Sunsail Bareboat Croatia - surveilliance?

[duncn]

Just back from Croatia.

We were told Boats had WiFi to get good weather sites.

Adding data credit wrong and got homepage. https://www.yachtwifi.net/en/

The homepage say ... gps ship surveilliance for charter
Says about Tracks.

Can base see our funny parking? laugh/cry or cover eyes?

For anchor alarm? base can call you if boat moves after dark?

 

[duncn]

No one else had one of these?

Thought it might be why Sunsail customers pay more at some quays... if Sunsail know where u are each night, do they claim $$$$ from quay owners?

One restraunt told us they used to give free meals to lead crews when a flot came in, now have to pay 20% also.

One Quay told us they could not recommend a resteraunt 'cos we were on a SS boat - come and see us in the office.

Anyone know if Sunsail do its customers for a markup on moorings as well as food?
Did Coatia cost us lots more due to hidden SS taxes?

 

[RichardS]

Our Moorings charter boat had a 3G router on board which we could connect our laptops etc to for free. It wasn't that useful for us as we have our own Croatian 3G dongle anyway but it was nice having data for free.

It's well known that the position of a 3G device can be identified but so what.

If we had broken down and needed help, as we have on 3 occasions over the years with charter boats, then perhaps they could have zipped over in the service boat and found us immediately.

The rest is just a conspiracy theory and very unlikely.

Richard

 

[mjcoon]

Our Moorings charter boat had a 3G router on board which we could connect our laptops etc to for free. It wasn't that useful for us as we have our own Croatian 3G dongle anyway but it was nice having data for free.

It's well known that the position of a 3G device can be identified but so what.

If we had broken down and needed help, as we have on 3 occasions over the years with charter boats, then perhaps they could have zipped over in the service boat and found us immediately.

The rest is just a conspiracy theory and very unlikely.

Richard

We chartered a Bavaria 50 in Croatia last year through Nautilus. The first I've encountered that had its own WiFi hotspot, though I've since seen it mentioned for charter yachts. So far as I know no-one used it for Skype, for instance, instead of roaming mobiles.

Maybe if we were going to abscond with the yacht it would be good to discover the dongle and disable it. Otherwise I don't see anything to worry about.

Mike.

 

[duncn]

Our Moorings charter boat had a 3G router on board which we could connect our laptops etc to for free. It wasn't that useful for us as we have our own Croatian 3G dongle anyway but it was nice having data for free.

It's well known that the position of a 3G device can be identified but so what.

If we had broken down and needed help, as we have on 3 occasions over the years with charter boats, then perhaps they could have zipped over in the service boat and found us immediately.

The rest is just a conspiracy theory and very unlikely.

Richard

Hi Richie,
Thanks for reply but it would have helped if you had read or viewed the link first.
Yes - triangulation can track a mobile device - even the oldest mobile phone users can usually understand that.
The link here though is GPS tracking recording a detailed log of the routes, stops etc
And yes, if you personally find it difficult to read the chart plotter and your DSC Radio is no longer talking to your Chart Plotter then the location service provided by the smart phones GPS could be useful for you if the charter company needs to fix something..

Are you saying you don't beleive the lead crews eat for free in 'approved' resteraunts?? Every ones entitled to their opion but we better not get on to the farther christmas and the tooth fairy!

 

[duncn]

We chartered a Bavaria 50 in Croatia last year through Nautilus. The first I've encountered that had its own WiFi hotspot, though I've since seen it mentioned for charter yachts. So far as I know no-one used it for Skype, for instance, instead of roaming mobiles.

Maybe if we were going to abscond with the yacht it would be good to discover the dongle and disable it. Otherwise I don't see anything to worry about.

Mike.

Tracking doesn't worry us, we were just a little bemused as to why the charter company would conceal the device and mis-represent its main purpose?

You'll find the voip ports are disproportionally slower on this WiFi connection. That makes it unpleasent to use for Skype.

Since the capping of roaming calls @<20p, Skype is less of an advantage as the data cap rate is current £200/GB (20p/MB).

Three are currently offering inclusive roaming on rolling contracts. Really not worth buying a Croatian SIM unless you are spending a lot of time on land. The coverage for this Yacht WiFi service was excellent - but unavailable to regular (Croatian) subscribers unless they opt to roam in which case it cheaper to buy the data direct from Yacht WiFi.

Sorry if it was unclear.

I'm still hoping to find someone who has first hand experiance of the product in the link - it would be really interesting to hear how well it worked for you. I suspect the system will be upgraded to a more mature product soon.

 

[RichardS]

Tracking doesn't worry us, we were just a little bemused as to why the charter company would conceal the device and mis-represent its main purpose?

You'll find the voip ports are disproportionally slower on this WiFi connection. That makes it unpleasent to use for Skype.

Since the capping of roaming calls @<20p, Skype is less of an advantage as the data cap rate is current £200/GB (20p/MB).

Three are currently offering inclusive roaming on rolling contracts. Really not worth buying a Croatian SIM unless you are spending a lot of time on land. The coverage for this Yacht WiFi service was excellent - but unavailable to regular (Croatian) subscribers unless they opt to roam in which case it cheaper to buy the data direct from Yacht WiFi.

Sorry if it was unclear.

I'm still hoping to find someone who has first hand experiance of the product in the link - it would be really interesting to hear how well it worked for you. I suspect the system will be upgraded to a more mature product soon.

I did read the full blurb first time around but we seem to be reading it completely differently.

I read it that the prime motivation for installing the device and its main purpose is to provide an internet connection via 3G to charter guests wherever they happen to be in Croatia. The GPS tracking function is a useful by-product for the charter companies as why shouldn't they know where their £1/4 million investment is heading. As I said, even without the GPS tracking, they could have tracked your position from the 3G signal. With the GPS signal they can do it more accurately but, as I said before, what's the problem.

Having 3G data is a massive benefit. You say it's not really worth buying a Croatian SIM unless you are based on land but I'm confused as, unless I've misunderstood, there is every reason to buy a Croatian SIM for data. We get 1GB of data per day for £1 day and we use every single MB every day on the boat. Try doing that on roaming and you will be spending £200 a day rather than £1!

Richard

 

[sailaboutvic]

Croatian Internet sims is one of the cheapers in Europe .

 

[NOHOH]

Maybe this course of action is a hedge against their boats being used to deliver migrants to Italy?.....or any other nefarious purpose