Stuart Island WA San Juan Island area

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by MJH

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Despite only 25 miles away visiting your friend in Duncan BC could be problematic. The most appropriate Canadian Customs entry would be at Sidney and, of course, you would have to clear U.S. Customs upon return as well at either Roche or Friday Harbor. There has normally been a ferry that runs through Friday Harbor to Sidney (I've used it) and that might be more efficient than using your boat and paying the annual U.S. Customs fee if it is over 30'. The last I knew the Sidney Harbor marina required an advanced reservation.

Good Luck.

~ ~ _/) ~ ~ MJH

Just adding some clarifies here:


Sidney Harbour is like that during the season, but their customs dock isn't.

Sidney is a horrible place to clear customs, because it is right at the windy and windy (wind - blow; wind - narrow twisty) harbor entrance and can be a bear to land on when busy and a SE wind.

No state secrets here: Van Isle Marina has customs dock, much safer, easier landing and sheltered. And it's shorter to get to Duncan going through Johns Pass and up Satellite Channel to either Cowichan Bay or Sansum Narrows to Maple Bay. There is also another customs dock further up in Tsehum Harbour, forget its name, never been there.

I know, I live here. San Juan Islands>>Haro Strait>>Van Isle>>Johns Pass>>Colburne Passage>>Satellite>>Sansum>>Maple Bay. Sidney is actually out of the way!

Good luck, but it sure sounds like a poor plan to for what you do and what IT support you require.

[Popcorn]

We have used many other ISP's in the past. Even though ISP's say they can connect, it sometimes becomes a trial before dependence issue.
AT&T, wasn't able to connect in the areas you mentioned.
However, we added a Hot Spot to our Verizon ISP and have good connections and pay for what we want (gigs) each month, plans range differently 12 gigs $25 so you can add or cancel but still keep your phone service. We can start and stop hot spot service anytime, and it covers Mexico and Canada (BC, Pender Island and the Gulf islands in our case). The point to remember is that IF you can connect your phone, you can hot spot your internet to your equipment. You can also check where the cell towers are by asking for their link. And having a good AC wifi adapter can help pick up signals to your onboard computer, thus connecting to your phone hot spot easier. This has been the cheapest available internet available. If you use up the hot spot gig allotment you subscribed for, it reverts to low speed only allowing email but at this point it is unlimited connection data for email, so surfing and gaming is not adequate at low speed. There are several plans available, and they offer seniors viable options to choose from. I am not employed by or connected to Verizon or anybody for that matter. Just over the years going up into Canada, has taught us to stay with our present ISP.
Also, if going to an ISP, first ask if they are a Corporate Store. Franchise stores do not service their customers the same and maybe other ISP companies franchise their businesses as well. Which means they want a sale and you may be confused with their jargon. We learned the hard way. Good luck!

[Volkeno]

Internet coverage in the islands is pretty hit and miss. I’ve mostly used AT&T and sometimes T-Mobile and none of them are reliable everywhere. Sometimes your signal will get captured by a Rogers tower. All the time I lived along the border required monthly calls to tell them I didn’t roam.
Once the border opens it could benefit to pick up a hotspot for Canadian ISP’s.
I never knew about signal boosters before this year, but that might the thing that gets the signal a few more miles. The van life people who camp in the desert know about those.
Starlink is just starting to come out, but initially it is tied to a fixed location. In a few years after they upgrade the satellites it will be the best thing for boats. Right now the satellites can’t pass signals along from one to another.
Roche Harbor is pretty big and you can be pretty far from the resort but has better Internet than places a few miles away like Reid or Prevost.

[gent48dd]

Yea I kind of figured that I will need Canada, I am writing Iridium, I used Iridium in the deserts of Iraq, it was very expensive but things have changed a bit and I am going to ask them about what new plans they have.

[gent48dd]

Originally Posted by Stu Jackson

Just adding some clarifies here:


Sidney Harbour is like that during the season, but their customs dock isn't.

Sidney is a horrible place to clear customs, because it is right at the windy and windy (wind - blow; wind - narrow twisty) harbor entrance and can be a bear to land on when busy and a SE wind.

No state secrets here: Van Isle Marina has customs dock, much safer, easier landing and sheltered. And it's shorter to get to Duncan going through Johns Pass and up Satellite Channel to either Cowichan Bay or Sansum Narrows to Maple Bay. There is also another customs dock further up in Tsehum Harbour, forget its name, never been there.

I know, I live here. San Juan Islands>>Haro Strait>>Van Isle>>Johns Pass>>Colburne Passage>>Satellite>>Sansum>>Maple Bay. Sidney is actually out of the way!

