Anyone who cruisers knows you have a lot of time on your hands, especially in the evening. Some read, some sleep. I always liked to exercise my mind working with the computer writing or messing with the website. It has nothing to do with 'keeping in touch'. More along the lines of writing a journal or putting a travel book together. The information is then put online after we return.

If a guy writes in a personal journal is it keeping in touch with the outside world? I think not. It was done since man began to write his thoughts down.

Security? We don't use an AIS transponder. We have only a receiver as we don't like telling everyone where we are. In the Caribbean thugs use AIS to target small boats traveling alone. The Belize port captains use AIS transponders to tell when boats come into their area (they even call them on the VHF) and charge from the first signal received. Thats $10.00 per person per day. DSC is a 'PITA' But then we don't 'buddy boat' or move in flotillas except for the HA-HA in 2007. That was a safety issue as part of a shake-down on a 3 year cruise.

What do you mean "compliance with basic regulations"? You're saying it's the law to have an MMSI number on a 40 foot boat? Where's the safety aspect? It's just more junk to deal with as far as we're concerned. Radar, an AIS receiver and being aware of your surroundings is good for safety. Having a personal party line or telling everyone within 50 miles where you are isn't as far as we're concerned. The only time an AIS transponder may be useful on a small vessel is when your in a high density marine traffic area.

I'll stick with 'JUNK' from our travel experiences. But then, to each his own.