Working while sailing around the world may sound like a pipe dream, but it doesn’t have to be when you know how to tackle your to-do list on a boat. Whether you telecommute one day a week or five, there are ways to spend more time on the water than you are now. If you’re thinking about making this balancing act work for you, we have a few tips that may help.
Decide If It’s Right for You
You certainly can start working on your boat — plenty of people do it every day. The question is much more do you really want to work on your boat? Some people love their boats so much that they don’t want to associate it with anything other than the pure freedom and joy of the wind in their hair. If you decide that work won’t kill your love of the boat, it’s full steam ahead.
Set Your Schedule
If you’ve ever worked from home, you know how important it is to plan ahead. If you’re just testing the waters (so to speak), you should concentrate solely on work for the first few days. In other words, this is not the time to sand down your boat in between conference calls. If you’re going to be traveling for long periods of time, you also need to worry about when you’ll have connectivity and when you won’t. If you have a deadline-driven job, set a major time cushion in case you’re delayed.
Buy the Equipment
Internet access is crucial for anyone who works from their boat, and you really shouldn’t depend on free internet at the marina. The signals are typically coming from its main office, which may or may not be anywhere close to where you dock. If you don’t want to have to go searching the town for a coffee shop or a library, you’ll need a WiFi network adapter that can boost the signal and a strong hotspot in case you can’t connect.
Finally, may also want to dedicate one of your inverters, so there’s no chance of power being lost to an external source (this can happen automatically to some equipment). Purchase an efficient model and set it up exclusively for the computer. Before you hesitate to spend the money, remember this is an investment in your career.
One of the less obvious tips for working on a boat would be making sure that it has enough boat insurance in case something goes wrong. From the equipment you use to the upgrades you make to your boat office, having the right protection can be key to keeping you up and running.
About Mariners Insurance
Mariners General Insurance Group was founded in 1959 to protect boat owners and marine business clients. We are marine insurance experts and insure boats worldwide – in every ocean on the planet. Marine insurance is critical if you own a boat or nautical business. Trust the professionals with all of your Boat Insurance needs – trust Mariners Insurance. Call us at (800) 992-4443 any time you have questions or concerns about insurance for your vessel or marine business.