Good luck, but it sure sounds like a poor plan to for what you do and what IT support you require.

Thank you that helps a lot I am still two years away, and I have to pass all the sailing courses. It is in doing that, I will be able to figure out if my plan will actually work and you never over the next two years they could improve the coverage up there. I am hoping that I can find someone in Blaine WA to teach my to sail.

[gent48dd]

Thanks I book marked his page

[NCWDave]

Originally Posted by gent48dd

Thank you that helps a lot I am still two years away, and I have to pass all the sailing courses. It is in doing that, I will be able to figure out if my plan will actually work and you never over the next two years they could improve the coverage up there. I am hoping that I can find someone in Blaine WA to teach my to sail.

Cheep and fun option that dove tails well with formal training is to crew in the area and type of sailing you want to do. GL

[Sand crab]

I was hiking in the Olympics last summer up near the top of Hurricane Ridge Road and got a welcome to Canada message on my T-Mobile phone. I reckon it picked up a tower from around Victoria. No roaming fees but I don't think I was actually using the phone much then.

[Sand crab]

Gent, more important than classes is experience. You just need to get on any boat and sail. There's a popular sailing Meetup group in the Sound. I have crewed on other peoples boats OPB and have posted there for crew on my boat. It's free to join.

[Mithril Bham]

I have spent a lot of time anchoring in all those areas. Verizon worked well for me at Roche but slow. I anchored there all summer once. You need to pay the extra fee for Canada but it isn't much. Not good anchorage in the winter. You might think of staying at the dock in the winter. Reid great but hills limit reception and sunlight. No ferry to Stuart. Looking for better satellite solutions in the near future. Have sailed the area for 60 years. Personally I find Verizon works best in the Islands. Having a fast tender helps for provisioning.

[gent48dd]

Winter is not a problem for me, might be a problem for the boat I am not sure. As a truck driver I have been through Blaine WA on my way to BC, I can't count them all. Best run there is for a truck driver hauling tomatoes from Homestead FL to Vancouver. I worked for a company in ND and have hauled produce all over Canada lived and worked in -30 degree weather for weeks. Cold is not a problem for me. Reid Harbor usually only experiences cold weather down to a few degrees above freezing no big deal.

I have always used Verizon because Verizon has really great coverage in Canada. I had a plan unlimited data US, Canada, Mexico, it cost me 1000 dollars a month but I had connection anywhere and good connection and because I was a truck driver that is 12K I can write off on tax. when you are making 100k a year being able to write off 20k really helps. So I make 100k gross but I end up with 80k. 80k single in a boat that is paid for leaves me $$$ for maintenance on the boat. BUT I have to have good solid internet and still have not heard back from Iridium, I might not need them but they do have this Iridium go I am interested.

I have the idea of building a WiFi hot spot with all the equipment on my boat and letting others tap in for a few bucks, I am also thinking about building a network of liveaboard folks who need to make a few dollars and tech them how to move freight part time. If I can figure away to get people connected and work just 4 hours per/day to make extra dollars. I will take 2% of everything moved but my time is mostly spent teaching.

Lots of people living on boats would like to make a few extra bucks, if I can show them how .... but then FIRST I have to being it, and I have to be building IT that works from boats.

It's a plan that has to be developed. Everything moves by truck in the end doesn't matter what country you are in, it comes by truck. The idea being developing a way for people living on boats and in RV's who like that freedom just spend a few hours per /day and they make a few extra dollars. What if you could spend 4 hours every day and make 2k?

That is kind of my goal not just moving fright in the US but anywhere and making it simple to do but that takes teaching the how and takes bring in people who actually want to learn. It not something you learn in 30 days and suddenly start making 2k Nope not going to happen. It easy to loose money it's kind of like playing the stocks.

Anyway I invite all comments, I think I can build a Wifi hot spot that works, Have I done that before YES 2004, Iraqi desert no one had wifi I built it off of nothing more than a simple sat dish set up in the middle of the desert. Did it work ya it worked I had 60 people on it.

But all these comments from folks who have already sailed in the area of Roche and Reid Harbor are very important to me. I am Cristian and my goal is to help people. YES I need to make money but there is no reason I can't help others also make money.

[Mithril Bham]

You don't want to be anchored at Roche during a winter storm. High winds. You can get a spot at the old dock since there is nobody there. Very nice. Great showers. Nice little store. Restaurant.
Friday Harbor is good at the dock in winter but a bit too busy for me.

