YOUR MBY
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WI-FI FIX
I noticed Andy Fleet’s ‘Wi-Fi Woes’ letter
in the July issue and thought I’d share
my solution to the problem of poor wi-fi
speeds in marinas.
I went through similar pain and ended
up speaking to a customer service
manager at the wi-fi provider that
serves out boatyard.
He explained the problem – 24mbps
coming into the boatyard, which is then
divvied up, among the crews of up to
135 boats – so it’s not hard to see why
the service is super slow.
That was a year or two ago, but as far
as I can tell, the service is still little better
than useless.
I set about researching the market to
bring my own wi-fi aboard. While there
were plenty of pricey options for fi xed
boat-mounted kit, I settled on EE’s 4G
mini wi-fi unit.
Like the fi xed systems I looked at, this
little gadget requires a data sim cardand a monthly contract (I’ve just
qualifi ed for an upgrade and now pay
£12.75/month for 15Gb of data).
The unit charges from a USB point in
our boat’s galley and delivers high-
speed wi-fi everywhere within the Solent
and as far beyond as we’ve been. As I
write it is giving 43mbps (see pic below),
but I’ve seen over 60mbps on occasions.
The big differences between this and
a fi xed unit are that the wi-fi unit comesfree with the contract and it’s portable –
so you can take it to the pub when you
moor up. If you have an EE phone, you
can also ‘gift’ data from the phone to the
wi-fi device if you run out – saving on
pricey top-ups.
I’m no IT expert but I think I’ve found a
good and affordable solution for many
recreational boaters. Phil Sampson
That does sound like a refreshingly
affordable fi x but I suspect it may not be
suitable for cruising further afi eld or for
boats based in marinas with poor 4G
reception. We’re looking into this issue
for an article in the mag. HugoBUYING WOBBLES
I have a Beneteau Swift Trawler 34
and have been thinking of adding a
Seakeeper 3 stabiliser. However I am
concerned that it’s a large investment
to make without the benefi t of a sea trial
to test how effective it would be.
Fortunately I have just found out thatP I C O F T H E M O N T H This photo was taken by Greg Smith from his new Sunseeker Predator 50 during its maiden voyage from
Jersey to St Cast while travelling in the company of this immaculate Sunseeker Portofi no 47 belonging to his friend Steve MarieSEALINE C390
The C330 has been a smash hit
for Sealine, can its big sister repeat
that success on a larger scale?
We put it through its paces...BROOM ROUND IRELAND
A 45-year-old Broom Ocean 37
doesn’t sound like the ideal craft
for circumnavigating Ireland but
one man begged to differ...BARMY BRABUS
The tuning fi rm’s latest 28-footer
has 500hp on tap. We take it on a
high speed blast from Poole to the
Isle of Wight to see how it copesNEXT ISSUE ON SALE 8 AUGUST
your photo
of the month Wins
a handheld Icom
IC-M25 Euro VHF
Marine Transceiver
worth £169! Send your
best photo to us at
[email protected]