Skype....

[Wahoo]

How many of you use Skype for communication at home and while cruising? I've been using it for about a year now, both here and while traveling.

Wahoo

[JeanneP]

I've used it recently to communicate with friends in the Caribbean. Our cruising companions last year in the Baltic used it every night to talk with their family in the US, and found it worked very well.

I find that it is better than a mobile phone for talking. A mobile phone is one-way, like radio push-to-talk; Skype is more like land line telephone talking, two-way all the time.

On another forum some people in Mexico were complaining that the Skype talkers on the marina wifi were hogging all the bandwidth, and talking for hours at a time, reducing the access to wifi for many of the other boats for hours at a time. I can believe it, because here in this mooring field the marina office provides free wifi for the boats, but sometimes in the evenings there's just not enough bandwidth for everybody. I have an aircard so I don't have to depend on the marina wifi, fortunately.

My nephew spent his first semester at college this year in London, and his parents and his girlfriend were very grateful for Skype and its "free" means for keeping in touch.

[MMNETSEA]

Wahoo

How have you been able to use Skype when cruising offshore ? away from a fast PC connection to the internet ?

Richard

[Wahoo]

Richard,

I haven't used it that way, just when I've had wifi or direct internet at home or while traveling. What I was curious about what how widespread it is in the cruising community.

Oh..my Skype is Wahoo_pb

Wahoo

[Nausikaa]

Being on the move, I use it all the time to stay in contact with family. It is brilliant.

Even large companies and public authorities are discovering the benefits.

Aye // Stephen

[lloyd]

Skype is marvellous. I use it when travelling. Used my laptop in Dubai airport. Sat myself down on the mazzanine floor and logged in for free!! The other thing I've done is forwarding my calls to a mobile or land line to keep in touch. Wonderful technology.

Has anyone used a Skype telephone i.e. Has a skype telephone number? I understand they are available for UK and USA. How well do they work?

[Wahoo]

Lloyd,

I have a Skype number (US), plus use the voice mail that comes w. it, and it works just fine.

Wahoo