.

☆ We did actually get out of the marina later in the day. We walked to the nearby lighthouse and took the guided tour there. Great learning with an impressive history, and such devoted volunteers!

Rare TV TIME!

Booking our Europe holiday!

View from the lighthouse.