[gent48dd]

I would not be anchored at Roche, I would be anchored at Reid Harbor 5 miles north well protected. Everyone keeps talking about winter ??? I lived and worked in -30 degree weather, not for a day but for weeks at a time, Reid harbor has never seen that kind of weather, I checked the past 20 years at the harbor there usual temp in winter is 36-40 ??? say what that is t-shirt weather. If you think 36 degrees is cold you are a suck, that is is what I call wimpy dogs, they are sucks, they have no fight.

[SV__Grace]

Originally Posted by gent48dd

I don't even own a boat yet, I am 2 years out from that. But I am looking to talk with folks that have experience in and around Stuart Island, Roche Harbor. I am thinking about semi-retirement, living at anchor Reid Harbor. The very first thing I need to know is what is the internet like.

I said semi-retirement, I am going to need 24/7 internet to continue to work, and I mean 24/7 people contact me at via internet, whenever they need me. That is the most important thing. Doesn't have to be super fast internet, I am not streaming video. If I have to spend 10k up front for super dooper equipment to achieve what I want, I need to know that up front because it affects what I can spend on the boat and I have to look for a boat that can support that kind of power usage or at least look at up grading so that my boat can do it.

I have tons of questions about this area 1) because I can visit a friend in Duncan BC just 25 miles away and 2) I can spend time with my granddaughter 60 miles away in Tacoma.

I know for a fact I can get solid internet from Iridium because I used Iridium when I was in Iraq in the middle of know where, but it is extremely expensive and if I had to use the same system for what I am doing now, it wouldn't work. Cost would over ride profit. Iridium does have Iridium GO for sailors, I have never used it and will be writing Iridium. But generally people who are in the area should know just how good is the internet in the area and I am not talking about living at the marina at Roche, but anchored at Reid Harbor which is only 5 miles away.

I can't even consider Reid harbor unless I know what the internet is like right now. Then there maybe others out there that know a place you can live at anchor in the general area that already has good internet.

I am a custom load broker for independent truck drivers, in other words I am guy who has done what they are doing, and I know each person, what they like, what they don't like, that means they have to be able to reach me 24/7 and I have to be able to look at loads and negotiate any time day or night. That is why it is called custom you won't have to sit around waiting I will find something for you now. And that is why I need 24/7 internet.

I don't mind spending 10K for equipment, I can write that off as long as I have good connection. I know I can go through Iridium and get exactly what I want but it is more than 40K and and you are charged by the min, that does not work for me. It worked in Iraq because you the tax payer paid for it, ( I don't like when people say the government paid for it, it was your tax dollars)

Anyway anyone who can help here ???

We work remotely from our boat and were able to do so from Reid by running our hotspot up the mast on a halyard (ATT, Verizon is better for that area).

Today's cell plans are sized to accommodate streaming and we have 100GB for $100. per month, which is more than we need to work all day on the internet. I recommend getting a good cell booster until reachable satellite plans are available, which shouldn't be that long.

We use T-mobile Binge On for streaming video for entertainment, which did not work at Reid Harbor, but we could have made it work if important to get work done.

Our electronics whiz recommended the Cradlepoint 900 for us, which is also used by trucking and shipping fleets, and this model has two SIM card slots so we have ATT in one and T-Mobile in the other. The build is amazing, this is a very high quality device that will stand up in mobile and marine environments very well.

Our guy insisted that we did not need a mast mount antenna, but having used it in remote areas I think that would be best.

At Reid, my sense is that a good cell booster with a high antenna will be just fine, especially with Verizon.

Fun fact: my electronics whiz tells me that Verizon is the only provider that aims their antennas horizontally for distance, which is whey they work well over the water. The other providers aim their antennas down to provide stronger signals on land, leaning on multiple networked antennas for coverage, which isn't as preferable for a signal on the water.

[SV__Grace]

Originally Posted by gent48dd

I have the idea of building a WiFi hot spot with all the equipment on my boat and letting others tap in for a few bucks

As an entrepreneur I appreciate your creative thinking to generate income from your internet connection. When we were in Quartermaster Harbor a liveaboard did this as the cell service sucked and he had cable internet that he shared with other liveaboards for a fee.

However, two problems with this that are connected- marketing and transience.

To get a customer takes marketing, and renting/leasing an internet connection is a low dollar sale that would depend upon a longer term subscription to make it worthwhile.

So you go through all the trouble to market to visitors that your service is available, you make a 5 or 10 dollar sale here and there, but because the great majority of visitors are transient and not staying for that long, it's a lot of effort for little return.