PocketMail By Cathy McIntire - Good Old Boat (Jan/Feb 2004)
No, it's not boat equipment, but we have found it so useful that I am including it in our list of recommendations. Wherever we go, whether in the U.S. or the Bahamas, we've been able to stay in touch with family, friends and cruisers we've met via PocketMail. It is small, travels easily to shore and back, is reasonably priced, and has worked everywhere we have traveled. In the Bahamas, where phone calls to America cost $1 per minute and snail mail is truly snail, we are able to communicate more information with more people via PocketMail for much less than a 5 minute phone call to one person.
We find we rely on it even in the States because carrying the small device ashore prevents excessive wear and tear or water damage to the laptop we'd otherwise bring ashore. For $10 to $15 per month, cruisers are able to make an unlimited number of calls to send and receive email, and in the U.S., the calls are free. We recently upgraded to a new device which works with any phone, including cell phones. We just aren't comfortable cruising if we can't stay in touch with family and friends.
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